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Schenectady Light Opera Company (SLOC Musical Theater) is a nonprofit community theater organization in Schenectady, New York, established in 1926. The current location of the theater is at the new performance art center at 427 Franklin Street, in downtown Schenectady. The company has presented over 200 shows at various locations for over 90 years. The company presents amateur theater productions.
The Schenectady Light Opera Company (SLOC) was born in 1926 when a group of Van Corlaer and Draper alumni joined to "present short plays containing songs and comedy acts." The group, directed by Mrs. Etta Moore, a music teacher in the Schenectady City School District, was known as the Bellevue Young People's Chorus. The group first presented concerts and short operettas before moving on to the Gilbert and Sullivan shows, Trial by Jury and Patience, in 1933–1934. In 1936 the Bellevue Young People's Chorus changed its name to Schenectady Light Opera Company.
In the spring of 1942 the Company disbanded for the duration of the war, due to the shortage of male members. In 1946 the group got together again and presented H.M.S. Pinafore at Mont Pleasant High School, the company's adopted home. The manpower situation still posed a problem. A note in the group's newsletter stated, "To maintain the balance of the parts, no new sopranos will be admitted unless they bring a male."
Another problem was storage. The company had accumulated vast quantities of costumes and sets, so a search was begun for a building SLOC could call "home." The old Craig School on Balltown Road seemed ideal; however, the zoning laws, made it necessary to petition the State Supreme Court in order to allow a membership corporation to own property. That was successful, and henceforth, Craig School was to be known as the Opera House.
Until 1950, productions were given at Mont Pleasant High School, with the exception of "road" shows to Cobleskill, Schoharie and East Greenbush. In November 1950, SLOC presented The Mikado, in the Erie Theater. "Move-in" became a SLOC tradition at the Erie. Friday night the sets were loaded at the Opera House and moved into the Erie after the late movie. Showboat was the last SLOC show at the Erie before it closed in 1956.
Burnt Hills High School hosted The Merry Widow in 1957, and Finian's Rainbow became the first SLOC show in the new Niskayuna High School. In 1959, SLOC first ventured into modern opera with presentations of The Telephone, Down in the Valley and RSVP. SLOC later produced The Medium and Amelia Goes to the Ball.
Although the theater continued to produce Gilbert and Sullivan in the 1950s, the productions of Brigadoon, Carousel, Showboat and Oklahoma! marked the transition from operetta to truly American musical theater.
The 1960s produced SLOC's first attempts at modern musical comedy- The Music Man, Where's Charley?, Guys and Dolls, and Bye Bye Birdie -as well as the classics, The King and I, My Fair Lady, Kiss Me Kate, and South Pacific. The decade closed with the beautiful She Loves Me, and the exciting West Side Story. The 1970s opened with the comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and the operas Amahl and the Night Visitors and Help, Help, the Globolinks! The 1970s also brought productions of the popular Mame, Hello Dolly!, Annie Get Your Gun; Fiddler on the Roof and Gypsy.
In 1971 SLOC sold the "Opera House" on Balltown Road and purchased the Beth Israel Synagogue at 826 State Street, Schenectady. Thus began the huge task of turning the building into a theater. In 1972 the new Opera House officially opened with Jacques Brel. This was the beginning of the cabaret shows with table seating and wine, bread and cheese. The SLOC season now included two shows at the Opera House, two shows at Niskayuna High School, as well as concerts, revues and workshops.
In 1973 SLOC moved its set building operation to the Turn Verein gym located directly behind the Opera House. That closeness to our Opera House greatly aided all aspects of the technical needs for each production.
In 1974 SLOC made an early contribution to the nation's Bicentennial with a production of 1776. The company's George M! was also an exciting tribute to our country, but also, in the SLOC tradition, a most appropriate way to help celebrate its 50th anniversary. In 1976-1977 we were still performing four shows- two at Niskayuna High School and two at the Opera House. During 1977-1978 SLOC purchased a nearby State Street building to use as its costume house.
In April 1980 SLOC moved from, Niskayuna High School to Proctor's Theater, with Shenandoah, and continued its four-show season (two at the Opera house and two at Proctor's) until 1990 when SLOC did The Most Happy Fella at Proctor's Theater. In 1987 SLOC purchased a small building on Taurus Road in Niskayuna to use as its set-building facility. We no longer had to keep moving all our sets to rental venues.
In the fall of 1990 SLOC performed one more show at Niskayuna High School and then began performing only at the Opera House until presenting its 70th anniversary celebration in 1996 with a birthday bash at Proctor's.
In April 2010, SLOC purchased several buildings from the Albany Catholic Diocese that were St John the Baptist, between Franklin and Liberty Streets in Schenectady. This was a major undertaking in order to have sufficient space for performing, rehearsal, storage of costumes and equipment, on-site office and meeting needs, live-in property manager, rentals, plus parking and future additions for set construction and storage. It also is much nicer for audiences, production teams and other volunteers, since it is handicapped accessible, has convenient parking, restaurants within walking distance and is in Schenectady's developing arts district.
After SLOC purchased its new home, the Northeast Ballet Company also needed a new home and moved in as a lease tenant in October 2010. This fit the vision SLOC's Board and members had of creating a small performing arts complex for local groups. NEB has expanded their lease space as they have grown in the SLOC performing arts complex.
The opening production in February 2011 in the new theater complex was The Drowsy Chaperone, which played to packed houses. Many reviewers have written that the quality of SLOC's productions achieved a higher level since being in the new theater.
