Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance Reviews

• Good production, but filled with unnecessary additions.

  
  By A2HBOJCPXUHFMR on 2001-07-09
  This is a great production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, and in some respects stronger than THE MIKADO of two years before (scenically and in costuming, and a lot of the dancing and staging). However, I must say that I much prefer the Stratford MIKADO to this production.

  First off, there were additions made to the show that served no purpose. However, while completely unnecessary, they were well executed in their own rite. The two main examples are the dialogue that was added to the daughters' scene that gets them to strip off a lot more than just their shoes and stockings, and the entire 15-minute ballet added to the end of the show. First off, concerning the daughters stripping down to their undergarments, this is totally out-of-sync with Victorian sensibilities! Young ladies from that era would never have done that, and G&S would never have allowed that in one of their shows. That is why the original production is so funny--the girls only plan to take of their shoes and stockings, and Frederic blushes because of this, because it is so shocking to him. And the ballet at the end, added merely so that some dancers (one added character named "Blue Stocking" and the role of Frederic) could have something to do. Musical director Bertold Carriere rearranged a lot of Sullivan's music to add this ten to fifteen minute thing that serves no purpose. And the police finding daughters in liaisons with the pirates makes no sense, because when the finale commences, the daughters do not wish to be married to the pirates. However, these trifles were so well staged and performed, that even as I realized that they were pointless, they amused me.

  Jeff Hyslop as Frederic has a nasally, slightly comic, mostly irritating sound, and is not a singer by any means, which Frederic should be. Hyslop is quite obviously a dancer (as you can see from all of that unnecessary *ADDED* dancing), because he's really not an actor, nor a singer by any means. So one wonders why he was cast in the role of Frederic to begin with. Did director Brian MacDonald just envision the role of Frederic to be a huge dancing one from the get-go, or were he and Hyslop merely dating?

  Caralyn Tomlin is a beautiful, vocally delightful Mabel, and she is quite charming thoughout. However, during the final reprise of "Poor, wand'ring one," the sound produced in her obligato section is rather weak. Douglas Chamberlain is a funny and charming Major-General Stanley. Karen Woods makes a lot out of what would be a throw-away role in Edith, being just a cute and charming as she was with Pitti-Sing in Stratford's MIKADO. The entire policeman's chorus is HILARIOUS!! The staging for the Policeman's Entrance number was sheer brilliance, "When the Foeman Bares His Steel" had me laughing histerically at the most unexpected moments, and it was still amusing to me minutes after the song was over. (Thank God, because that was Hyslop trying to hit high tenor notes in "Now for the Pirates' Liar!") Ruth was very good. Samuel has a stupid, Pipi Longstocking wig that one finds very distracting and a constant source of frustration. Brent Carver is funny as the Pirate King, if mugging a bit too much at times. But he, Frederic, and Samuel have some great dancing moments at different points in the show (you'd expect it from Hyslop, as we've already figured that dancing is his strong-point, but the gentleman playing Samuel is surprising spry on his feet).

  The show was impeccably designed and staged, and it comes across very well. So, as I do reccomend this DVD to anyone wanting to see a good production of PIRATES, I would also warn them that there are a lot of well-planned-out additions to the show that add nothing in retrospective.
  
  

• Gilbert and Sullivan are rolling in their graves

  
  By A1Y5EJUFRVSLMI on 2001-05-23
  "The Pirates of Penzance" was the first real operetta that I had the opportunity to perform, and have pure joy doing so. For that, I consider it very special. However, had I seen this taped production before auditioning, I might have been forever soured from experiencing "Pirates" as a show. I found this treatment of the operetta to be grossly sub-par.

  The biggest flaws in this production were miscasting and the several augmentations to the original libretto. Jeff Hyslop as Frederic, the slave of duty, has an annoying, whiny vocal quality in a role that requires a seriously operatic Tenor sound. Caralyn Tomlin took on the role of Mabel with the right approach to the role's fierce soprano lines, but that was about all she did--Mabel isn't given much to "say" anyway. Brent Carver's pirate king had plenty of gusto in his performance, but the real flaw was in the director's decision to augment his lines. By far, the biggest disappointment in the cast had to be Douglas Chamberlain, whose Major-General was far too campy for my tastes. He had adequate diction, but really did not overwhelm in his singing. Despite these horrible miscastings, the actors portraying Ruth and the Sergeant of Police were delightful in their respective roles.

  The second flaw of this production was augmentations. Whoever directed this production took FAR too many liberties with the libretto. I could live with a couple from the Pirate King and Ruth, but when the director decided to add verses to the famous patter song "I am the very model of a modern Major-General," I was very much bored with it. Not only were lines added, the director decided to turn what could be a simple swordfight in the end of Act Two, into a tedious 15-minute dance-a-thon by the company.

