The Pirates of Penzance at CPT

Last night I had the chance to see the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance at the CenterPoint Theatre and it was so much fun. Frederic (Alan Smith) has reached his 21st birthday and wishes to leave the group of pirates to whom he has been mistakenly apprenticed. After leaving the pirates Frederic meets a Major-General (Jason Wadsworth) and his daughters, takes a fancy to his youngest daughter Mabel (Sarah Jane Watts), and enlists the Sergeant of Police (Matthew Stokes) and his constables to exterminate the pirates. Chaos ensues! I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this production, beginning with the lead actors. Smith is incredibly engaging as Frederic and, not only does he have a fantastic voice, but he has great comedic timing. I especially enjoyed his interactions with his nurse Ruth (Charline Grigg) when he tries to find out if she is beautiful when compared with other women. Watts has an amazing voice as Mabel, especially in "Poor wand'ring one," and I loved all of her funny facial expressions. Wadsworth is hilarious in "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" and I liked the funny interludes where he forgets what he is talking about. Monte Garcia, as the Pirate King, also has a very strong voice and great comedic timing, especially when he finds out that the Major-General is an orphan. The pirates, daughters, and constables are excellent and each of them have distinct personalities which make them fun to watch. The costumes are superb!  I loved the steampunk elements in the pirates' costumes, the colorfully quirky dresses worn by the daughters, the elaborate medals worn by the Major-General (even with his nightshirt), and the knee socks worn by the constables.  The set design, which reminded me of a vaudeville stage, is very effective. I particularly liked the two set pieces on either side of the stage which represented action at sea and characters running to and from the Major-General's castle.  Hurrah for this entertaining production which runs until September 1 (go here for tickets and information).

Note:  If you see this show, pay very close attention to the supertitles!