The Pirate Queen at the Empress

I absolutely loved the musical The Pirate Queen when I saw a production at HCT several years ago so I was really excited to see it again at the Empress Theatre last night.  I think they did an outstanding job with a complicated show!  I love the story about two extraordinary women who are enemies but perfect foils to each other because they both face the same limitations as women and ultimately triumph.  Queen Elizabeth I (Kayla Barlow) has just assumed the throne of England and needs to prove herself by conquering the Irish barbarians.  Grace O'Malley (Beck Skeen) has just become the chieftain of the O'Malley clan after proving herself in battle on her father's ship The Pirate Queen but needs to unite the clans to fight against submission to the English Crown.  The music is magnificent (the composers are Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil who are better known for a little show called Les Miserables).  Skeen has a beautiful voice and I loved how it blends with Shatan Duke's, as Tiernan, in the songs "Here On This Night" and "If I Said I Loved You" and with Barlow's in the songs "She Who Has All" and "Woman to Woman."  There are many powerful scenes in this show but my favorites are "Sail to the Stars" when Grace's father is given his final send-off to the sea (I loved the candles), the aforementioned "She Who Has All" between Elizabeth and Grace when a woman in the regalia of a monarch wants what a woman in chains and rags has in her life, and "I'll Be There" when Tiernan has to watch the woman he has loved since childhood marry someone else to unite the clans.  I was really impressed with the staging of "The Pirate Queen," especially when Grace climbs the rigging to free a sail during a storm, and "Boys'll Be Boys," because Hayden Porter, as Donal, gives a hilarious physical performance (I laughed at all of his facial expressions).  The choreography, particularly the Irish dancing in "The Wedding" and "The Christening" and the fight choreography in the battle sequences, is spectacular and a lot of fun to watch.  The Empress always does so much with their small and intimate space and this show is no exception.  The stage features a large backdrop of the prow of a ship in the middle of the ocean (with other set pieces such as a helm and hanging nets that are moved on and off) which is then cleverly draped with luxurious red fabric to become the court of Queen Elizabeth.  The costumes are fantastic, especially the over-the-top gowns worn by Elizabeth and her attendants.  I loved this show so much and I highly recommend it but, unfortunately, there are only two performances left (go here for tickets).