Utopia Opera

06/29/2026

A film 144 years in the making.… Utopia Opera is proud to present our cinematic version of the three "lost" songs from Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe, rediscovered just two months ago.

https://youtu.be/OztnnHCztSU

CAST
Phyllis: Sarah Moulton Faux
Lord Mountararat: Matthew Wages
Lord Tolloller: Matthew Youngblood
Lord Chancellor: William Remmers
Chorus of Peers: Allen Adair, Reykwaan Adorno, Jonathan Lawlor, Patrick Scully

ORCHESTRA
Cello: James Pedersen
Flute 1: Eli Gentile
Flute 2/Piccolo: Joey Jubayr
Oboe/Tgl.: Mackenzie Conroy
Clarinet 1: Christa Somers
Clarinet 2: Christine Todd
Bassoon: Alice Petre
Horn 1: Gabriel Muniz
Horn 2: Maya Way
Piano: Jason Wirth

CAMERA
Yonervin Morel

FILM/MUSIC DIRECTION & EDITING
William Remmers

——

This production was filmed in under four hours.
The total cost was $2,500.

Think what we could do with $25,000.

You can make a tax-deductible donation now!
by check: email [email protected] to request the address and let us know the planned amount, so we can budget accordingly
on our website’s donate link: utopiaopera.org
on Venmo (): https://venmo.com/u/UtopiaOpera
on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FMRL4RXVB9ZK6
on Zelle: send to [email protected]

—

Read about Marc Shepherd's discovery of the songs here: https://marc154391.substack.com/p/three-deleted-songs-from-iolanthe

Watch our 2-hour interview with Marc Shepherd here: https://youtu.be/wwVXI1lfs_Q

We are proud to present our filmed version of the three "lost" song...

12/31/2025

Our Annual Announcement is here.

2025 Recap.
15th Birthday Plans.
Cat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyeZg1ClO2Y

You can make a tax-deductible donation:
by check: email [email protected] to request the address and let us know the planned amount, so we can budget accordingly
on our website’s donate link: utopiaopera.org
on Venmo (): https://venmo.com/u/UtopiaOpera
on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FMRL4RXVB9ZK6

You can make a tax-deductible donation:by check: email [email protected] to request the address and let us know the planned amount, so we can budget accor...

12/23/2025

NEW VIDEO! Help us raise the final $1000 we need to finalize payment to our Mikado venue!

You can make a tax-deductible donation:
- by check: email [email protected] to request the address and let us know the planned amount, so we can budget accordingly
- on our website’s donate link: utopiaopera.org
- on Venmo (): https://venmo.com/u/UtopiaOpera
- on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/AS247C5DL4844

Donations of ~$500 or more would be best sent via check, for we incur no credit card processing fees and will receive every cent of your contribution. Email us for more info: [email protected]

The Mikado - Act I Finale - Ye torrents roar - October 5, 2025"Ō, wē sind wundorod, ne sīe wo!" - the chorus to KöttilskaYou can make a tax-deductible donati...

12/14/2025

Dec 15 at 6pm -- King of Jazz (1930) at Film Forum with an introduction by William Remmers.

Tickets: https://filmforum.org/events/event/king-of-jazz-december-15

This 1930 musical feature film is a Kaleidoscopic showcase for “King of Jazz” Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra. One of the most beautiful surviving examples of two-color technicolor, where Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” is glorified in shades of turquoise (blue was not one of the two colors). The pale-eyed Rhythm Boy is Bing Crosby in his film debut.

Utopia audiences heard "Rhapsody in Blue" in its original jazzband arrangement at our concert this past June. Join us tomorrow night for a special introduction on the film by Utopia's William Remmers who will also perform music from the era before the show begins.

William Remmers: "This is one of the greatest films ever: an unrelenting display of talent from luscious big band arrangements to vaudeville comedy blackouts to acrobatic dancing that will make your bones ache with delight to grand Ziegfeld Follies-grade spectacles of the most divine proportions. It's an extravagant exhibition of the human body pushing itself to its limits (in a word, it's opera). Every minute of it is candy for your eyes and ears. Do not miss a chance to see it on the big screen."

