MSU Opera Theatre Opens Season with Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers
The MSU College of Music opens its Opera Theatre season with Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, a fully staged production of one of the duo’s most beloved operettas. Performances run November 18–22 in Fairchild Theatre as part of the Worthington Family Foundation Opera Theatre Season.
Set against the lively backdrop of Venice, The Gondoliers follows two carefree gondoliers who discover that one of them may be heir to a distant kingdom. As questions of identity, duty, and romance unfold, the story spins through a series of comic twists and mistaken identities, combining Gilbert’s witty satire with Sullivan’s vibrant score, filled with memorable choruses, lively ensembles, and lyrical melodies.
Premiered in London in 1889, The Gondoliers became one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most successful collaborations and one of the longest-running works of musical theatre of its era. Celebrated for its humor, colorful characters, and exuberant music, the operetta remains a favorite with audiences for its lively choruses, engaging melodies, and playful satire of class, politics, and royalty.
Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers opens the 2026–27 MSU Opera Theatre season with performances on November 18-19 and 21-22.
Performances are Wednesday and Thursday, November 18–19, and Saturday, November 21, at 7:00 p.m., with a matinee performance on Sunday, November 22, at 3:00 p.m. The production is sung in English with English surtitles. Audience members are also invited to attend preview lectures presented by Melanie Helton 45 minutes prior to each performance.
Led by Melanie Helton, professor of voice and director of MSU Opera Theatre, the production features the MSU Symphony Orchestra in the pit, conducted by Octavio Más-Arocas, associate professor of music and director of orchestras at MSU. The production also features scenic design by Abigail Gracey, a graduate student in MSU’s Department of Theatre, and lighting design by Michael Beyer, a professional consultant based in the region.
“Gilbert and Sullivan created a work that combines clever satire with engaging characters and wonderfully crafted music,” said Helton. “Its humor remains remarkably fresh, and the music gives our students countless opportunities to collaborate and perform. We’re very excited to share this classic with our audiences.”
Other Opera Theatre events this season include A Celebration of the Beautiful Voice on February 7, showcasing graduate singers in an evening of operatic arias, and Mozart’s Così fan tutte, presented March 31–April 4, one of the composer’s most enduring and frequently performed operas.
This production is presented during the MSU College of Music’s “20 Years of Momentum” anniversary season, celebrating two decades as an independent college while building on a musical tradition at MSU that spans more than 160 years.
The Opera Theatre season is underwritten by the Worthington Family Foundation. The Gondoliers is generously sponsored by James and Susan Bonfiglio, Lauren Harris, Dr. James M. Miller and Dr. Rebecca H. Lehto, the Eleanor H. and Harold E. Leichenko Opera Endowment established by Lauren Julius Harris, and the Richard and Joan Witter Endowment for MSU Opera Theatre.
Tickets: Reserved seating tickets purchased at the door are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors (age 60+), and $9 for students and those under 18 with valid ID. Tickets may also be purchased online at music.msu.edu/events or by calling (517) 353-5340; tickets purchased online or by phone include a $1.50 processing fee.
