WHO WE ARE
VLOG is a non-profit organization that brings New Yorkers together over an appreciation for the roots of the modern musical, from classic operettas, and Golden Age theatre to modern works. Our all-volunteer membership spans generations, professions and walks of life. Through concerts, cabarets and full-scale performances, our members hone their performing, producing and creative skills while making keeping a rich musical history alive within the community.
THEATRE FAMILY
Our membership is the backbone of all off-stage activity. We take great pride in the network of friends and family we have built throughout our 80 years of merry-making. Nearly 70 couples have met and married within VLOG. It is no longer unusual to see three generations of one family in a performance!
OUR HISTORY
The Village Light Opera Group was founded in 1935 as an amateur theatre group called The Sulliberts, meeting and performing at the East Village landmark Christodora House at 9th Street and Avenue B. Under founding directors Allen and Elizabeth Hinckley, veteran singers of the Metropolitan Opera and D'Oyly Carte company, the group filled a gap as one of few groups performing Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire to New York City.
The group's first production, The Pirates of Penzance, performed in June of 1936 at the Christodora House for an admission cost of fifty cents. In 1937, renamed The Village Light Opera Group, the company came of age as the premier producer of Gilbert and Sullivan operas in New York, and in 1938 it began community singing in Greenwich Village, and brought Gilbert and Sullivan productions to the community for the next 3 decades.
VLOG began modernizing its signature style in the 1970s, expanding its repertoire to additional composers and creative reimaginings. At its production of Offenbach's “La Belle Hélène”, the week of December 10, 1973 was designated “Village Light Opera Group Week” by New York Mayor John Lindsay for its “high standard of professional excellence that has become its hallmark.” Other notable adaptations included a Wild West version of Trial by Jury, the out-of-this-world Princess Ida in Space and an American fable staging of Oklahoma.
Into the 21st century, VLOG has continued to honor its heritage by reviving and reimagining classic operettas, and musicals with modern themes.
WHAT WE DO
VLOG fosters appreciation of the musical arts, reimagining classic operettas and musicals with modern themes, striving for equitable representation both on stage and backstage that reflects the diversity of NYC today, reviving lesser-known works to elevate underrepresented artists. Through semi-staged concerts and cabarets to full-scale operettas and musicals, we provide opportunities for VLOG members to hone performing, producing and creative skills while making high-quality amateur theater accessible to the community.
BACKSTAGE TO FOOTLIGHTS
Our mainstage productions include as many as forty cast members, plus myriad behind-the-scenes volunteers who build the sets and costumes and keep the group “on its feet.” Our concerts and cabarets are designed to give members the chance to showcase their strengths and challenge themselves in new ways, whether on their own or as part of a duet or small ensemble.
GIVING BACK TO NYC
VLOG was born in New York, and we like to honor the city that nurtured us through our many seasons. That's why we work to bring the delights of operetta's rich history to new audiences who don't have access to theatre. Beyond that, we reinvest in our community through fundraising events, volunteering, and more.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Casey Keeler, President
Laura Kroh, Vice President
Jessica Brams-Miller
​Mark Falconer
Alice Lambert​
Pam Palmieri
Kathleen Raab
Andrew Roberts
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