In May a group called the Mises Caucus took over the Libertarian National Committee. The public pronouncements that then began emanating from that body via the @LPNational Twitter handle showed that they were going to be messaging in a non-libertarian manner, so I called the national office told them to cancel my monthly donation.

A few days later, I received an email from Angela McArdle, the current chair of the LNC, asking for a time to call and introduce herself. I agreed, and on June 20th we spoke for about half an hour. I asked her why she had reached out to me, and she said because I called in to National. She said that she is going to try to reach out to everyone that calls or emails about cancelling donations. I told her that what I saw happen in the Republican Party before I left them years ago I was seeing happening in the LP now: when your messaging is such that bigots feel welcome, that is what you get as members of the party. She said she would relay my concerns to the communications department.

The messaging that has followed shows either she did not relay my concerns, or that they were ignored. If anything, the messaging has grown even more odious. Add to that the messaging coming from individual officers, and the rot in the LNC appears to be total.

Further, they have charged my credit card again after I explicitly told them to cancel. I do not know if this is an example of incompetence or fraud, but neither explanation is a good sign.

I know many who have left the national party because of this takeover, and many more who, like me, are redirecting their support from national and instead supporting initiatives like the Libertarian Policy Institute in addition to state and local parties and candidates that are truly striving for liberty in our lifetime.

I still believe that coercion is wrong, that people prosper when they are free, and that the ideals of the Libertarian Party are worth fighting for; the current Libertarian National Committee, based upon their messaging, does not.

After missing the last two years, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston is overjoyed to announce that we will be returning this summer to celebrate our 70th anniversary with a production of HMS Pinafore at the Hobby Center, July 23-21. This is also the farewell performance for stage director and featured performer Alistair Donkin, who has been appearing with us for 40 years. To commemorate this milestone, long-serving musical director (and my father-in-law) Robert Linder will be returning to conduct. Yours Truly will be playing the role of Dick Deadeye. Tickets go on sale June 1, but if you become a patron you can secure prime seats now!

Hope to see you in July!

Houston G&S poster for 2022 HMS Pinafore
I’ll hopefully be singing at the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston’s 7th Annual Gala, featuring the Auction of Arias, 7pm Friday, February 25th, at the Junior League of Houston. The evening will include passed hors-d’oeuvres, a three-course dinner, and open bar. In addition to the Auction of Arias, there will also be a silent auction of great items and experiences.
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Above I said “hopefully” because the attendees will be responsible for selecting the music for the evening.  During each course, we will auction off the opportunity to select songs to be performed from that course’s “Song Menu.” The Song Menu for the evening will include pieces from the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire as well as other opera and musical theater numbers. I’ll be offering:
• “Oh, what a beautiful mornin’” from Oklahoma!
• “When I was a lad” from HMS Pinafore
• “I am the very model of a modern major-general” from The Pirates of Penzance
•  and “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen” from Die Zauberflote.
This is our biggest fundraiser for the year, helping us to pay for the summer show and our scholarship programs. The evening promises to be a lot of fun, so I do hope you can join us. Tickets start at $100, and can be purchased online here or calling 281-724-8363.
Looking forward to seeing (and singing for?) you!

The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston, Houston’s oldest opera company, is excited to present an in-person concert of G&S favorites – with a twist!  Tenors, Baritones, and Basses will be trading places with Sopranos, Mezzos, and Contraltos for an evening of role-swapped singing!

Lady pirates! Bearded maidens! Our group of Society singers are going to bravely venture out of their usual repertoire in the name of a good time!  Purchase tickets online or at the door.  Livestream option available. 

When: Saturday, June 26th, 7 PM CDT
Where: Bethany Christian Church, 3223 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77098
**limited to 200 persons**
Tickets: $20 in-person or $10 livestream
For more info go to https://hgns.org/aboutface or email info@hgns.org or call 281-724-8363.

I hope that you and yours are staying healthy, both physically and mentally, in these crazy times.

The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston was supposed to perform “The Yeomen of the Guard” at the Hobby Center this summer, but, as has been the case with so many things, we were forced to postpone until next year.

But we have not been idle.

This Saturday at 8pm CDT we will be holding a virtual concert.  I’ll be singing “When Jealous Torments Rack My Soul”, a wonderful number from Yeomen that was unfortunately cut after opening night in 1888 because it interrupted the flow of the plot too much. Several other performers from our postponed production will be featured, including Alistair Donkin, and the concert will open and close with numbers by the Savoyard Singers, our standing chorus.

I hope you can join us for an hour of merriment this Saturday at 8.

https://hgns.org/concert