Cornell Savoyards performs Iolanthe at IHS

Cast members in the Cornell Savoyards production of Iolanthe are, from left, Amanda Zawadski as Phyllis, Angela Ramacci '02 as Iolanthe and Jonathon Hiller '02 as Strephon. Cornell Savoyards

The Cornell Savoyards will present the lighthearted opera Iolanthe, with music and lyrics by Gilbert and Sullivan, Oct. 26-28 and Nov. 2-4 at Kulp Auditorium at Ithaca High School.

Performances on Oct. 26 and 27 and on Nov. 2 and 3 are at 8 p.m.; performances on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 are at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $9 for general admission, $7 for students and seniors, and $6 for all seats at matinees, and are on sale at the Willard Straight Hall ticket office and the Clinton House ticket office (273-4497) in downtown Ithaca. Tickets also will be sold at the door before each performance.

The student-based Cornell Savoyards have a long tradition of larger cast productions with full orchestras, including their most recent production, Kiss Me Kate. Iolanthe however, will have a small, powerful cast of around 18. The Cornell Savoyards have been delighting audiences in the Ithaca community since 1953 and have previously performed every work by Gilbert and Sullivan as well as selected works from the Broadway repertoire. The Cornell Savoyards have also toured regionally in upstate New York, performing in Geneva, Binghamton and Trumansburg.

Iolanthe is a musical, romantic comedy filled with political innuendoes and a bit of a battle between the sexes. It is directed by Colin Miyamoto, stage director and choreographer, Werner Sun, music director, and Mac Elliot, technical director.

The Savoyards is a registered student organization at Cornell. About half of the members are Cornell students, but there also are Cornell staff and faculty members, Ithaca College students and area community members involved in productions and on the group's board of directors.

For information about group discounts or for more information about the production of Iolanthe, contact the Cornell Savoyards at 253-1668 or visit the web site: http://www.rso.cornell.edu/savoyards.