New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players

What New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players does

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional repertory company founded in 1974 by Albert Bergeret, and currently operating its 52nd season (2026-2027). The company maintains the only full 13-opera Gilbert & Sullivan canon in active American repertory, mounted with a 50-80 person cast, crew, and 25-piece professional orchestra for each production, and has delivered more than 3,000 performances across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom over its 50+ year history. Its flagship signature production is an all-new, critically-acclaimed staging of The Mikado (premiered January 2017, revived 2019 and 2024) conceived and directed by David Auxier with original costumes by Quinto Ott and sets by Anshuman Bhatia, featuring an NYGASP-original prologue and diversity-forward casting that abandons yellowface. Other active productions include The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Gondoliers, Iolanthe, Ruddigore, The Yeomen of the Guard, The Sorcerer, Patience, Utopia, Limited, and a Victoria-styled holiday special A G&S Carol: A Live Radio Play.

NYGASP's distribution is built on three channels: (1) a flagship NYC subscription season at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, with Orchestra subscriptions at $315 and Side Orchestra/Balcony at $210 offering 25% savings and flexible date exchanges, plus single-ticket and box office sales; (2) annual national touring of full-scale bus-and-truck productions, sextet concert programs, and educational programs to performing arts centers and presenter associations across 25+ US states and Canada, with bookings handled directly by the Executive Director; and (3) a layered education business including in-school workshops (ages 5-13), masterclasses, the 13-week college course "Experiencing Opera: Gilbert and Sullivan" co-developed with Lafayette College, the Youth Production with Artists in Residence program evolved with Syosset Central School District, and a community engagement model ("NYGASP with Your Community") that partners with local symphony orchestras and choruses led by Maestro Joseph Rubin. Additional revenue comes from a tiered donor membership program ($150 to $25,000, from "Honorary Member of our Band" to "Lord High Executioner"), an annual Gala, a 40-year New Year's Eve champagne performance tradition, CharityBuzz auctions, planned giving through the Albert Bergeret Society, and merchandise sales. The company operates under an Actors' Equity Association Letter of Agreement, holds a $1 million Forward From 50 capital campaign in connection with its 50th anniversary, and is led by Executive Director and President David Wannen, Artistic Director James Mills, Managing Director and Musical Director Joseph Rubin, and Founder Artistic Director Emeritus Albert Bergeret.

Name

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players

Legal name

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players

Website

https://nygasp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional repertory company, founded in 1974, that performs the full 13-opera Gilbert & Sullivan canon in NYC, on national tour, and through K-12 and college education programs, with a 50-80 person cast and 25-piece orchestra per production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Comic Opera Productions

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Gilbert Sullivan repertory
• Comic opera productions
• Performing arts education
• Live theatre touring
• Opera subscription season

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Season subscriptions and single-ticket sales: Recurring annual subscription revenue for the NYC Kaye Playhouse season (e.g., 2026-27 Orchestra $315, Side Orchestra/Balcony $210), plus single-ticket sales for special productions like A G&S Carol. Sold through Kaye Playhouse Box Office and showare.com.
2. Touring performance fees (B2B): Booking revenue from performing arts centers, presenters, and concert associations across the US and Canada for full-scale bus-and-truck productions, small ensemble/sextet programs, and educational programs. Touring is annual and geographically broad (NY, NJ, FL, GA, AL, CA, NV, AZ, NM, TN, OH, NC, SC, VA, etc.).
3. Donations and tiered membership giving: Tiered donor membership program from $150 (Honorary Member of our Band) up to $25,000 (Lord High Executioner, including "Production Sponsor" recognition). Tier benefits include priority subscription purchasing, Guild access, voice lessons, masterclass invitations, walk-on roles, named giving/sponsorships, private performances, and named production sponsorship. Includes planned giving (Albert Bergeret Society) with bequests and QCDs.
4. Corporate matching gifts and employer matching: Donor cultivation emphasizes employer matching gift programs alongside individual contributions, expanding effective donation volume.
5. Educational program fees: Fee-based school programs, masterclasses, in-school workshops, and residencies (e.g., Youth Production with Artists in Residence). Includes the "Experiencing Opera: Gilbert and Sullivan" college course offered as intensive 2-day to full-semester formats.
6. Gala, NYE champagne performance, and CharityBuzz auction: Fundraising events including annual Gala, New Year's Eve champagne gala performance ($75 general admission in 2018), and CharityBuzz online auction (e.g., 2026 auction closing May 20th). Drives both earned revenue and donor cultivation.
7. NYGASP Shop merchandise sales: E-commerce merchandise sales via nygasp.itemorder.com shop, branded merchandise supporting the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players is a professional 501(c)(3) repertory company that produces, performs, and tours the complete Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera canon (13 operas) with a 25-piece orchestra and cast/crew of 50-80 per production. Its offering includes an annual NYC subscription season at The Kaye Playhouse, national touring productions sold to performing arts presenters, sextet concert programs, special gala/holiday productions, and educational programs for K-12 and college audiences.

