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Stage Production Notes
The Pirates of Penzance follows the trials and tribulations of Frederick, a young man born on February 29th, who was indentured to serve with a band of pirates until his 21st birthday.
The comic operetta was Gilbert and Sullivan’s fifth collaboration, and their first and only production to premier outside of the UK. Pirates opened in New York at the Fifth Avenue Theatre on December 31, 1879 and was an instant hit.
The Pirates of Penzance received its British premier in London at the Opera Comique on April 3, 1880.
The operetta is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular and beloved operettas, and has been performed in countless productions around the world. It was recorded as early as 1921, and has been adapted into several different films.
In 1980, Joseph Papp produced a re-conceived version of Pirates with the Public Theater. The highly acclaimed production was directed by Wilford Leach, and starred Kevin Kline as the Pirate King. During its initial run at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, the production was taped live.
The Public Theater version transferred to Broadway, where it continued to enjoy immense success and played for 787 performances.
This version was also adapted into a film in 1983.
The Public Theater production was re-staged in Australia in 1984, proving immensely popular and touring the country for three years. The Australian production starred Jon English, Simon Gallaher, June Bronhill, David Atkins, and Marina Prior.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Simon Gallaher sought to capitalize on the success of Pirates in Australia. Not able to again obtain the rights for the Public Theater version, Simon Gallaher created another re-vamped version of the show.
The Essgee production of The Pirates of Penzance opened at the Lyric Theatre of Queensland at the Queensland Performing Arts Center on May 20, 1994. Gallaher and Jon English again starred in the production, joined by Glynn Nicholas, Toni Lamond, Tim Tyler, and Helen Donaldson. The production featured a “poperetta” sound that combined close harmony singing, synthesized orchestrations, and a mega-mix finale.
Essgee’s Pirates was broadcast on Australian television via the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The production toured Australia for a year, grossing over $13 million playing to over 350,000 people. Simon Gallaher closed the show in order to open The Mikado, which also proved to be a hit, and like Pirates, was filmed live. The Gilbert and Sullivan "trilogy" was completed with a lavish production of H.M.S. Pinafore.
Essgee's Pirates of Penzance was revived for a Special Anniversary Tour in 2001.
The Pirates of Penzance is available to license through the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. The Public Theatre version is available to license through Music Theatre International. The Essgee version is available in the UK through StageScripts, and in Australia through David Spicer Productions.
The Pirates of Penzance follows the trials and tribulations of Frederick, a young man born on February 29th, who was indentured to serve with a band of pirates until his 21st birthday.
The comic operetta was Gilbert and Sullivan’s fifth collaboration, and their first and only production to premier outside of the UK. Pirates opened in New York at the Fifth Avenue Theatre on December 31, 1879 and was an instant hit.
The Pirates of Penzance received its British premier in London at the Opera Comique on April 3, 1880.
The operetta is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular and beloved operettas, and has been performed in countless productions around the world. It was recorded as early as 1921, and has been adapted into several different films.
In 1980, Joseph Papp produced a re-conceived version of Pirates with the Public Theater. The highly acclaimed production was directed by Wilford Leach, and starred Kevin Kline as the Pirate King. During its initial run at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, the production was taped live.
The Public Theater version transferred to Broadway, where it continued to enjoy immense success and played for 787 performances.
This version was also adapted into a film in 1983.
The Public Theater production was re-staged in Australia in 1984, proving immensely popular and touring the country for three years. The Australian production starred Jon English, Simon Gallaher, June Bronhill, David Atkins, and Marina Prior.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Simon Gallaher sought to capitalize on the success of Pirates in Australia. Not able to again obtain the rights for the Public Theater version, Simon Gallaher created another re-vamped version of the show.
The Essgee production of The Pirates of Penzance opened at the Lyric Theatre of Queensland at the Queensland Performing Arts Center on May 20, 1994. Gallaher and Jon English again starred in the production, joined by Glynn Nicholas, Toni Lamond, Tim Tyler, and Helen Donaldson. The production featured a “poperetta” sound that combined close harmony singing, synthesized orchestrations, and a mega-mix finale.
Essgee’s Pirates was broadcast on Australian television via the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The production toured Australia for a year, grossing over $13 million playing to over 350,000 people. Simon Gallaher closed the show in order to open The Mikado, which also proved to be a hit, and like Pirates, was filmed live. The Gilbert and Sullivan "trilogy" was completed with a lavish production of H.M.S. Pinafore.
Essgee's Pirates of Penzance was revived for a Special Anniversary Tour in 2001.
The Pirates of Penzance is available to license through the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. The Public Theatre version is available to license through Music Theatre International. The Essgee version is available in the UK through StageScripts, and in Australia through David Spicer Productions.