Film Forum

12/03/2025

The Mikado - Comes a train/Three little maids - October 5, 2025

You can make a tax-deductible donation:
by check: email [email protected] to request the address and let us know the planned amount, so we can budget accordingly
on our website’s donate link: utopiaopera.org
on Venmo (): https://venmo.com/u/UtopiaOpera
on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FMRL4RXVB9ZK6

Donations of ~$500 or more would be best sent via check, for we incur no credit card processing fees and will receive every cent of your contribution. Email us for more info: [email protected]

Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado, a Forbear! Theatre production presented in New York City by Utopia Opera, October 3-5, 2025.

This production was originally presented in UK tour from May - August, 2025 with a cast of ten. Eight members of this cast reunited in NYC, with two stellar local deputies filling out the principal company, an additional chorus of six, and a 24-piece orchestra conducted by Eric Kramer.

Director, concept, costumes, producer (UK): Rachel Gianesse Middle
Musical director, producer (NYC): William Remmers
Sets and props: Dan Cavendish

NOTE: For our October 4 and 5 performances, John Faal was unable to sing and swapped roles with Harry Reddish. In addition to wearing Harry's costume, John Faal wore a mask for these performances.

CAST
Klók-Cow - William Remmers*
Mna-y'um - Rachel Gianesse Middle*
Æthel-Rún - John Faal* (swapped with Harry Reddish Oct 4 and 5)
Köttilska - Kathleen Brenner*
P'fugl-Fa - Matthew Wages
Pættie-Cene - Isabelle Paige*
Peas-Bál - Jenni Simmonds*
Prestr-Sùg - Colin Safley
Gā-Tòit - Harry Reddish* (swapped with John Faal Oct 4 and 5)
The Mikado of Pa'gæn - Dan Cavendish*
Soprano (u/s Mna-y'um) - Kathleen Raab
Soprano (u/s Peas-Bál) - Cynthia Whitman
Soprano - Alyson Sheehan
Alto (u/s Pættie-Cene) - Laura Kroh
Alto (u/s Köttilska) - Christine Cornell
Alto - Tomoko Nago

*Courtesy of Forbear! Theatre

ORCHESTRA
Violin/Concert Master - Andrea Andros
Violin - Edan Sabah, Barney Stevens, Jennifer Axelson, Doris Borenstein
Viola - Matthew Ryan, Will Davis
Cello - James Pedersen, Halie Morris
Bass - Deb Spohnheimer
Flute - Joey O'Neill, Hannah Donnelly
Oboe - Zachary Rosalinsky
Clarinet - Matthew Fontana, Mackenzie McCarthy
Bassoon - Sage Helinski
Horn - Gabriel Muniz, Eric Peterson
Cornet - Lindsay Ross, Tom McGee
Trombone - Jacob Elkin, Sophia Huf
Percussion - Charles Kiger

Production videos: Daniel Benjamin Miller

The Mikado - Comes a train/Three little maids - October 5, 2025You can make a tax-deductible donation:by check: email [email protected] to request the ad...

12/01/2025

The Mikado - Little List - October 5, 2025 — new lyrics by William Remmers & Rachel Gianesse Middle

Thanks to your ticket purchases and donations, we raised 87.5% of the money needed to pay for our budget for the Mikado.

But we need to raise the final $2,500 this week to finalize payment to our (very patient) venue.

You can make a tax-deductible donation:
by check: email [email protected] to request the address and let us know the planned amount, so we can budget accordingly
on our website’s donate link: utopiaopera.org
on Venmo (): https://venmo.com/u/UtopiaOpera
on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=FMRL4RXVB9ZK6

Donations of ~$500 or more would be best sent via check, for we incur no credit card processing fees and will receive every cent of your contribution. Email us for more info: [email protected]

Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado, a Forbear! Theatre production presented in New York City by Utopia Opera, October 3-5, 2025.

