Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience

Madison Savoyards presents Patience, an operatic ode to the silliness of fads, fashion, and Art for Art’s sake, imbued with the brilliant music of Arthur Sullivan and biting wit of W.S. Gilbert.  Singers and orchestra take the stage of the Bartell Theatre in downtown Madison August 2 through 11 to perform this rarely produced, poetic and aesthetic titillating tale.

In Patience, Madison Savoyards continues to present the core of the Gilbert & Sullivan corpus, while also finding content that speaks to audiences today. A show that invokes themes of the vain, pretentious, and superficial, as well as of simplicity and love, MSL’s Patience will shed an entertaining and “new light” on our contemporary world. Satire can be a rapier, cutting into the pretenses of society — in the 20th century sometimes a weapon in the class struggle. The G&S operas did (and still do!) offer a concerted pushback against the self-important authority figures who were their constant targets. A healthy skepticism laced with broad humor can go a long way toward keeping public officials honest and above board. Typical of a G&S work, hilarity, contradictions, and topsy-turvy reversals ensue, all set to charming melodies, the requisite patter songs, duets and choruses.

Free Children’s Pre-show August 4th 1:00pm

Youth are invited to join us on Sunday, August 4 at 1:00 for a pre-show event for children of all ages (particularly 4+). We’ll unwind Gilbert’s twisting words, make sense of Sullivan’s music, and quiz some of this cast of characters, all while getting a behind-the-scenes preview of what’s to come in the matinee that afternoon! This event will run 45 minutes, and is free and open to the public.

• Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience performed on the second floor Drury Stage. A lift is located in the Main Lobby to access the Drury Stage.  The lift accommodates a wheelchair with up to a 30″ x 45″ footprint. In addition to a staff member, one patron at time can utilize the lift. If you have any questions, please contact the Box Office.
• Ticket prices include Bartell Box Office Fees.
• Masks are encouraged but not required.