The Pirates of Penzance

I saw the movie version of "Pirates Of Penzance" again six years after my first viewing;I have to admit it wasn't quite as good as I remembered. The movie can't seem to build any momentum for the first few numbers until the Major General shows up. It falters again for several minutes while Kline, Stevens, and Lansbury struggle gamely with the "Leap Year" birthday number (it just isn't all that funny,guys); and the gimmick of staging the big fight between the cops and the pirates through an community theater staging of "HMS Pinafore" is way too cutesy and self-referential. A few of the "patter songs" have a bit of obvious filler, too (although a first time viewer might not notice this among all the clever word play).

But man, that scene where the pirates are parading through the commons singing "WITH CAT-LIKE TREAD, WE HARDLY MAKE A SOUND" at the top of their lungs...it makes me forgive the movie any of its obvious flaws. Kevin Kline was born to play the "Pirate King" and the movie is worth watching for his (and the Major General's) performance alone. Everyone else is good-to-great... there's not a flat tire or a bad performance in the bunch. Linda Ronstadt's abilities were a surprise to me; even though I am sure she got some "assistance" via dubbing and clever arrangements that hid her weak spots as a singer, she still made a smashing Mabel. And Gilbert and Sullivan's frothy, feather-light operettas still provide easy enjoyment for a modern audience who want light, clever comedy and pretty, accessible songs.

Still very good stuff, though not quite as good as I remembered. That's probably because I played a whole lot of pit orchestras in the intervening years and became a bit jaded.

I am a true G & S Aficionado but this surprised and delighted me. The cast are brilliant but Kevin Kline has the edge. Agile, in great voice, lots of humour and quick, funny bits in his performance (blink and you miss them). His dancing and acrobatics are superb. The police also had me howling with laughter along with their police dogs and the major general romping through the fields with the pirates singing UNDERWATER in the babbling brook has to be a classic. This scene has to be seen to be believed. Bravo, cast !! This should have had a lot more publicity. I would adore seeing it in the large theatre, at least we had "Topsy Turvy" this year. This Pirate is fun for all ages.

I fell in love with Linda Ronstadt the first time I saw this film in 1983. I also fell in love with Angela Lansbury and, perhaps even Kevin Kline.

This fantastical, comedic, interpretation of the wonderful Gilbert and Sullivan musical updates the music, the humor, and performance, while actually enhancing the theatrical quality of the original play and leaving the plot, characters, and script largely intact.

The film feels like an exciting, quite silly, and very fun play seen from the best possible angles on an elaborate but very stagy set. The actors intentionally overact - as if their most subtle movements must be seen by an audience in a three story balcony. The music is also somewhat overblown, but absolutely wonderful. Did I mention Linda Ronstadt? Her vocal performance is frankly unbelievable! She might not be much of an actress, but acting talent was really not required for the role of Maybelle.

The story is about Frederick (Rex Smith), a young man who has just left his indenture under the flamboyant, somewhat unsuccessful and soft-hearted 'Pirate King' (Kline) and his band of fairly inoffensive ruffians. Vowing to slay his beloved friend to atone for the sins he probably did not commit during his indenture, Frederick leaves his doomed friends and comes ashore, only to fall immediately in love with Maybelle, but the pirates are only a few steps behind him.

The entire story is told with very minimal dialog and a lot of great music, slapstick, and camp. The voices are cast perfectly, and Kline's physical performance is nothing short of amazing.

What can I say? I've just watched 'Pirates' again after a hiatus of about 18 years, and the old magic came back immediately. I love this film, and heartily recommend it to all. Not everybody will feel as I do, but I can't even attempt objectivity in reviewing this film.

Enjoy!

I recently had the task, for a organization's class, to assemble various performances of the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta "The Pirates of Penzance". This has always been my favorite G&S work, and I have heard many live performances, plus I have played the Pirate King in a revue type staging of the work.

I recall seeing the Kevin Kline version many years ago, and did not recall the details. Obtaining a copy to view for my project, I was very impressed with the wit and overall quality of the performances. There are a few small issues, such as the fudging of Linda Ronstadt's and Rex Smith's vocal parts (It is clear, whenever Smith sings, that lots of electronic enhancement is being used to bring his voice into the same universe with the other more capable singers, but still he has right delivery and it works well; for Ronstadt, she does very well, but for "Poor Wandering One" her part has been transposed down a bit, probably so that she can manage the highest notes), and the overdubbing of a couple other performer's singing by better singers, but overall the dancing and singing is as good as any I have seen.

The staging is deliberately campy, somewhere between traditional stagecraft and a movie set, and it adds extra charm to the proceedings. There has been some carping about Angela Lansbury's singing, but what she does is in line with the requirements of the role, and is in fact typical of other performances of Ruth's character (I recall the director, during casting of the performance I was in, saying of Ruth, "we don't need a GOOD singer, only a FUNNY singer).

A quick review of the offerings of Pirates on Amazon reveals that the only DVD version of this cast is taken from an outdoor staging in New York (and without Lansbury). It is one of the mysteries of DVD releases that the film version does not exist on on DVD; it certainly one of the best.

the late actor who plays the Major-General and the late Tony Azito who is the captain of the constables, were just part of this great cast, this is a great tribute to two men who died so tragically. Can't think of a better venue to showcase all of these actors/actresses and singers all.