This production was originally presented in UK tour from May - August, 2025 with a cast of ten. Eight members of this cast reunited in NYC, with two stellar local deputies filling out the principal company, an additional chorus of six, and a 24-piece orchestra conducted by Eric Kramer.

Director, concept, costumes, producer (UK): Rachel Gianesse Middle
Musical director, producer (NYC): William Remmers
Sets and props: Dan Cavendish

NOTE: For our October 4 and 5 performances, John Faal was unable to sing and swapped roles with Harry Reddish. In addition to wearing Harry's costume, John Faal wore a mask for these performances.

CAST
Klók-Cow - William Remmers*
Mna-y'um - Rachel Gianesse Middle*
Æthel-Rún - John Faal* (swapped with Harry Reddish Oct 4 and 5)
Köttilska - Kathleen Brenner*
P'fugl-Fa - Matthew Wages
Pættie-Cene - Isabelle Paige*
Peas-Bál - Jenni Simmonds*
Prestr-Sùg - Colin Safley
Gā-Tòit - Harry Reddish* (swapped with John Faal Oct 4 and 5)
The Mikado of Pa'gæn - Dan Cavendish*
Soprano (u/s Mna-y'um) - Kathleen Raab
Soprano (u/s Peas-Bál) - Cynthia Whitman
Soprano - Alyson Sheehan
Alto (u/s Pættie-Cene) - Laura Kroh
Alto (u/s Köttilska) - Christine Cornell
Alto - Tomoko Nago

*Courtesy of Forbear! Theatre

ORCHESTRA
Violin/Concert Master - Andrea Andros
Violin - Edan Sabah, Barney Stevens, Jennifer Axelson, Doris Borenstein
Viola - Matthew Ryan, Will Davis
Cello - James Pedersen, Halie Morris
Bass - Deb Spohnheimer
Flute - Joey O'Neill, Hannah Donnelly
Oboe - Zachary Rosalinsky
Clarinet - Matthew Fontana, Mackenzie McCarthy
Bassoon - Sage Helinski
Horn - Gabriel Muniz, Eric Peterson
Cornet - Lindsay Ross, Tom McGee
Trombone - Jacob Elkin, Sophia Huf
Percussion - Charles Kiger

Production videos: Daniel Benjamin Miller

The Mikado - Little List - October 5, 2025 — new lyrics by William Remmers & Rachel Gianesse MiddleYou can make a tax-deductible donation:by check: email in...

11/24/2025

UTOPIA AFTER DARK with Three Sets of Cymbals - Thanks to you, we raised 87.5% of our expenses for The Mikado; we need $2500 to finalize payment to our (very patient) venue.

You can make a tax-deductible donation:
by check: email [email protected] to request the address and let us know the planned amount, so we can budget accordingly
on our website’s donate link: utopiaopera.org
on Venmo (): https://venmo.com/u/UtopiaOpera
on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/AS...
Donations of ~$500 or more would be best sent via check, for we incur no credit card processing fees and will receive every cent of your contribution. Email us for more info or just hand us a check made out to Utopia Opera Limited.

During each of our recent productions, we've ended one of our performances with a post-show concert. After our Saturday Night Mikado, we celebrated Forbear! Theatre's 10th birthday with a series of excerpts from their UK productions. To close it out, one last encore from the Act I Finale of The Mikado with Three Sets of Cymbals: Cymbal Monk/Köttilska Kathleen Brenner, our percussionist in the orchestra Charles Kiger, and William Remmers the skins. See also Colin Safley playing all of the baritone and tenor roles (filling in for everyone who had a long commute), Rachel Gianesse Middle still in costume, Isabelle Paige, Jenni Simmonds, Dan Cavendish, Laura Kroh, Cynthia Whitman, and, representing the orchestra, Lindsay Ross, Sophia Huf ("A second trombone?!?"), and Jacob Elkin. Video by Daniel Benjamin Miller.

UTOPIA AFTER DARK with Three Sets of Cymbals - October 4, 2025You can make a tax-deductible donation:- by check: email [email protected] to request the ad...