On August 23-24 and August 30-31st, 2025, GLO will present a one-hour classical music performance of a never-recorded, rarely-performed production of Prince Ananias (1894) at Devonshire Cultural Center in Skokie. Notably, the operetta being presented was the first operetta composed by Victor Herbert (1859-1924), who played an enormous part in the history of American Musical History. Our original version will be specially adapted for children (45 minutes) and include a 15-minute post-show talk to educate children and their families about this important work of American musical history and expose them to the joys of classical music and specifically the operetta/light opera genre. There will be four total performances each lasting one hour with a possible extension of including two shows a day instead of one.

Story: Arriving at the court of King Boniface, a touring troupe of players finds that the king has lost his ability to laugh. They are tasked with finding his sense of humor; the penalty for failure is death. They produce a work, Prince Ananias, that is not well-received, except that the title character is so inept that the king bursts out laughing. Thus, the players have a happy ending, as do the several pairs of lovers who overcome various romantic and backstage complications.

The Creative Team includes Jade Dasha Hardy (Music Director), Kristin Weed (Stage Director), Eunice Ayodele (Educational Talk/Adaptation) and SarahAnn Sutter (Producer).

This production will be presented in collaboration with the Devonshire Culture Center and the Skokie Park District.