Growing up, Gilbert and Sullivan was always a bit of a blind spot for Peter Bailey despite the fact that his mother managed the Opera Theatre of Connecticut. He is making up for lost time by taking on the role of “Frederic” in Hole in the Wall Theater’s production of The Pirates of Penzance.
Peter describes Frederic as a “slave of duty. He is free of his indentures as a pirate. Now, he wants to exterminate all pirates.” Peter looks at him as a young person wrapped up in his own obligations.
With a mostly musical theatre background, performing in an opera is uncharted territory for Peter. “I love the show,” he said. “I would have gone for any role. (Director) Emily Trudeau is a good friend. I have worked with her before. She has a very strong vision and is very efficient.”
He also had the chance to reunite with some people in the cast; many of which he performed with at Connecticut Theatre Company. “I think we are a good team,” he said.
Peter’s theatrical beginnings took place backstage as a member of his high school stage crew. He started performing during his time at Northeastern in Boston. Since then, he has performed with many theater groups including Cheshire Community Theater, Connecticut Theatre Company, Square Foot Theatre, Middletown Stage Company and Maison Lyric Stage. His favorite roles include both “Javert” and “Marius” in Les Miserables.
He is very excited to grace the Hole in the Wall Theater in this mini-operatic masterpiece. “Those not familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan will be surprised by how relatable and funny their work is. Pirates is a very silly piece.”
Come see Peter and the rest of the cast in Hole in the Wall Theater’s production of The Pirates of Penzance, opening on Friday, May 20, 2016. . Performances run Fridays & Saturdays May 20th through June 11th at 8:00pm with two Sunday matinees on May 22nd and June 5th at 2:00pm. The Pirates of Penzance is directed and choreographed by Emily Trudeau of Cheshire who helmed HITW’s successful 2015 summer production of Enron. Tickets are $25.00 (General Admission) and $20.00 (students & seniors). Tickets can be purchased at the door and online at www.hitw.org. The May 27th performance will be our Pay-What-You-Can performance where you name the price of your ticket.