Filmed Production Notes
The Essgee Entertainment production of Pirates was filmed during its initial run and broadcast on Australian television, reportedly reaching an audience of over 2 million people.
The Pirates of Penzance was released on VHS in December 1994 and immediately became a best-seller. According to theatre historian Ian Bradley, it is the top-selling music video in Australian history.
The live recording was aired on pay-tv in Australia and, according to StageScripts, is screened regularly on UK Sky Arts.
Essgee’s The Pirates of Penzance was released on DVD by Kulture and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 2006.
The Pirates of Penzance is available on DVD and for digital download via Essgee’s website.
The Essgee Entertainment production of Pirates was filmed during its initial run and broadcast on Australian television, reportedly reaching an audience of over 2 million people.
The Pirates of Penzance was released on VHS in December 1994 and immediately became a best-seller. According to theatre historian Ian Bradley, it is the top-selling music video in Australian history.
The live recording was aired on pay-tv in Australia and, according to StageScripts, is screened regularly on UK Sky Arts.
Essgee’s The Pirates of Penzance was released on DVD by Kulture and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 2006.
The Pirates of Penzance is available on DVD and for digital download via Essgee’s website.
The Pirates of Penzance PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Lyric Theatre (QPAC), Brisbane
Producer: Essgee Entertainment
Music and Lyrics: Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert
Additional Lyrics: Melvyn Morrow
Director & Choreographer: Craig Schaefer Film: Peter Butler
Orchestrator and Conductor: Kevin Hocking
Scenic Design: Graham Maclean
Lighting Design: Roger Barratt
Sound Design: David Gurney
Stage Manager: Bruce Bolton
Cast:
Jon English (The Pirate King), Marc James (his Lieutenant), Simon Gallaher (Frederic), Toni Lamond (Ruth), Susie French (Fabulous Singlette), Melissa Langton (Fabulous Singlette), Anna Butera (Fabulous Singlette), Helen Donaldson (Mabel), Derek Metzger (Major-General Stanley), Tim Tyler (The Sergeant), Ensemble: Robert Dale, Michael Falzon, Marc James, Gary Jones, David Lowe, Peter Rees, David Scotchford, Jason Smith, Anthony Weigh, Lachlan Youngberg
Theatre: Lyric Theatre (QPAC), Brisbane
Producer: Essgee Entertainment
Music and Lyrics: Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert
Additional Lyrics: Melvyn Morrow
Director & Choreographer: Craig Schaefer Film: Peter Butler
Orchestrator and Conductor: Kevin Hocking
Scenic Design: Graham Maclean
Lighting Design: Roger Barratt
Sound Design: David Gurney
Stage Manager: Bruce Bolton
Cast:
Jon English (The Pirate King), Marc James (his Lieutenant), Simon Gallaher (Frederic), Toni Lamond (Ruth), Susie French (Fabulous Singlette), Melissa Langton (Fabulous Singlette), Anna Butera (Fabulous Singlette), Helen Donaldson (Mabel), Derek Metzger (Major-General Stanley), Tim Tyler (The Sergeant), Ensemble: Robert Dale, Michael Falzon, Marc James, Gary Jones, David Lowe, Peter Rees, David Scotchford, Jason Smith, Anthony Weigh, Lachlan Youngberg
Sources
Books
Websites
- Ian Bradley, Oh Joy! Oh Rapture!: The Enduring Phenomenon of Gilbert and Sullivan, Oxford University Press (2005)
- Ian Bradley, The Complete Annotated Gilbert & Sullivan: 20th Anniversary Edition, Oxford University Press (2016)
- Carolyn Williams, Gilbert and Sullivan: Gender, Genre, Parody, Columbia University Press (2012)
- Gayden Wren, A Most Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert and Sullivan, Oxford University Press (2011)
Websites
- AusStage, “Pirates of Penzance,” Accessed via: https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/24756
- David Spicer Productions, “Essgee’s Pirates of Penzance,” Accessed via: https://www.davidspicer.com.au/shows/essgees-pirates-penzance
- Essgee Entertainment, “About Essgee,” Accessed via: http://www.essgee.com/index.html
- Essgee Entertainment, “Pirates of Penzace: Our Original Version,” Accessed via: http://www.essgee.com/html/PirateOLDHome.html
- Music Theatre International, “The Pirates of Penzance,” Accessed via: http://www.mtishows.com/the-pirates-of-penzance
- Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, “Our Shows: The Pirates of Penzance,” Accessed via http://www.rnh.com/show/84/The-Pirates-of-Penzance
- Stagescripts, “The Pirates of Penzance,” Accessed via: http://shop.stagescripts.com/categories/musicals/musicals-fully-developed/comedy/the-pirates-of-penzance.html
Written by Luisa Lyons (September, 2017)