  So, if you want a better adaptation of this operetta, DO NOT look here. Personally, I would suggest the 1983 film with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt, or any other production that retains the silly spirit of G & S without adding new material.
  
  

• I Loved It!

  
  By A4B2ZFW3K2WTA on 2004-01-05
  I am not a G & S purist. I just love theatre -- especially theatre where the cast exudes a love of the craft as this cast does. I thought the songs wonderfully played - perhaps the voices were not operatic enough for some, but the diction, enthusiasm and character more than made up for any missing fullness. In my experience, this is the first production of an operetta in which every sung word could be understood on the first hearing without following along in the script!
  Great fun, skilled and imaginative choreography, fast-paced and filmed without cinematic tricks. A delight!
  
  

• Pirates of Penzance

  
  By A11IGYR5YVXLQX on 2000-03-27
  A very good version of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. The added verses to various songs add much to the show. This very funny version has given me various ideas to use in a production of this show that I'm directing soon! I highly recommend this to anyone that likes musicals.
  
  

• I Liked It

  
  By on 2003-03-30
  I watched this version of The Pirates of Penzance and I thought it was going to be the absolute pits because of all the bad reviews but instead I wound up enjoying it and wondering if the people who didn't like it are just Gilbert and Sullivan purists who won't allow themselves to enjoy a version that is only slightly different. I liked this version and I actually liked Brent Carver who played the Pirate King and all the rest of the cast and at least the guy who played Fredric was better then the guy in another version who looked too old to be playing Fredric and Brent Carver was better then the Pirate King who was too flamboyant, by the way I want to point out that I am not talking about the Kevin Cline, Rex Smith version that one was great just like this Brent Carver version.
  
  
• Like sitting in the audience.
  By A3JU421KEA3UHT on 2001-01-09
  I enjoyed this very much. I'll admit the only other versions of Pirates I've seen (so far) are the big movie version and some community theater production in my distant youth, and this beats the snot out of both of them. This production is so alive and exhilarating, I'll be surprised if I ever see another version I like as much. Much of the charm of this production comes from it being filmed on what looks to be a real theater stage, and we have the best seats! Sure, the actors run around on stage and occasionally have to breath heavily, but it feels like we're watching a live production. Most of the charm comes from Brent Carver and Jeff Hyslop who not only can sing and dance, but can sing and dance at the same time. This feat is showcased by the songs being recorded live, bringing a spontaneity absent in the very same Stratford Festival's stately and sedate video version of The Mikado in which all the songs have been dubbed. This Pirates has a great mixture of silliness and liveliness that makes it a pleasure to watch. Good job guys!
  
  
• Pirates of Penzance
  By on 2004-01-08
  Perhaps it is because this was the first opera I ever had the opportunity to see and I was only nine years old at that time, but I have always loved this performance. The humor and charisma drew me in and now I cannot think of anyone other than Brent Carver as the Pirate King. I found this to be the perfect piece to introduce me to the world of opera and it will forever hold a place in my heart. I believe that most people overthink this performance and should just look at it as a fun and interesting story even if there have been a few changes. After all, the performers interpretations are part of the beauty of watching different performances.
  
  
• Hyslop and Carver carry this classic show.
  By on 1999-09-07
  JEFF HYSLOP illuminates the stage as the duty-obsessed (and handsome) ex-pirate, Frederic. His powerful, passionate voice and adorably addictive style are matched with his unbelievable ability to dance, making him the ultimate pleasure to watch. Brent Carver plays the slightly "off" Pirate King, and glows in the charmingly over-dramatic role. His presence and passion make him the not-quite bad guy you love to love. These two gentlemen turn what could have been a disaster into a dynamic, witty, heady show that will leave you wonderfully impressed.
  
  
• blech
  By on 2003-07-22
  I rented this from the library, luckily, thinking naively that because it was the Pirates of Penzance, it would be nothing other than a treat. What I found instead was a shabbily acted, and even more so sung, operetta where all I could do was cringe and be sorry that I was replacing my memories of the hilarious masterpiece with such an unworthy production.

  What bothered me the most was that Maybel and Friedrich were both so unlikeable! Maybel I can't claim was off-key because she was on every key! Friedrich was anything but "exceeding beauty" and I don't think any girl would be wooed by that whiny, wimpy voice of his.
  Just about every other character disappointed me as well, though the pirate king had his moments. I did find that they all sounded good together in the choruses. Overall, though, I expect better quality to match to the genius of Gilbert and Sullivan.
  
  

• The Best-Loved Comedy: The Pirates of Penzance
  By on 2001-10-25
  This is my fave. movie. After I saw my friends perform this play on the stage, I knew I had to see the movie. The movie even had some things that weren't in the play, which was awesome to see. I now know all the songs by heart, and can't watch it enough times. You will not want to miss seeing this.
  
