The cast of our 2017 production, Iolanthe, has now been announced!  Click on the link below to see the cast list and to find out more about the production.
http://www.sloco.org/our-show.html

SLOCO returns to the Simsbury Public Library on Friday, September 30th, 2016 at 7:00 pm with a free public performance of Trial By Jury and selections from other Gilbert & Sullivan operettas such as The Mikado, and The Sorcerer.

For Trial By Jury, the entire audience will become the jury and will be welcome to sing along as Angelina (Simsbury resident Julie Rumbold) prosecutes her suit for breach of marriage promise against Edwin (Ralph Sherman).
 

In two FREE concerts in March and April, SLOCO will perform highlights from The Sorcerer and other Gilbert & Sullivan favorites. Current cast members from our upcoming production of The Sorcerer will perform signature songs, including “My Name Is John Wellington Wells,” “Ring Forth Ye Bells,” and “Now to the Banquet We Press.” Other likely numbers include selections from The Mikado, Iolanthe, The Gondoliers, Patience, and Trial by Jury.



First concert is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, at Southington Public Library, 255 Main Street, Southington.
Registration is required.  Please see http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=southton for details.

Second concert: 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 1, at Simsbury Public Library, 725 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury.

The story in the opera which SLOCO is presenting this year, The Sorcerer, centers around a magic potion that makes everyone in the village fall in love.  Does not the music we hear in an opera cast a spell on us, in a sense?  It has the ability to transport us to a different place and time, to make us feel strong emotions, and come away with a lingering tune in our heads for days afterward.

In The Sorcerer, a singular "dealer in magic and spells" comes along and uses his powers to affect a sudden transformation.  However, in the Simsbury Light Opera Company, there are many hands that come together over a series of months to make the magic happen.  The singers, the directors, the set crew, the orchestra, and so many others all play vital parts in bringing the on-stage magic to life - it truly takes a "village"!  Like off-stage "spirits" whose voices are heard in The Sorcerer, we have whole "hosts" of supporters whose unseen -- and too often unsung -- support is vital to making our productions happen.  All of you, our patrons and valued donors, make the magic possible with your continued generosity.

Indeed, SLOCO has begun to undergo an exciting transformation: this is a crucial period of revitalization for us as a company, as we continue to draw in new talent, expand our visibility in the community, and undertake necessary capital improvements to our rehearsal facility, "Basingstoke."  Thanks to the outpouring of support during last year's annual fund drive, we were able to install a new heating system in Basingstoke, and the building is seeing a new flurry of activity, contributing to the sense of camaraderie that has always been such a vital part of SLOCO.  Over the next few months, in addition to being the site of all our rehearsals, Basingstoke will begin to witness the construction of brand new sets and costumes for The Sorcerer.  Within the coming year, we hope to repave the driveway and parking lot, making Basingstoke more accessible in the winter months when the space is used the most, as well as purchasing a new sign that will make the building more identifiable from the street.   For these purposes, as well as to help cover the costs of mounting this year's production, we have set a goal of raising $13,000 in this year's fund drive.  No donation is too small or too large, and as always, your contributions to SLOCO are tax-deductible.

There is no simple magic potion that will make SLOCO's continued success a reality -- it takes a lot of hard work from the company members, and the faithful love and support of our audiences, friends, and donors.  Thank you for all that you have made possible for SLOCO over the years, and thank you for your ongoing support as we move forward into our magical 2016 season with Gilbert and Sullivan's The Sorcerer.

The Simsbury Light Opera Company will hold open auditions for our April 2016 production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Sorcerer on Tuesday, November 10th and Sunday, November 15th, from 7-9 pm.  Auditions will take place at our rehearsal facility, "Basingstoke."  G & S audition pieces are preferred; audition music will be provided for chorus.  Questions, or to volunteer with backstage aspects of the show, please email sloco@sloco.org.

The Simsbury Light Opera Company is proud to welcome two new directors for our 2016 season.

Artistic Director Mike Reynolds is a long-time performer with the Connecticut Gilbert & Sullivan Society, where his roles have included the Duke of Plaza-Toro (The Gondoliers) and Dr. Daly (The Sorcerer). He recently served as Associate Director for CT Gilbert & Sullivan's production of Iolanthe.  Mike is the Director of the Theatre Program at Norwich Free Academy.  He holds an MFA in Directing from Catholic University of America.

Music Director Nathaniel Baker has recently served as Music Director for West Hartford Community Theater and Connecticut Theatre Company, among other groups. He is the Chorus Master for Connecticut Lyric Opera, and a past Music Director of the Choral Club of Hartford.  Nathaniel has a Master's degree in Piano Performance from the University of Connecticut; his undergraduate degree is from the Hartt School.

We look forward to working with both of them on our upcoming production of The Sorcerer!

SLOCO Choristers, SLOCO's singing community-outreach group, is resuming operations and looking for singers who want to sing for an audience.

Led by two new SLOCO members, the group is returning to bring a wide range of music to the local area -- and help promote Gilbert & Sullivan and our mainstage (spring) production of The Sorcerer.

All voices, all ages, all experience levels are welcome to join.  No audition is needed, and there is no obligation to sing in our spring production.  Choristers will provide an opportunity for newcomers to try singing with SLOCO -- or for former members to sing with SLOCO again even if they can't commit to the spring production.

Repertoire will include G&S, light opera, jazz, pop, patriotic music, holiday favorites and more.  A reasonable number of varied programs will be performed at nearby locations through the year.  Watch this page for performance announcements!

Choristers will be directed by two new SLOCO members, Alex Kirstukas and Ralph Sherman.

Head over to SCTV and watch the new Promo Video for our 2015 production! Learn more about the show and tell your friends! Thanks to Yurko Video Productions for recording, editing and publishing this piece!

http://simsburytv.org/v/Gz45l5dd8xk

Work began today on our new heating system!!! As some of you know for a few years we have been in need of a new heating system at our facility in Simsbury. Through the efforts of Dick Vaughn we were able to get the project planned and financed through the states energy conservation program allowing us to pay for the system with 0 interest for 4 years. We are converting from Propane to Natural Gas which will save us thousands a year in fuel costs and the lighting was upgraded a few weeks ago with more efficient bulbs, ballast and exterior LED's. Today the folks from Fahrenheit Mechanical began running the new gas lines and soon the new heating units will go in. The project is slated to take 3 weeks and should be completed by February 1st. We are all very excited and can't wait to be rehearsing, building and creating in our new efficient and most important WARM building!! This is just the beginning of many improvements to Basingstoke over the next couple of years so stay tuned for more updates!