Shavon Lloyd Named to Cast and Crew for Crane Opera Ensemble Production of 'The Pirates of Penzance'

2018 Apr 10

The award-winning Crane Opera Ensemble at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music is set to present the timeless Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, "The Pirates of Penzance," on Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21. Both performances will be presented at 7:30 p.m., in the Sara M. Snell Music Theater.

The cast and crew includes Shavon Lloyd of Middletown, NY, who plays the Pirate King.

In "The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty," Frederic, who has spent his formative years as a junior pirate, plans to mark his 21st birthday by breaking free from the Pirate King and his wacky band of pirates. His nursemaid, now turned piratical maid of all work Ruth, has misled him as to the charms of younger women, and when he meets a group of them on the beach, he begins his courtship of Mabel, a daughter of Major-General Stanley. But because he was born in a leap year, on Feb. 29, a date that only arrives every four years, Frederic isn't technically 21 -- and the Pirate King is still his master. Unless something changes, Frederic will soon be on a collision course with the Pirate King's new nemesis, Mabel's father.

This production has been double-cast for many major roles, to highlight the talents of a broader number of Crane students. As a result, each evening performance will feature different casting.

Led by Musical Director Kirk Severtson, this production of "The Pirates of Penzance" features students from The Crane School of Music in the cast, as well as students from Crane and the SUNY Potsdam Department of Theatre and Dance behind the scenes. Stage Director David Ward joins the Crane faculty this year as a visiting assistant professor. He has served as the opera director at the University of Arizona and the University of North Texas.

Tickets for the Crane Opera Ensemble production of "The Pirates of Penzance" are $10 for the general public and $8 for SUNY Potsdam faculty, staff and students. To purchase tickets, contact the Community Performance Series Box Office, located in the lobby of SUNY Potsdam's Performing Arts Center, by calling (315) 267-2277 or visiting http://www.cpspotsdam.org.

The award-winning Crane Opera Ensemble is a significant source for opera and music theatre in the North Country region of New York State. The ensemble provides exciting opportunities for students to experience all facets of opera performance and production, through rehearsals, coaching and classes related to performance practices and production techniques. The ensemble's productions have garnered awards from the National Opera Association (2015, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2003), The American Prize (2011), and the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (2010). To learn more, visit https://www.potsdam.edu/academics/Crane/opera.

About The Crane School of Music:

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution. For more information, please visit http://www.potsdam.edu/crane.