  
• Outlandishly overplayed hacking of a masterpiece
  By AE8LPTJ5L0CYQ on 2002-03-04
  The Pirates of Penzance is a masterful piece of work representing Gilbert & Sullivan at their finest. Unfortunately, this Stratford production neglects Sullivan's beautiful music by casting sub-par singers who make little attempt to stay in time with the orchestra, and slaughters Gilbert's brilliant text by throwing in as many outrageous bits of slapstick characterization as possible. Brent Carver's Pirate King barely had a line that wasn't interrupted by an uncomical tendency to get hung up on his words. The dancing dominates the show -- ballet fans may enjoy the Pirates in Tights who dance instead of Act. I am very disappointed by this particular production -- apparently an abberation, as the quality of the other Stratford G&S productions is far superior (particularly the Mikado).
  
  
• Just awful, especially if you know the operetta well
  By A2VTK2UGJA7U3L on 2003-02-15
  After being delighted by the Stratford performance of the Mikado, I quickly bought this one, and what a huge mistake. If you aren't very familiar with the score, you might enjoy it, but if you know Pirates by heart, you will cringe. The horrors begin with Pirate King quoting Shakespeare and the girls stripping down to Victorian underwear on the beach-- accompanied by awful new dialogue. Gilbert would turn over in his grave. And it just gets worse. The sound quality is bad; Fredrick is dull and hasn't much of a voice, and the applause is distracting... which is isn't in the Mikado. It's customary to add little touches and in jokes (see I've Got A Little List in the Mikado), and that's fine, but this is just beyond the pale. Save your money, and buy this company's wonderful Mikado. (Even my 8 year old son, who has never seen this and loves pirates in general, greatly preferred the Mikado.)
  
  
• Very Entertaining!
  By on 2005-10-08
  I have several versions of The Pirates of Penzance on DVD and video and I enjoy watching all of them . I Have this Stratford Festival version on DVD and I enjoy it and thought it was great and very entertaining and I didn't think it was a bad production at all. In my opinion all of the performers are good but the best performers are Brent Carver as the Pirate King and Douglas Chamberlain as Major General Stanley and I personally think that the minor changes like the addded character of Mabel's Bluestocking sister and one or two added songs were done very well and didn't take away from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta and I didn't see those changes an an insult to them and I thought the sets and props were good! I own this DVD and I don't feel like I wasted my money buying it.
  
  
• Best G & S ever
  By A1ETFA8PB0GFXI on 2007-09-11
  I had the joy of seeing this production in live performance, and it was simply the best Gilbert and Sullivan performance I'd ever seen. Instead of treating the operetta as a dusty museum piece, the creators ot the Stratford Festival production remembered that, above all, it was supposed to be fun! It clearly was so for its performers as well as audience, and won a standing ovation, which is much rarer in Canada than in the U.S. A DVD can't replicate the live experience, but this captures the exuberance and boundless energy of the production.
  
  
• "Pirates of Penzance: The Ballet"
  By A2IG2FG7L85RMU on 2007-12-09
  This Stratford production of 1985 to its credit features a Major-General who can sing patter songs, a Ruth whose diction is highly intelligible, and a Mabel with enough voice to reach her notes, despite being the screeching sort of British soprano Anna Russell used to parody. They make it worth viewing.
  
  Otherwise, the production, as Dr. Johnson said of life, "offers much to endure and little to enjoy." The director of the work clearly believed it unable to hold the stage as written - after all, what did Gilbert and Sullivan know? - so he decided to turn it into a sort of cartoonish ballet. Therefore, we have a Frederick who is handsome in a dance boy sort of way, but can't hit his notes or act with any conviction. He's at his best just leaping over furniture or turning somersaults. His casting in the part surely ranks as one of the great mysteries in the annals of the Stratford Festival. Similarly, the Pirate King is here more of a dancer than anything else.
  
  Further incessant and wholly arbitrary changes in text and music, as other reviewers have already pointed out, do not enrich the work but seriously maim it. One has to ask, "Why didn't the director of this work himself have a director?"
  
  

• Gilbert & Sullivan - H.M.S. Pinafore / Trial By Jury - David Hobson, Anthony Warlow, Colette Mann, Tiffany Speight, John Bolton Wood, Richard Alexander, Opera Australia, State Theatre, The Arts Centre Melbourne
• Gilbert & Sullivan - Iolanthe / Forrester, Donkin, Stratford Festival
• Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)
• Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado / Eric Idle, Lesley Garrett, Richard Van Allan, Felicity Palmer, Richard Angas, Bonaventura Bottone, Susan Bullock, English National Opera
• The Mikado (Dover Thrift Editions)