Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston presents Iolanthe operetta at Hobby Center July 19-20 and July 26-27
July 27, 2025 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
When
July 27, 2025 | 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Additional Event Dates
What
Tickets are now available for the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston’s summer production of Iolanthe (or The Peer and the Peri). The operetta will be performed at the Hobby Center’s Zilkha Hall on July 19, 20, 26, and 27—Saturday shows at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Houston’s longest-running opera company brings this whimsical tale back to the stage for the first time since 2012. A hallmark of Gilbert and Sullivan’s signature satire, Iolanthe cheerily blends fantasy and pointed social commentary. It skewers the British legal system, the House of Lords, and Victorian sensibilities all with clever wit and a charming score.
The production is led by Stage Director Alyssa Weathersby, a versatile theater director, choreographer, and performer based in New York. Music Director Keith Chambers brings experience from conducting nearly 200 performances across the U.S., including work with The Dallas Opera, Indianapolis Opera, and New York City Opera. This marks the first collaboration with the Society for both Weathersby and Chambers.
The family-friendly operetta mixes fantasy and social commentary, poking fun at British government (particularly the House of Lords), the legal system, and Victorian morals. Audience will experience Gilbertian wit and Sullivan’s lively, lyrical score. (G.S. Gilbert provides the libretto, while Arthur Sullivan pens the music.)
Plot Summary
Set in a magical version of England, Iolanthe opens with the return of a fairy exiled for marrying a mortal. Iolanthe’s son, Strephon—half-fairy, half-human—loves Phyllis, a ward of the Lord Chancellor, who is also his romantic rival. Chaos ensues when the fairies interfere in British politics, elevating Strephon to Parliament and upending tradition. Love, politics, and fairy law collide in this fanciful, satirical operetta.
Where
Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
800 Bagby St, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77002