Welcome to The Pirates of Penzance, a seriously silly show!

Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert's operetta first premiered on Broadway in 1879. Pirates was their fifth collaboration together and the choice to premiere it in America was a conscious one, to try to avoid pirates of their own. Their type of pirates was the bootleg producer kind who, upon seeing their previous production of H.M.S. Pinafore which premiered in London in 1878, opened 150 unauthorized productions here in the States, to which Gilbert and Sullivan received zero royalties for use of their materials. To avoid all of this, Pirates opened in America to rave reviews.

Pirates is a classic tale of “Boy meets pirates. Boy is indentured to pirates. Boy becomes 21 years of age and is set free. Boy then meets girl but realizes he’s only five-years-old due to being born on leap year and thus must remain a pirate.” The age-old story.

What makes Gilbert and Sullivan’s tale so timeless is, yes its relatability to everyday life, but also the humor and wit that is portrayed within the lyrics and character composition. In the mid-1800s, the form of operetta, or light opera, was taking off and Gilbert and Sullivan were leaders in this field creating memorable characters like the formidable Pirate King and, daft but sincere, Major-General that you’ll find in our production.

The Pirates of Penzance has been on my directing bucket list for quite some time due to the fun physical nature of the material and the chance to sprinkle in moments from all of the comedians that I’ve admired growing up. In this production, see how many moments you can spot that resemble the Ministry of Silly Walks, Mr. Bean, Buster Keaton, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, and many more.

This production could only be a success thanks to the sheer brilliance of the designers, production team, and craftsmen who have worked to put this production together. The stunning wing and drop set design by Teena Sauvola, the strikingly beautiful and hilarious costumes by Bryce Turgeon and Alex Bell, the flawless craftsmanship by Chad Kolbe, Jason Underferth, Kit Mayer, and all of the design crews. The many silly dancing and stage combat moves led by Emily Craver, Virginia Foshee, Mike Speck, and Lauren Bergquist. Dr. James Wilson on perfecting this production’s music direction and orchestra and all of the Viterbo voice teachers who have worked countless hours helping each student nail the many lyrics and vocal demands in this show. And of course to the students themselves. This production is a collaboration between Viterbo’s Music and the Theatre & Music Theatre Departments. It has been a joy to watch all of the students work so seamlessly together to create a unified vision and production highlighting what Viterbo’s Conservatory for the Performing Arts does best: bring people together to celebrate the joy and power of live performances. I give my biggest heartfelt thank you to each and everyone who has worked on this production.

I hope you, the audience, can sit back and enjoy the performance and ponder the age-old question, “What is the model of a modern Major-General?!”

–Teddy Eck, director

Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance is famously full of catchy tunes and silly wit. This of course is largely why we continue to produce it nearly 150 years later, but as with all great operas and operettas of the time, there are multiple layers of parody and juxtaposition to peel away. Take for instance the ridiculousness of the plot: why do the characters so often change their allegiance on a whim? Who ever heard of pirates with a soft spot for orphans? Or a pirate apprentice waiting out his service contract? The point isn’t to frustrate and confuse, it’s to make fun of the very operas of Gilbert and Sullivan’s time that operated on this basis. Laughing along with the stupidity of the plot means you are in on the joke.

Gilbert and Sullivan go well beyond plot parody, they love to replicate and imitate the harmonies and structures of truly dramatic operas of their time, namely those of Rigoletto and Il Trovatore, with fake but equally effective dramatic scene structures. The cavatina/cabaletta duet scene between Frederic and Mabel in Act II and the cumulative sequencing in both finales is directly reminiscent of structures used by Donizetti and Verdi in their greatest hits. This is opera masterfully making fun of opera, on a level that is every bit as entertaining and beautiful as the originals, albeit with a near constant comedic undertone. There will likely be some moments where the beauty of the singing causes you to momentarily forget about the show’s comedic nature, but this is by design and it speaks to the skill of both the writers and our singers.

Great opera, whether it be an original masterpiece or a witty parody, is a worthwhile endeavor for university students in a Conservatory setting. This music is challenging, substantive, rewarding, and it offers a window into the very best of a vibrant and expressive musical history. As chair of the music department at Viterbo University, one of my primary goals is to expand and preserve our offerings of opera and operetta of the highest quality. I hope you find this music to be delightfully entertaining, charming, enriching, and I hope it leaves you wanting more.

Sincerely,
James Wilson