By Matthew Wexler
If the dashing but dimwitted Frederic had been shipped off to train as a “tugboat pilot” rather than a “cutthroat pirate” (an error made by his hard-of-hearing nanny, Ruth), there’d be little to sing about in Pirates! A Penznace Musical. Whether good or bad depends on your affection for Gilbert and Sullivan, the writing duo famous for comic operas like The Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore.
Roundabout Theater Company’s new adaptation by Rupert Holmes, featuring jazz-inspired orchestrations by Joseph Joubert and Daryl Waters, clips along nicely under Scott Ellis’ direction as Frederic faces another hurdle: He must wait until his 21st birthday to extract himself from a life of pillaging on the open seas before marrying his new found love, Mabel. Unfortunately, he was born on a Leap Day.
Does all of this sound dated? It is. Gilbert and Sullivan’s original Pirates premiered in 1879, over six decades before Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! reimagined a musical’s structure so that the score forwards the plot. Audience sensibilities have evolved. But escapism, especially as the current administration continues to hack away at arts funding, is an elixir we could all sip on right now.
In this regard, Pirates! succeeds largely thanks to David Hyde Pierce, who frames the concept in a crafty prologue in which he portrays Gilbert before taking on the role of Mabel’s protective father, Major-General Stanley.
Pierce, along with Nicholas Barasch as Frederic and Samantha Williams as Mabel, plays the stakes (as ridiculous as they may seem) with conviction, which puts some wind into Pirates!’ sails. The same can’t be said for Ramin Karimloo as the Pirate King and drag star Jinkx Monsoon as Ruth, both delivering one-dimensional performances that echo David Rockwell’s set design.
Warren Carlyle’s loose-limbed choreography adds to the evening’s whimsy, which ultimately feels like a well-rehearsed and very expensive workshop for licensing the title to high schools and community theaters. Could this be the hidden treasure chest behind Pirates!’ 27th Broadway production?
Pirates! The Penzance Musical plays at the Todd Hames Theatre through July 27.
‘Pirates! A Penzance Musical’ Takeaway
I’ve sat near Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda for three Broadway shows, and he is, by far, the audience member you want in your corner. I couldn’t help but steal a side glance to see how he enjoyed the performance, particularly during Pierce’s fast-rhyming “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General”—a patter song that some might say laid the groundwork for Hamilton‘s rap sequences. Miranda, leaning forward in his seat, took in every syllable of Pierce’s spot-on delivery. If you looked closely enough, as I did, you could see him mouthing bits of the lyrics, swept away by Pierce’s performance.
Here’s a look at Pierce’s career, recently profiled on CBS Sunday Morning:
