Thursday, October 1, 2026
West Hempstead resident Patricia Gallagher is featured in the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island’s 2026 production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s classic The Yeomen of the Guard, with full-orchestra performances coming up in Commack on June 20, in Oakdale on June 21, in Port Washington on June 27 and in Rockville Centre on June 28.
The Light Opera Company is one of Long Island’s oldest cultural institutions, celebrating its 72nd season. Gallagher, a longtime resident of West Hempstead, has been a member of the company since 1995, and is a former president of the group.
In The Yeomen of the Guard, set at the Tower of London during the reign of Henry VIII and famous among Gilbert & Sullivan enthusiasts for its dramatic story and its magnificent score, Gallagher sings in the chorus and also appears as a baker at the Royal Palace, which in those years was located at the Tower.
The Yeomen of the Guard, which debuted in 1888, with book and lyrics by W.S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan—blends music and drama in perfect balance, providing the occasion for some of the team’s most memorable songs, including Elsie’s famous “Oh, Mercy.” The current production, directed by Gayden Wren, with music directed by Stephen O’Leary and orchestra conducted by Michael C. Haigler, is the Light Opera Company’s first since 2009.
“It’s a really moving story, and the music is exceptionally beautiful,” said Wren, a Gilbert & Sullivan expert who has directed the Light Opera Company in more than 30 productions since 1986. “It has plenty of laughs, but instead of the usual farcical Gilbert & Sullivan plot, it’s a story of realistically depicted people in situations that evoke real emotion. It’s been a pleasure to explore this complex, rewarding work with so gifted a cast.”
He added that Gallagher’ performance is a highlight of the opera.
“Patty has brought her strong soprano voice and her musicality to the company for many years now,” Wren said. “Yeomen is a particular favorite of hers—she sang the lead soprano role, Elsie Maynard, in the first production of Yeomen that the company ever did, back in 1998—and she brings that enthusiasm and her unfailingly high standards to everything she does for the company, on and offstage.”
The Yeomen of the Guard will be presented on Saturday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at the Star Playhouse at the Suffolk Y JCC, 74 Hauppauge Road in Commack; on Sunday, June 21 at 3 p.m. at the CM Performing Arts Center, at 931 Montauk Highway in Oakdale; on Saturday, June 27 at 8 p.m. at the Jeanne Rimsky Theatre at The Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main Street in Port Washington; and on Sunday, June 28 at 3 p.m. at the Madison Theater at Molloy University, 1000 Hempstead Avenue in Rockville Centre. Admission is $35 (seniors $30, students $15). For further information, call (516) 619-7415 or visit https://gaslocoli.org/tickets.
