This year marks the first, and hopefully annual, Manorhostel, an event so-named because it was inspired by an Elderhostel program that residents Jane and Bob Hall attended. As Bob explains, ”Jane and I had gone to Connecticut three years in a row to participate in an Elderhostel that provided a participatory experience of Gilbert and Sullivan’s music. It was so much fun that we wanted to try to create something similar here at the Manor.”

To start, the Halls contacted Ralph MacPhail, a scholar of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operas. Ralph has enjoyed a 33-year career as a professor of theater and communications at Bridgewater College in Virginia. He has also taught Gilbert and Sullivan Elderhostel courses for 20 years, and he is the course leader whom the Halls had gotten to know during the three years they attended Gilbert and Sullivan Elderhostels back east.

Residents are all smiles while rehearsing "Three Little Maids."

The Halls asked Ralph if he’d be interested in creating a Gilbert and Sullivan program and bringing it to the Manor campus. Ralph consulted his wife, Alice, and musical director Deborah Lyon, and they both agreed that it was an exciting idea.

Bob and Jane then sought out fellow residents who were interested in such a program, which proved to be easy, Manor residents being the vibrant, active group they are! They formed a steering committee and set about organizing a five-day Manorhostel program.

The schedule was relaxed, offering appreciation and participation in the mornings and a combination of video viewing, discussion, and rehearsal. The culmination was a show that consisted of highlights from three Gilbert and Sullivan musicals: The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, and H.M.S. Pinafore.

Performers, audience, and instructors all had a grand time. Ralph says that while he and his wife were very impressed with the Manor’s amenities, the hospitality shown by residents and staff, the fine food, and more, what he has enjoyed most are the people. “I’ve enjoyed developing a relationship with Manor residents. They are a fabulous group of people. This has been a wonderful week in so many ways.”

The Halls are thrilled that so many residents signed up for the course and that everyone had such a good time. Bob says, “This is the first time anything like this has been done here. We think this is great—there’s no reason we can’t do other Manorhostels that focus on different areas of interest. This can be something special for residents.”

The Gilbert and Sullivan Manorhostel has been such a resounding success that everyone plans on doing it again next year. And next year’s program will be open to applicants on the Manor’s waiting list and, if room allows, to the folks in the Prospective Resident Program. Who knows—maybe you yourself would like to attend! You can put your name on next year’s list by calling our Marketing Office at 1-800-848-7868.

1200 Mira Mar Avenue
Medford, OR 97504
1-800-848-7868