OCALA, FL (352today.com) – At the Reilly Arts Center, audiences won’t need a treasure map to find adventure–just a ticket and a sense of humor. The University of Florida Opera Theatre sets sail into Ocala with Gilbert and Sullivan’s beloved comic operetta “The Pirates of Penzance,” on Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m.
The production follows Fredric, a young man accidentally apprenticed to a band of pirates due to a leap-year technicality that binds him to service far longer than expected. Presented by University of Florida Opera Theatre in collaboration with the UF Symphony Orchestra, the show will bring together student vocalists and live orchestral music for a fully staged operatic performance.
The performance will take place at the Reilly Arts Center, located at 500 NE 9th St. in Ocala. The venue will host the production for a 3 p.m. matinee, offering audiences a chance to experience live opera in one of Marion County’s premier performing arts spaces.
Running about two hours and 15 minutes with an intermission, the show balances humor and heart, making it accessible for both longtime opera fans and newcomers alike. Tickets for the performance start at $10 student tickets with a valid student ID and go up to $58, with availability and price varying by seating section and demand.
Whether it’s the premise, the energetic music or the charm of its unlikely heroes, “The Pirates of Penzance” offers a lighthearted escape into a world where duty is complicated, love is inconvenient and pirates are unexpectedly sentimental.