Pirates of Penzance

Arrr! Pirates of Penzance
is outrageously funny musical Reviewed by Sondra Morishima/Sacramento Stage & Theatre

The Pirate King (Paul Schoffler, right) discusses with his apprentice Frederic (David Burnham) the young man's future with their troop in a scene from the Music Circus production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at the Wells Fargo Pavilion through Aug. 8. Photo by: Steve Kolb.

    Music Circus' production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE is an outrageously hilarious musical combining catchy tunes and humor that has withstood the test of time (125 years to be exact). It was first performed on Dec. 30, 1879 in England and a day later in New York.
    This operetta is about young Frederic, who is ending his 21st year in the apprenticeship of the Pirate King after his hard of hearing nurse assigned him to a pirate instead of a pilot.
    He soon meets and falls head over heels in love with Mabel, the daughter of the "very model of a modern Major-General." He hopes to redeem his past wrongdoings of piracy and devote his life to exterminating all pirates. The night before Frederic leaves to hunt down pirates, the Pirate King visits to tell him that he was born on a leap year (making him 5 years and a quarter) and that the apprenticeship contract said he must work for the pirates until his twenty-first birthday - meaning he must work for 84 more years.
    One of my favorite characters was the Pirate King, unofficial main character of the musical, played by Paul Schoeffler. His character is quite loveable for a pirate, being witty and sentimental. Others include the noble but cowardly Police Sergeant (Roger Preston Smith) and Major-General Stanley (Patrick Quinn), a quick singer and quick thinker. Mabel (Kimilee Bryant) and Frederic (David Burnham) both had fantastically powerful voices. All of the performers portrayed their characters very well, with a few more modern additions that obviously weren't in the 1879 showing.
    It seems as if director Glenn Casale had some Disney and Elvis influence.
    Although everyone's voices were powerful, some lyrics were indistinguishable. A few songs, sung very fast, added both to confusion and humor. Many times I had to settle with just the gist of the song.
    Despite this setback, I enjoyed THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE. I rate it three and a half stars (out of four) and recommend it to anyone who has a taste for humor and a good musical.
    THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE plays at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, located on the corner of 15th and H streets. Performances will take place through Aug. 8, with show times Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m., and matinee performances Thursday and Saturday at 2 p.m.
    Single show tickets are priced from $32 to $47, on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street, or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets can also be purchased from Tickets.com at (916) 766-2277.
    For more information on the Music Circus, visit CaliforniaMusicalTheatre.com.

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