Since opening at its new theater, SLOC has presented highly acclaimed and award-winning productions including: The Drowsy Chaperone, Les Misérables (Youth Production), Hairspray, Fiddler on the Roof, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Guys and Dolls, Caroline, or Change, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Directed by a high school student), and Young Frankenstein. SLOC has expanded its resources to offer youth the opportunity to develop their performing, technical and artistic skills with productions and workshops.
In March of 2020, the SLOC Board of Directors made the decision to close down the theater buildings and subsequently, the production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum that was due to open that week, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The theater did not produce another show until September of 2021 with Ordinary Days. During the shut-down, they were able to maintain the campus and reopen their doors due to the generosity of donors and their volunteers. The theater provided digital content in the form of workshops, panel discussions, informational videos and fundraisers during that year, which can still be found on their website.
SLOC's future plans are to improve the facilities with a new lobby and a set construction and storage facility. The SLOC Board of Directors has developed a new strategic plan, which provides guidance for operational improvements to strive for success internally as well as for its customers.
SLOC holds an annual High School Awards program in which a committee of SLOC board members observe high school shows, then later in the year awards excellent performers and the top three high school musicals in the Capital District.
Board Members:
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Anthony Warlow is an Australian musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range. He is a classically trained lyric baritone and made his debut with the Australian Opera in 1980.
A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context.
Dennis Hans Olsen AM is an Australian singer, actor, director and pianist. His performances include opera, musical theatre, cabaret, radio, television and film. He is best known as an exponent of "patter" roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas and his performances of Noël Coward songs.
Music Theater Works is a resident professional not-for-profit musical theatre company in Evanston, Illinois. It was founded in 1980 by Philip Kraus, Bridget McDonough, and Ellen Dubinsky.
Rainbow Stage is a not-for-profit musical theatre company and outdoor theatre operator, located in Kildonan Park in north Winnipeg, Manitoba. The covered amphitheatre seats up to 2,600 people and operates from May to September.
The Geneva Amateur Operatic Society is an English-speaking musical theatre and light opera group. Based in Geneva, GAOS was founded in 1971 by a small group of theatre enthusiasts. They produce three productions per season, including their traditional English pantomime in the winter. GAOS is a nonprofit organization, its members receive no payment and the society makes a point of giving a substantial donations to various charities around Geneva.
New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players is a professional repertory theatre company, based in New York City that has specialized in the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan for over 40 years. It performs an annual season in New York City and tours extensively in North America.
Theatre Under The Stars, commonly referred to as TUTS, is a not-for-profit charitable organization and one of the largest musical theatre companies in Vancouver. It is officially operated by the Theatre Under The Stars Musical Society, and presents two full length musicals during the summer season at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. In addition, the company participates in other park activities in association with the Vancouver Parks Board such as their annual Sing-A-Long. The society also operates the Malkin Bowl venue and routinely rents it to Live Nation Entertainment for the summer concert series.
Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1,700-seat theatre in Melbourne's East End Theatre District, Australia. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
For nearly 150 years, Gilbert and Sullivan have pervasively influenced popular culture in the English-speaking world. Lines and quotations from the Gilbert and Sullivan operas have become part of the English language, such as "short, sharp shock", "What never? Well, hardly ever!", "let the punishment fit the crime", and "A policeman's lot is not a happy one".
LOOK Musical Theatre (LOOK) was a professional musical theatre company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The organization, governed by an elected board of directors, followed a repertory model in presenting a summer festival program of musicals and comic opera. LOOK's annual summer season of performances at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center was known as "The LOOK Festival."
The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois is a respected Chicago area regional theatre. Attached to the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort, the theatre produces an average of five musicals each year, presented in the round, as well as productions aimed at younger audiences. A small, live orchestra provides accompaniment.
Lamplighters Music Theatre is a semi-professional musical theatre company based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1952 by Orva Hoskinson and Ann Pool MacNab, the Lamplighters specialize in light opera, particularly the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as such works as The Merry Widow, Die Fledermaus, Of Thee I Sing, My Fair Lady, Candide, and A Little Night Music.
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
The American Light Opera Company was a semi-professional theatre company performing light operas and musicals in Washington, D.C. from 1960 to 1968. It was founded by a group of former and current members of the University of Michigan's Gilbert & Sullivan Society.
Julia Goss, was a Scottish singer and actress best known for her performances in the principal soprano roles of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. She joined that company in 1967, remaining with them until 1979.
Lakeshore Light Opera (LLO) is an amateur community theatre group that performs Gilbert and Sullivan operas in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada. The company produced its first show in 1955. Early in its history, the group was directed by former D'Oyly Carte Opera Company member Doris Hemingway, and briefly conducted by her husband, former D'Oyly Carte conductor Harry Norris. The group was known as St Paul's Operatic Society until 1980, when it changed its name to Lakeshore Light Opera. For over 35 years, proceeds from its annual production have been contributed to the Lakeshore General Hospital.
Regina Summer Stage is a Canadian community theatre organization established in 1984 and based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Starlight Theatre is an outdoor theatre operated by Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. Performances are held in the outdoor Bengt Sjostrom Theatre. Operations of Rock Valley College Studio Theatre, an indoor blackbox theatre, were suspended in 2016. Starlight Theatre also has an award-winning structure designed by Jeanne Gang and Studio Gang Architects that features a unique, one-of-a-kind movable roof, which was added in 2003. Starlight Theatre has transformed itself into a popular destination for the Northern Illinois region. The theatre is situated on 217 acres that were purchased by the college in 1965 from Dr. J.J. Rogers.
Gordon Stanley is an American stage actor.
