A Few Questions for the Pirate King

Grammy and Emmy Award winning baritone Reginald Smith Jr. makes his Seattle Opera debut in October as the Pirate King in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.
Photo © Jiyang Chen

After spending part of the summer at the Interlochen Festival, we had time to speak with baritone Reginald Smith Jr. In our chat with the Pirate King, we learn about why this role is special, his talented mother, and what he packs for life on the road. 

A Few Questions for Mabel

We open our 2025/26 season with Gilbert and Sullivan’s nautical farce, The Pirates of Penzance. Soprano Vanessa Becerra is singing the role of Mabel and is making her Seattle Opera debut. 
Photo © Andrew Morstein

Soprano Vanessa Becerra is eager to make her Seattle Opera debut in The Pirates of Penzance in the coming months. She’s equally eager to sing the part of Mabel for the first time…well, sort of. In this conversation, Vanessa clears the air about this role debut, talks about her childhood quest for pop stardom, and explains her desire to sing Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro. And you’ll have the opportunity to hear Vanessa again this season; she’s also appearing in Fellow Travelers in 2026.