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Arts & Entertainment

Bucks County Gilbert and Sullivan Society to Appear at Cinema Under the Stars

Weather permitting, members of the local Gilbert and Sullivan Society will be performing in Tamanend Park's Meadow Amphitheater prior to a screening of the Academy Award-winning film, Topsy Turvy.

This Saturday, Arthur Greisiger’s Cinema Under the Stars will play host to a performance from Bucks County’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society.  

Scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Meadow Amphitheatre at , the concert will feature nine members of the Bucks County Gilbert and Sullivan Society performing 10 pieces from the renowned Victorian-era playwright and composer duo.   

“At 5 p.m. we’re going to have a picnic for the performers and the people that help set up the stage,” said Greisiger.  “Around 6:30 we should start the performance. A lot of these people are really good singers, people that sing in church and stuff like that. And [Gilbert and Sullivan Society President] Bob Binkley has a couple pieces selected, which will be audience participation numbers. It should be a lot of fun.” 

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Once the sun goes down and the choristers take their bows, the audience will be treated to a screening of "Topsy Turvy," the 1999 film that, not coincidentally, is all about Gilbert and Sullivan.  

Winner of two Academy Awards for Best Costume Design and Makeup, "Topsy Turvy" tells the story of Gilbert and Sullivan’s oft-times strained relationship leading up to the premiere of one of their seminal works, "The Mikado."

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“If you want to know who Gilbert and Sullivan are and what their music is about, 'Topsy Turvy' has a number of really top-notch performers doing scenes from their library,” Greisiger said. “And it’s all done very well. It gives a fantastic picture of 'The Mikado'—it’s a phenomenal film as far as that goes.”

Greisiger has been screening modern and classic films since late May in the Meadow Amphitheatre at Tamanend, a space he has spent a great deal of time and money building and maintaining.       

The screenings are scheduled to run every other Saturday through Halloween. All screenings are free of charge and open to the public.  

Still, Greisiger is more than happy to accept donations from the audience. The cost for him to show the films throughout the year is approzximately $4,000.  

“The community has got to come in and support these things,” Greisiger said.  “I really want to encourage people to come and when they come to contribute.”

Greisiger hopes to draw a good size crowd to this screening in particular, primarily because of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s attendance.  

“I think it’s important for us to support this program as much as possible,” he said. “If we get a good audience and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society are excited by it, we can turn this into a summer festival—a Gilbert and Sullivan festival. It’s very exciting and the society is a very dedicated group of people.”

The Meadow Amphitheater is located just a short walk from the parking lot at Tamanend. A torch-lit trail leads from the parking lot back to the stage.  

Snacks and refreshments are available for sale during the shows and donations to support the program are always accepted.  

In the event of rain (which is very probable due to the forecasted hurricane), the screening of "Topsy Turvy" and the performance will be held at the   

For more information about this, and other programs Greisiger is working on, visit his blog.

Remaining Cinema Under the Stars screenings*:

Date Time Movie Sept. 10 7:20 p.m. "Showboat" Sept. 24 6:57 p.m. "Shakespeare in Love" Oct. 8 6:34 p.m. "Henry the Fifth" Oct. 22 6:13 p.m. "Captain Blood Oct. 29 6:03 p.m. "The Howling"

*Films subject to change - consult the Cinema Under The Stars website closer to each showing to check what film will be played.  

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