Life’s not easy on the high seas—especially when you’re there by mistake. Gilbert and Sullivan’s witty wordplay, swashbuckling satire, and captivating cadences make this lighthearted operetta a much-loved classic that never fails to entertain. Known for timeless (and tongue-twisting) tunes like “The Very Model of a Modern Major General” and “Poor Wand’ring One,” Pirates takes audiences on a lively adventure filled with comedy, disguises, romance, and dazzling singing.
Meet the Artists
Curt Olds*
Major-General Stanley
Kevin Burdette
The Pirate King
Patrick Bessenbacher*
Frederic
Vanessa Becerra
Mabel
Meredith Arwady*
Ruth
Shyheim Selvan Hinnant*
Sergeant of Police
Jon Dirk Ross
Samuel
Bethany Jelinek^
Edith
Natalie Sweeney*^
Kate
Kelli Van Meter@
Isabel
Andy Einhorn
Conductor
Seán Curran*
Director
Nadja Simmonds*
Assistant Director
Robert Wierzel
Lighting Designer
David Zimmerman
Wig and Makeup Designer
Soprano
- Cassie Banion
- Payton Boldt@
- Victoria Botero
- Melissa Faltermeier
- Catherine Grosscup
Mezzo-Soprano
- Ashley Beth Burnett
- Madeline Friesen@
- Julia Elise Hardin
- Lindsay James
- Jennifer Weiman
Tenor
- Aaron Bunnell
- Zachary K. Devin@
- Hunter Eisenmenger
- Alexander Goering
- Jedd C. Schneider
Bass-Baritone
- Matt Black
- Phil Eatherton
- Colt Hoselton
- Spencer McIntire
- Terence Murphy
*Lyric Opera Debut
^Lyric Opera Resident Artist
@Former Lyric Opera Resident/Apprentice Artist
Listen to the Music
Production Photos
Photos © Cory Weaver for Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Sponsors
The 2026–2027 season is sponsored by the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation; the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts; the Lyric Opera of Kansas City Foundation; and R.C. Kemper Charitable Trust and Foundation, UMB Bank, n.a., Trustee; with public support from Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
The Pirates of Penzance is supported, in part, by the Mark Edelman Theater Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City; the Pemberton Family Charitable Foundation; the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts; and the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.