Product overview

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP) is a professional repertory company and 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization founded in 1974 by Albert Bergeret, whose offering is structured as a flagship touring repertoire plus a program of ancillary modules rather than a unified software product. The core product is the company's G&S repertory — thirteen complete Gilbert & Sullivan operas staged with a cast, 25-piece orchestra, and crew of 50–80 — anchored by the "big three" productions The Mikado (their all-new 2017 production), The Pirates of Penzance, and H.M.S. Pinafore, with additional full productions including The Sorcerer, Ruddigore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Iolanthe, The Gondoliers, Patience, and Utopia, Limited. Layered onto this core, NYGASP offers four programmatic modules: (1) concert/sextet programs (An Evening of Gilbert & Sullivan and I've Got a Little Twist cabaret); (2) annual gala/special productions (New Year's Eve with NYGASP, A G&S Carol: A Live Radio Play); (3) the NYGASP with Your Community engagement program that partners full productions with local orchestras and choruses; and (4) a broad NYGASP Educational Programs suite covering in-school workshops, masterclasses, the Savoy Sampler, the Lafayette-developed college course "Experiencing Opera: Gilbert and Sullivan," Patron Education offerings like "The Art of the Patter Song," and the Syosset-evolved Youth Production with Artists in Residence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Mikado (NYGASP new production) NYGASP's critically-acclaimed new production of Gilbert & Sullivan's most famous opera, featuring an original NYGASP-written prologue set in the offices of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and reimagined Titipu, with diversity-forward casting that abandons yellowface. Targeted at performing arts presenters, NYC subscription audiences, and tour venues.
• The Pirates of Penzance (Touring Production) NYGASP's touring production of Gilbert & Sullivan's classic comic opera about Frederic, apprenticed to a band of tenderhearted pirates until his 21st birthday, with a leap-year snag. Sold to performing arts centers and presenter associations across the United States and Canada.
• H.M.S. Pinafore (Touring Production)
• An Evening of Gilbert & Sullivan (Sextet Concert Program) NYGASP's touring sextet concert program featuring a one-act performance of The Pirates of Penzance or H.M.S. Pinafore with all the famous numbers, followed by selections from the full G&S comic opera repertoire with performers in black tie and gowns, including the signature impromptu audience requests segment. Targeted at performing arts presenters.
• NYGASP with Your Community (Community Engagement Program) Community engagement offering full-length, costumed, concert productions of The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Mikado partnering with local symphony orchestras and community choruses (led by Maestro Joseph Rubin), plus outreach workshops, masterclasses, talk backs, and in-school residencies. Targeted at presenting venues, community concert associations, and educational institutions.
• NYGASP Educational Programs Suite of educational outreach programs including in-school Pirates of Penzance workshops and performances (ages 5-13), Audition & Performance Masterclass, Gilbert & Sullivan Acting Masterclass, Savoy Sampler performance + interactive workshop, the 13-week college course "Experiencing Opera: Gilbert and Sullivan" (developed with Lafayette College), Patron Education offerings such as "The Art of the Patter Song," and the Youth Production with Artists in Residence residency program. Targeted at K-12 schools, colleges, and lifelong learners.
• The Sorcerer (The Vicar's Reduction of Tea) NYGASP's reduced version of the Gilbert & Sullivan classic, featuring eight colorful characters of a quaint English village plus John Wellington Wells of patter song fame, performed by a cast of nine expert singing actors and one pianist at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater. Targeted at NYC chamber-theatre audiences.
• Ruddigore NYGASP production of Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta about the cursed Baronet of Ruddigore who must commit a daily crime to avoid a painful death. Targeted at NYC subscription and chamber audiences.
• The Yeomen of the Guard
• Iolanthe
• A G&S Carol: A Live Radio Play NYGASP special holiday production at Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th Street). A Victorian mashup of Charles Dickens' beloved holiday classic with favorite Gilbert & Sullivan numbers, performed as a live radio play in December 2026. Targeted at NYC patrons and holiday show audiences.
• New Year's Eve with NYGASP
• Ages Ago / Mr. Jericho Double Bill
• Utopia, Limited
• I've Got a Little Twist (Original Cabaret Production)
• Patience
• The Gondoliers
• NYGASP 2026-2027 Season (52nd Season Subscription)
• NYGASP Shop (Merchandise)
• NYGASP College Course: Experiencing Opera: Gilbert and Sullivan
• Youth Production with Artists in Residence (Syosset collaboration)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 performances presented across the United States, Canada, and the U.K. since 1974
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core operational partner, flagship educational partner, flagship venue partner, core venue partner, supporting fundraising partner, supporting casting channel and tour ecosystem partners.

