Friday, July 18, 2025
Ellen Pickus, a 75-year-old Baldwin resident and a retired English teacher, has been back on stage this month with the Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company of Long Island, in a new production of “H.M.S. Pinafore.”
Pickus plays one of the many sisters, cousins and aunts of Sir Joseph Porter, First Lord of the Admiralty, in the classic comic opera that tells a satirical story of love, duty and mistaken identity aboard a British naval ship.
A member of the opera company since 1985, Pickus recalled joining because she was simply looking for a night out once a week.
“I enjoy it, and it’s been a steady joy in my life,” she said. “It’s a win-win — a delight for audiences who don’t have to go into Manhattan, and for performers like me who just love doing it.”
Pickus taught English and creative writing at Long Beach High School for three decades, and also managed the school’s literary and art magazine. She credits her background in literature with deepening her appreciation for librettist W.S. Gilbert’s lyrics, which she called “clever and witty.”
Pickus said her interest in “Pinafore” dates back to her childhood, when her aunt gave her a vinyl record of the opera.
“I played it to pieces,” she recounted. “I was singing along with every part. One of my favorites was the villain, Dick Deadeye, because his lines are so funny.”
Pickus has performed in every Gilbert and Sullivan opera with the company, but said that “Pinafore” and “The Pirates of Penzance” are among the most frequently revived and consistently enjoyable.
“It’s always a little different depending on the cast, and the young people this year are very talented,” she said.
Company director David Macaluso said that Pickus brings decades of experience to the company’s sopranos. “Ellen is a mainstay,” he said. “She’s done ‘Pinafore’ many times before, so all the women look to her for guidance. She has a fine voice, and is always immaculately prepared.”
Macaluso, a veteran of the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, is directing the production, with music direction by Isabella Eredita Johnson and the orchestra conducted by Michael C. Haigler.
The Light Opera Company, now celebrating its 71st season, last staged “H.M.S. Pinafore” in 2015. The new production opened last Saturday at the Waldorf School, in Garden City, and has continued with performances across Long Island such as Port Washington and East Islip, the final one at Star Playhouse in Commack on Sunday.
Pickus said that what keeps her coming back is the camaraderie and support she feels on and off stage. “If I’m messing up on stage, I know someone will nudge me or pull me in the right direction,” she said. “People look out for each other. That matters.”
She also emphasized the importance of arts education in schools.
“Not every child is academic,” she said. “For many, the arts aren’t just a background — they’re a lifeline.”
For more information on the show go to Gaslocoli.org.
