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WEEK of November 12, 2007 |
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Pirates Seize the Pearl Street Meeting House by Jeffrey Stanley I am the very model of a modern Major-General, I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
Yep, the Major General knows plenty alright, except how to be an effective leader. This year’s Upper School Musical, the comic opera Pirates of Penzance, opens November 16 at 7 pm and November 17 at 3 pm and 7 pm. After the success of last year’s Guys and Dolls, another ambitious undertaking produced under the tutelage of musical director Neil Ginsberg, now in his eighth year at BFS, Neil feels the students—both those in the production and those in the audience—are ready to tackle Gilbert and Sullivan. “We really think the students are embracing classics,” he said. “That’s the true momentum for our program this year. Also,” he confessed, “with the whole Pirates of the Caribbean phenomenon the cool factor is pretty high for anything piratical.” The Victorian era comedy premiered in New York in 1879 and helped lay the groundwork for modern Broadway musicals. The opera came full circle when Joseph Papp indeed revived it as a hit Broadway musical in 1980 starring Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline. The plot centers on a band of docile pirates and their young charge Frederick who, as a slave of duty, was apprenticed to them until his 21st birthday due to an misunderstanding with his hard-of-hearing nursemaid.
Ruth Frederick’s father had told her to apprentice the young man to become a ship’s pilot but she could have sworn he said pirate. The truth exposed, Frederick vows to fight these very same pirates in keeping with his pledge to duty. “Of course there is a mix-up, or topsy turvey as Gilbert and Sullivan would say,” explained Neil, “and hilarity ensues.” Along the way Frederick meets Mabel who sweeps him off his feet with her high B flat, bungling cops, endearing daughters, and a loquacious Major General who sings the most famous patter song of all time. “The characters are silly, witty, and deeply flawed and there is tons of wordplay, slapstick, and good old fashioned bits,” said Neil. “It’s amazing to think that this material is still funny in modern times.” Then there is the music. “There is a depth to it which is steeped in the European light opera tradition,” said the musical director. “There are real melodies, soaring vocal passages, and lush harmonies.” Neil wants audiences to think about that when they see and hear the play. In an era when most of us have music literally at our fingertips it is easy to forget the hard work involved in performing and producing it. “During the 19th century if you wanted music, you really had to make it or go some place where it was being made,” he said. “People traveled great distances to hear performances and cherished the experience. Whenever we get the chance to hear old material performed in an authentic way, it’s always a great opportunity.” The play’s director, John Baker, is new to BFS. “I worked with John Baker during a summer stock gig in New Hampshire,” said Neil. “He performed in shows and directed the teen acting company there. I knew he would be a great fit for BFS, and when I said ’Pirates of P,’ he jumped on board. It’s been a perfect match of material to director.” Lastly, says Neil, there is some real commentary in Pirates. “There was plenty to satirize about Victorian England. Class structure and nationalism are made fun of overtly and subtly in this show to great effect. No small achievement when you consider that Gilbert and Sullivan were poking fun at their own patrons.” Tickets for the production are $5 for students and $10 for adults and are on sale at the Pearl Street front desk. Advance purchase is recommended, as some shows have sold out in the recent past. |
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