Mark Your Calendar

Watch this

space for  updates and reminders:

 Auditions, Mon. Nov. 5, Wed. Nov. 7

Get together of new and old members - Friday, November 16 at Silloo Madan’s.

Rehearsals begin:  Monday, January 7, 2002

Move in set:  Monday, March 18, 2002

Show dates:  Mar. 23-24, Mar. 29-30, 2002
(Matinee March 24)

 (By the way, thanks to Ham and Lisbeth Leonard

for sending in corrections on last month’s calendar listings.  Be sure to make your own corrections)

Auditions, Mon. Nov. 5, Wed. Nov. 7

Get together of new and old members - Saturday, November 16 at Silloo Mdden’s.

Rehearsals begin:  Monday, January 7, 2002

Move in set:  Monday, March 19, 2002

Show dates:  Mar. 24-25, Mar. 29-30, 2002

Troupers Welcomes Keith Johnston

The Board of Directors has voted unanimously to appoint Keith Johnston of Stamford, formerly of Syracuse, New York, as our new Music Director. Recently appointed the General Manager of both the Stamford Symphony and the Greenwich Choral Society, Keith brings to Troupers a wealth of music and administrative experience. 

He holds a Masters of Music in conducting, and a Bachelors of Fine Arts in trombone performance with a minor in conducting, from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied with Juan-Pablo Izquierdo, Robert Page, Byron McCulloh and Eduardo Alonso-Crespo. He studied conducting with Colin Meters at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and with Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops and music director of the Utah Symphony.

His professional experience includes music director of the Onondaga, (New York) Civic Orchestra, and of the Auburn (New York) Chamber Orchestra. He was also music director of the Allegheny (Pennsylvania) Brass Band, where he led them on international tours to Bermuda and the Peoples Republic of China.

From 1993-1998, he was music director of  the Pittsburgh Savoyards, where he conducted almost 100 performances, including  The Mikado, Patience, H.M.S. Pinafore, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Ruddigore, The Telephone, Iolanthe, and Gianni Schicchi. 

Reviews of the Pittsburgh Savoyards production of H.M.S. Pinafore rave that “Conductor Keith Johnston and the Savoyards’ orchestra are first-rate” and of Iolanthe that “Keith Johnston and the Pittsburgh Savoyards Orchestra do fine work, bringing this wonderful music to life.”

“I'm thrilled to be working with the Troupers here in Connecticut,” says Keith. “Conducting Gilbert and Sullivan is such a joy, and I learn so much from every production. Sullivan's music is really extraordinary, at times sounding like Puccini, Wagner, or Meyerbeer, but always unmistakably Sullivan. And of course his choral writing is superb, with ‘Farewell My Own’ from Pinafore being among my favorites. The combination of Sullivan's music and Gilbert’s words have created these works of art, and I’m proud to be able to take part in presenting them to our audience here in Southern Connecticut.”

We look forward to working with you, too, Keith! 

Orchestra Music Missing

Does anyone know of the whereabouts of our Troupers orchestra scores for Trial and Pinafore?  If you do, call Carl Serbell  at 203-222-7260 or cserbell@yahoo.com

Troupers!  Set Sail on Another Famous Ship

First Church of Old Greenwich, (where we hold our rehearsals) will be presenting their quadrennial of performance of Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde this fall with our own Lucinda Winslow directing, and Anne Wachman as stage manager.  Professional singers will take the principal roles of Noah and Mrs. Noah, (including Tom Woodman, whose wife Carol performed with us a few years ago) and there are roles for all ages, from 5 to 6  year old raindrops or mice to ark animals from 7-8 up to 80.  There are also roles for four altos and four sopranos playing Mrs. Noah's Gossips.  Call Anne at 203-637-4205 to arrange auditions or to sign up for animal chorus and backstage work.

Rehearsals will be held from 11:20 - 12:20 on Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, and 28.  Evening rehearsals will be held from 7:30 - 9 during production week Oct. 29, 30, Nov. 1 & 2.  Performances will be Sat., Nov. 3, 8 PM and Sunday Nov. 4 at 10 & 4.  The animal heads have been made by a professional puppeteer in NY.  (Lion King, move over!)  Great music and great fun! All Troupers welcome!

Help Wanted!

As usual, Troupers needs a lot of help to make this year’s show a success.  We need people to wear several hats. 

At the Welcome party on November 16^th, we will have a sign up sheet for Troupers jobs, and, in case we miss you there, we will send one with next month’s Trumpet.

Especially needed are two Coordinator positions:  Costume and Ticket Sales. As with all Trouper jobs, coordinators will find other willing Troupers hands, so the work will be light.