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ABOUT THE COMPANY
Since 1994, Opera-Lytes, an amateur theatre company based in Amherst, NY, has
been delighting audiences with a wide variety of performances, including Gilbert
and Sullivan operettas, “classic” Broadway musicals, and choral concerts. We
present one or two fully staged productions each season with a full orchestra or
a small combo of live musicians. Opera-Lytes has performed in venues throughout
Western New York, including, Ujima TheatreLoft, the Alleyway Theatre, and the
Road Less Traveled Theatre in Buffalo, the Lancaster Opera House and the Riviera
Theatre in North Tonawanda.
Building on our faithful core of members, the composition of our group continues
to evolve. We hold open auditions for all stage productions, and our programming
is chosen to showcase a wide array of abilities and talent. The company, a
diverse mix of younger and more mature performers welcomes members of all ages,
and with all levels of performing experience. We also seek members interested in
participating behind-the-scenes in set design and construction, costuming,
publicity and community outreach. We are very proud of the remarkable growth
exhibited by our company since its inception, and look forward to providing
years of high-quality musical entertainment to Western New York audiences.
GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
Opera-Lytes is the only theatre company in the Buffalo area that presents the
works of Gilbert and Sullivan - the famed “Savoy Operas” - on a yearly basis. The
company has staged all of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas (except Thespis) and
several company veterans can boast of having performed the complete thirteen
works in the canon. Thanks to our love for and dedication to Gilbert and
Sullivan’s works, the company brings substantial resources to our productions.
Over the years, Opera-Lytes has presented both classic and modernized
adaptations of these operas. Our productions of HMS Pinafore (2005) and The
Gondoliers (2010), for example, are strongly indebted to the original staging
devised by Gilbert himself. On the other hand, in November 2002, our updated
version of the rarely produced Utopia Limited transported the story from the
original South-Sea Island to the planet Utopia; whimsical costumes alluded to
Star Trek, Star Wars and Men in Black, and Princess Zara’s final aria celebrated
Great Britain’s “inter-space battalions.” In 2006, the company’s production of
Patience moved the opera’s satire of cultural fads to the 1960’s, where hippies,
beatniks and squares competed for the love of adoring groupies.
BROADWAY
Opera-Lytes also presents classic Broadway musicals, principally from the 1940’s
and 1950’s, along with operattas such as The Merry Widow and The Student Prince.
As one of the few groups in the area staging theatrical works that offer
opportunities to trained vocalists, the company has attracted singers eager to
perform the vocally demanding roles in these productions. The company presents
these shows with full orchestra. Recent productions include Carousel (2002),
Hello, Dolly! (2005), Brigadoon (2009), and The Most Happy Fella (2009).
CHORAL CONCERTS
Opera-Lytes regularly highlights the company’s musical and ensemble strengths
through choral concerts.
Annual Christmas Concert
Features sacred music and popular secular tunes of the Christmas season.
Annual Valentine’s Concert
A musical “potpourri” featuring choral medleys and love songs from the Broadway
stage, Gilbert and Sullivan, and other popular selections. This concert also
allows soloists and small groups the opportunity to “strut their stuff.”
The World of Gilbert and Sullivan
Thanks to popular demand, this concert, has become a featured part of
Opera-Lytes repertoire, and is presented at least once a year. Developed in
2008, this concert introduces the audience to the music of Gilbert and
Sullivan, highlighting music from each of the 13 Savoy Operas. We present
semi-staged solos, small ensembles, and choral selections with interesting
narration about the operas, their famously eccentric creators, and the romance
and comedy woven by the words and music. This concert may be adapted to
different venues and shaped to appeal to audiences of all ages.
Opera on Broadway
Created in 2010, “Opera on Broadway” takes audiences on a musical journey,
illustrating through narration and solo and choral performances the rich
interplay between opera and musical theater. This concert features music from La
Boheme and Candide as well as opera-inspired Broadway favorites as South
Pacific, The Phantom of the Opera, Carousel, Sweeney Todd, Rent, and many more!
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