Enjoy Comedy Opera With The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance is one of the most frequently played Gilbert and Sullivan operas and was their fifth collaboration, it is a light comedy opera which is divided into two acts. The original show officially premiered on the 31st December 1879 in Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York and it was hugely successful with both the general public and critics.
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Enjoy Comedy Opera With The Pirates of Penzance
Venton Vean is a newly restored Bed and Breakfast situated in the Penzance Conservation Area, overlooking Penlee Park and located just minutes’ walk from the seafront and town centre.
http://www.ventonvean.co.uk/
One of the most frequently played Gilbert and Sullivan opera’s is The Pirates of Penzance, a light comedy. The official premiere was on the 31st December 1879 in Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York. In London on 3rd April 1880, it’s first British production was shown at the Opera Comique. Since then there have been numerous modernised productions of the play.
The show’s cast includes pretty young maidens, soft hearted pirates and hopeless police. During the plot, a number of silly mistakes take place and lives are turned upside down.
Frederic is the principal character of the plot. He is a well meaning lad and a reluctant apprentice pirate because of a hard of hearing nursemaid called Ruth. During his 21st Birthday celebrations, drinking sherry on the rocky shore with the pirates of Penzance, Frederic informs them that he intends to leave them. Ruth, the ships maid, tells everyone that as Frederic’s former nursemaid when he was a small boy, she made a huge error. She misheard Frederic’s Father when he told her to arrange an apprenticeship with a ships pilot due to her partial hearing and accidentally apprenticed him to a pirate.
Frederic, who cares for the pirates, tries to persuade them to leave with him and change their ways, but to no avail. So Frederic offers some advice and pointers on how to achieve a little more success and avoid regularly getting thrashed. One important gem of advice is that they should not necessarily believe everyone who claims to be an orphan is telling the truth as their weakness for orphans is widely known.
Frederic leaves with Ruth and Ruth, in determination to wed him, manages to convince Frederic that she is really beautiful. Frederic has no other woman to compare her to and is convinced she is telling him the truth. Ruth’s lie does not last long because a group of beautiful young maidens suddenly appear. Frederic turns to Ruth saying “You told me you were fair as gold and now I see you’re plain and old.” In complete despair, Ruth departs. When Frederic approaches the group to warn them that there are pirates nearby, he falls instantly in love with a girl named Mabel.
Shortly, Ruth and the pirate king return to inform Frederic that he has not finished his apprenticeship and must return They tell Frederic that he is not technically 21 yet as he was born on the 29th of February and only has a real birthday each leap year. So his apprenticeship is not concluded. So Frederic has to spend another 63 years with the pirates before he will be able to leave ! Frederic feels devastated by this revelation but being a lad with a real sense of duty, he agrees to return and his faithful new love promises she will wait for him!
This Victorian classic is a fantastic intro to opera and has successfully stood the test of time. It is just as popular with people today as it was a century ago.
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