Rating: 
Summary: Gilbert and Sullivan are rolling in their graves
Review: "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.
Rating:
Summary: Gilbert and Sullivan are rolling in their graves
Review: "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.
Rating:
Summary: Gilbert and Sullivan are rolling in their graves
Review: "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.
Rating: 
Summary: Pirates of Penzance
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: blech
Review: 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.)
Rating: 
Summary: Just awful, especially if you know the operetta well
Review: 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.)
Rating:
Summary: caralyn tomlin shines
Review: After watching the pirates of penzance i was very uplifted. The story is one that is humorous and entertaining. Much better than the most recently made Kevin Kline version. Caralyn Tomlin is wonderful as Mabel and Jeff Hyslop steals the show. A must see for all comedic opera lovers.
Rating:
Summary: Very Nice Tribute to G&S!
Review: Gilbert and Sulliven would be very proud to see a version that captures the very essence of the opperetta. The Gilbert and Sulliven operettas were a sort of parody to traditional opera, and they became very popular. The first hit, H.M.S.Pinafore paved the way for many great favorites. The Pirates of Penzance was their second hit, and most probably the most catchy! This production by the Stratford Festival of Canada captures the humor and fun of the work. The cast is quite nice. The orchestra is very fun, and the audience seems to be having fun! The cast, as I said, was quite nice. Brent Carver, who is still very well known in Canada for his worth-while performances, gives a nice performance as the Pirate king. He isn't as much as a ruffian as many Pirate Kings tend to be, but he does the job and turns out to be very fun! Jeff Hyslop as Frederick is one of the best! His performance gives Frederick the 'goofball' attitude of love-lorn youth. He sings with quite a nice tenor, and acts very naturaly. Carilyn Tomlin as Mabel is very much the part! The scenes where she meets Frederick and goes of on a tangent of complete and utter vibratto are quite funny! She is a true singer, and her acting is very nice. The true star of this is Douglas Chamberlain in a part that could steal any production! The Major General Stanley is played quite expertly! You will probably recognize the familiar: "I am the very model of a modern major general. I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral. I know the kings of England in an order categorical. I am the very model of a modern major general!" It is classic Gilbert and Sulliven, and Chamberlain does his part very well. You will laugh until your sides ache with him! The production is quite nice. The sets are done very well, and are quite professional. Many of the scene changes are quite spectacular and surprizing. For example, in the begining, the scene shift of a sandy beach to the pirate ship sets the right tone for a great production! The costumes are a bit overdone. The hair on Major General Stanley's head makes him look a bit ridiculous. The videography needed work. The production is taped, live and with an audience, which is great. However, some of the picture may not be as sharp as you would like, and the sound isn't what you might call...steriophonic. But, you can ignore it for the duration of the production. There are also some modernizations of lines. These little additions don't spoil the show, however. They add to it. There is some Canadian humor which many people outside of Canada might not get, but when the audience laughs, you laugh along no matter what the joke is. Most of these little lines give the production some edge. They keep it from getting to be nothing but a sterile carbon-copy of most other productions. The time period, and flavor of the work is still the same, and the lines are worth a giggle, or two, or three if you can get them. Overall, this is a great production to watch. I am satisfied with my purchase,(Though it this apparently not the case with many other people) and hope you will be just as happy, and buy the video and enjoy it. It really is a great piece of entertainment, whether or not you are a G&S purist or not. I'm glad they put it out on video.
Rating: 
Summary: I Loved It!
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Pirates of Penzance
Review: 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!
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