• Actors' Equity Association (AEA)core operational partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYGASP operates under a Letter Of Agreement (LOA) contract with Actors' Equity Association, allowing both Equity and Non-Equity performers. AEA auditions are announced in Backstage newspaper; [email protected] is the dedicated contact. The AEA partnership is foundational to NYGASP's ability to hire professional singers.
• Lafayette Collegeflagship educational partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLafayette College is the original co-development partner for NYGASP's 13-week college course "Experiencing Opera: Gilbert and Sullivan," with contributions from Professor Tony Cummings and presenter Hollis Ashby. The course is available in virtual, hybrid, or in-person formats and can be customized from intensive 2-day workshops to full semester residencies.
• Syosset Central School Districtflagship educational partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSyosset Central School District (Long Island, NY) is the original collaboration partner for NYGASP's Youth Production with Artists in Residence — the most comprehensive grade school offering, evolving from a multi-week residency in which NYGASP teacher/directors workshop a full length show with students (typically 4th-6th grades), with NYGASP performers joining for principal roles and final performances.
• Hunter College (Kaye Playhouse)flagship venue partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, NYC) is NYGASP's primary home venue for its annual subscription season. All subscription performances of the 52nd season (The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, The Gondoliers) are staged there. Hunter College runs the box office (212-772-4448, Wed-Fri 12-6 PM).
• Symphony Space (Leonard Nimoy Thalia)core venue partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSymphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th Street, NYC) hosts NYGASP's annual New Year's Eve champagne gala performance (a 40-year tradition) and special holiday shows like A G&S Carol: A Live Radio Play. Tickets are sold via Symphony Space's box office. The Leonard Nimoy Thalia is a 160-seat theater used for intimate engagements.
• CharityBuzzsupporting fundraising partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerNYGASP runs its annual charity auction on the CharityBuzz platform (charitybuzz.com/support/nygasp), with the 2026 auction items closing May 20th. CharityBuzz is a third-party online auction platform that extends NYGASP's fundraising reach to a broader donor audience.
• Backstage newspapersupporting casting channelGTM or Marketing PartnerNYGASP announces its auditions in Backstage newspaper and a few other publications, leveraging Backstage as a primary recruitment channel to reach the ~400 annual audition candidates in the NYC metropolitan area.
• Local symphony orchestras, community choruses, and opera companies (community engagement partners)tour ecosystem partnersStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor community engagement productions, NYGASP partners with local symphony orchestras (led by Maestro Joseph Rubin), community choruses, and professional opera companies to mount concert versions of The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Mikado. NYGASP has worked with choruses ranging from middle-school choruses to professional opera companies.

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Savoy Company: Founded 1901, the Savoy Company of Philadelphia is the oldest continuous Gilbert & Sullivan company in the world. It is a direct peer to NYGASP as a U.S.-based G&S production company serving a similar Savoyard patron base, though it operates as an amateur rather than professional ensemble.
• Ohio Light Opera: Ohio Light Opera (Wooster, OH) is a professional light opera company that performs Gilbert & Sullivan among other comic opera repertoire. Comparable to NYGASP in scale (professional ensemble with orchestra), summer-festival delivery model, and G&S as part of active repertoire.
• College Light Opera Company: Summer-stock light opera company based in Falmouth, MA. Performs G&S among other comic operetta repertoire with orchestra; James Mills (NYGASP Artistic Director) also directs there. Comparable as a professional-tier lighter-operatic ensemble with similar programming model.
• D'Oyly Carte Opera Company: The original Gilbert & Sullivan company founded by Richard D'Oyly Carte, closed in 1982 and reconstituted in various forms. Direct historical peer to NYGASP as the canonical professional G&S repertory ensemble; comparable in repertoire focus but distinct in scale and era.
• Light Opera of New York: NYC-based opera company that performs rare and traditional operettas including Gilbert & Sullivan in intimate Manhattan venues. Direct peer in geography and repertoire niche, though smaller in scale and focused on chamber rather than full-orchestra productions.
• Pittsburgh Savoyards: Pittsburgh-based amateur Gilbert & Sullivan company in continuous operation since 1938. Directly comparable to NYGASP as a U.S. regional G&S repertory organization, though smaller in scale and amateur rather than professional.

Broad incumbents

• New York City Opera: Major NYC-based opera company (the 'people's opera') that has historically performed a wide range of repertoire including lighter operetta. BROAD_INCUMBENT because it competes for the same NYC opera audience and donor pool as NYGASP but operates at significantly larger scale across the broader opera spectrum.
• Boston Lyric Opera: Professional opera company based in Boston that competes with NYGASP for New England presenters and touring audiences. BROAD_INCUMBENT because it operates across the full opera repertoire rather than specializing in G&S, but competes in the same regional market.

Emerging players

• American Lyric Theater: NYC-based opera company focused on developing and producing new American opera. EMERGING_PLAYER relative to NYGASP — partial overlap in NYC classical vocal talent pool and opera audience, but distinct focus on contemporary American works rather than the G&S canon.

Regional players

• Princeton Festival: Annual performing arts festival in Princeton, NJ that includes opera productions. REGIONAL_PLAYER relative to NYGASP because it serves a similar Mid-Atlantic donor and presenter base, overlaps in some presenting-venue network, but operates as a summer festival rather than a year-round repertory company.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NYGASP
• Facebookfacebook.com/nygasp

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players