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Norwalk Singers Star In Gilbert And Sullivan’s 'Sorcerer'

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- Deborah Connelly, of Norwalk, and Wendy Falconer, of Stamford, will take the stage April 16 and April 23 at the Norwalk Concert Hall when Troupers Light Opera performs Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera "The Sorcerer."

Deborah Connelly of Norwalk (right) plays the zany Mrs. Partlett, together with the demure Constance (Brett Kroeger of Riverside), in the Troupers Light Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Sorcerer" at Norwalk Concert Hall.

Deborah Connelly of Norwalk (right) plays the zany Mrs. Partlett, together with the demure Constance (Brett Kroeger of Riverside), in the Troupers Light Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Sorcerer" at Norwalk Concert Hall.

 Photo Credit: Contributed
Wendy Falconer of Stamford plays the aristocratic Lady Sangazure, opposite Sir Marmaduke Poindextre (Frank Sisson of Westport) in the Troupers Light Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Sorcerer" at the Norwalk Concert Hall.

Wendy Falconer of Stamford plays the aristocratic Lady Sangazure, opposite Sir Marmaduke Poindextre (Frank Sisson of Westport) in the Troupers Light Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Sorcerer" at the Norwalk Concert Hall.

 Photo Credit: Contributed
Deborah Connelly of Norwalk will be onstage as the zany Mrs. Partlett, pictured here with the Notary (Jim Cooper of Wilton) in the Troupers Light Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Sorcerer" April 16 and 23 at the Norwalk Concert Hall.

Deborah Connelly of Norwalk will be onstage as the zany Mrs. Partlett, pictured here with the Notary (Jim Cooper of Wilton) in the Troupers Light Opera production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Sorcerer" April 16 and 23 at the Norwalk Concert Hall.

 Photo Credit: Contributed
Daily Voice

Falconer will sing the role of the aristocratic Lady Sangazure, and Connelly will sing the role of Mrs. Partlett, a charming but somewhat over-the-top villager. Owing to the Sorcerer’s malign influence, both ladies fall in love with the wrong men, with typically comic Gilbertian results.

Falconer is a veteran of Troupers Light Opera performances, having performed first as a bassoon player in the orchestra during the 1990s, then joining the chorus and finally starring in solo roles. She has served two terms as the group’s president and in a host of other administrative capacities. 

Connelly is no stranger to Troupers, as she has performed in leading roles with the group since 2012.

"The Sorcerer" is Gilbert and Sullivan’s first full-length comic opera, first performed in 1877. Though it is not as well-known as some of the famous duo’s later works, it was a major success, and its music and themes are similar to those of the classics "HMS Pinafore" and "The Mikado."

Deftly satirizing the British class system, the opera features an honorable but naïve young gentleman who believes love should level all social ranks. He therefore persuades a local magician to dose an entire village with a magic drink that causes each man and woman, of whatever social class, to fall in love with the first person he or she meets. The result is a slew of mismatched couples, including the young man’s own fiancé. All is put right eventually, but not before some interesting plot twists. 

Starting out in 1946 as an informal group that put on Gilbert and Sullivan operas in private homes, Troupers Light Opera had by 1950 become so popular it recruited members of the Norwalk Symphony for the orchestra and began building sets for the performances. Today, Troupers performs with a live orchestra, costumes and complete stage sets. 

"The Sorcerer" will be performed at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 16 and 23 at the Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 East Ave. Tickets are available at www.TroupersLightOpera.org or by calling 1-800-838-3006. 

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