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Encyclopedia > The Pirates of Penzance
Drawing of the Act I finale
Drawing of the Act I finale

The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on December 31, 1879, where the show was a hit with audiences and critics.[1] The London premiere was on April 3, 1880, at the Opera Comique, where it ran for 363 performances, having already been playing successfully for over three months in New York. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Comic opera, or light opera, denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending. ... Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (May 13, 1842 – November 22, 1900) was an English composer best known for his operatic collaborations with librettist W. S. Gilbert. ... Antonio Ghislanzoni, nineteenth century Italian librettist. ... Sir William Schwenck Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (November 18, 1836 – May 29, 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist and illustrator best known for the fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. ... The Savoy Operas are a series of operettas written by Gilbert and Sullivan. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Opéra-Comique is an opera house in Paris. ...


Pirates remains popular today, taking its place along with The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore as one of the most frequently played Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Its 1981 Broadway revival by Joseph Papp ran for 787 performances and spawned many imitations. The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: H.M.S. Pinafore H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... W. S. Gilbert Arthur Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900). ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... Joseph Papp (1921 - 1991) was an American theatre producer and director. ...

Contents

Background

The Pirates of Penzance was the only Gilbert and Sullivan opera to have its official premiere in New York. At the time, American law offered no copyright protection to foreigners. After their previous opera, H.M.S. Pinafore, was a hit in London, over a hundred American companies quickly mounted unauthorized "pirated" productions, often taking considerable liberties with the text and paying no royalties to the creators.[2] By mounting their next opera in New York, Gilbert and Sullivan hoped to forestall further "piracy" by establishing the official production in America before others could copy it.[3] They did succeed, by mounting the first production themselves, as well as operating U.S. touring companies and delaying publication of the score and libretto, in keeping for themselves the direct profits of the venture.[2] However, Gilbert, Sullivan, and their producer, Richard D'Oyly Carte, continued their efforts for many years to control the American performance copyrights over their operas, without success.[4] W. S. Gilbert Arthur Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900). ... This article is about the state. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: H.M.S. Pinafore H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Richard DOyly Carte Richard DOyly Carte (May 3, 1844 – April 3, 1901) was an English theatrical impresario during the latter half of the nineteenth century. ...


The creative period for Pirates was unusual, in that Sullivan composed the acts in reverse — bringing the completed Act II with him, with Act I existing only in sketches. When he arrived in New York, he found that he had left the sketches behind, and he had to reconstruct the first act from memory. Gilbert told a correspondent many years later that Sullivan was unable to recall his setting of the entrance of the women's chorus, so they substituted the chorus "Climbing over rocky mountain" from their earlier opera, Thespis. Sullivan's manuscript for Pirates contains pages removed from a Thespis score, with the vocal parts altered from their original context as a four-part chorus. Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, was the first collaboration between William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. ...

Poster for the copyright performance at Paignton

Some scholars (e.g., Tillett and Spencer, 2000) have offered evidence that Gilbert and Sullivan had planned all along to re-use "Climbing over rocky mountain," and perhaps other parts of Thespis, noting that the presence of a Thespis score in New York when there were no plans to revive it might not have been accidental. In any event, "Climbing over rocky mountain," one other song, and a ballet are the only portions of the score of Thespis known to have survived. Image File history File links PiratesPenzance1879. ... Image File history File links PiratesPenzance1879. ... This articles section called History of Copyright does not cite its references or sources. ...


On December 10, 1879, Sullivan wrote a letter to his mother about the new opera, upon which he was hard at work in New York. "I think it will be a great success, for it is exquisitely funny, and the music is strikingly tuneful and catching." True enough, The Pirates of Penzance was an immediate hit in New York, and later London, and takes its place today as one of the most popular G&S works. December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...


There was one other premiere of note. To secure British copyright, there was a perfunctory performance the evening before the New York premiere, at the Royal Bijou Theatre Paignton, Devon, organised by Helen Lenoir (who would later marry Richard D'Oyly Carte). The cast, having performed Pinafore the night before, read from scripts carried onto the stage, making do with whatever costumes they had on hand. Not to be confused with copywriting. ... Paignton harbour , Paignton (IPA: ) is a coastal town in Devon in the United Kingdom. ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Helen DOyly Carte Helen DOyly Carte or Helen Lenoir (May 12, 1852 – May 5, 1913) was the second wife of impresario and hotelier Richard DOyly Carte. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: HMS Pinafore H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ...


The work's title is a multi-layered joke. On the one hand, Penzance was a docile seaside resort at the time, and not the place where one would expect to encounter pirates.[5] On the other hand, the title was also a jab at the theatrical pirates who had staged unlicensed productions of H.M.S. Pinafore in America. Penzance Harbour and surrounding area as seen from the air Penzance (Cornish: Pensans) is a civil parish and port town in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, UK. Granted various Royal Charters from 1512 onwards and incorporated in 1614,[2] it has a population of 21,168[1] people and...


Sullivan's score borrowed from several musical traditions. In the Major-General's Act II song, "Sighing softly to the river", the composer imitates Schubert's partsongs for male voices. Also, the "Come, Friends Who Plough the Sea" section of "With Catlike Tread" resembles the anvil chorus from Il Trovatore. In another scene in Act II, Mabel addresses the police, who chant their response, in an imitation of the form of an Anglican church service's canticle and response. One of the most famous passages from the finale to Act I, referred to as "Hail Poetry", is a five-part musical piece, utilising all of the voices in a chorale style. Il trovatore (The Troubadour) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Leone Emanuele Bardare and Salvatore Cammarano, based on the play El Trobador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. ...


Roles

Catherine Ferguson (Kate), Nellie Briercliffe (Edith), and Ella Milne (Isabel), 1920
  • Chorus of Pirates, Police and General Stanley's Daughters

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Nellie Briercliffe (1889 – December 12, 1966) was an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in the mezzo-soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Baritone (French: ; German: ; Italian: ) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... A bass-baritone is a singing voice that shares certain qualities of both the baritone and the bass. ... Baritone (French: ; German: ; Italian: ) is most commonly the type of male voice that lies between bass and tenor. ... This article is about Tenor vocalists in music. ... A bass (or basso in Italian) is a male singer who sings in the deepest vocal range of the human voice. ... This article is about the singing voice part. ... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ...

Synopsis

Act I


On the coast of Cornwall, Frederic, a young man with a strong sense of duty, celebrates, amidst the pirates, the completion of his twenty-first year and the apparent end of his apprenticeship ("Pour, oh pour the pirate sherry"). The pirates' maid of all work, Ruth, appears and reveals that, as Frederic's nursemaid long ago ("When Frederic was a little lad"), she had made a mistake through being hard of hearing: she had misheard Frederic's father's instructions and apprenticed him to a pirate, instead of to a ship's pilot. For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... This article is about maritime piracy. ... A helmsman is an person who steers a ship. ...

Marion Hood: "Yes, 'tis Mabel!"
Marion Hood: "Yes, 'tis Mabel!"

Frederic has never seen any women other than Ruth, and he believes her to be beautiful – the pirates know better and suggest that Frederic take Ruth with him when he returns to civilisation. Frederic announces that, although it pains him to do so, such is his sense of duty that, once free from his apprenticeship, he will be forced to devote himself to their extermination. He points out that they are not very successful pirates, since, being orphans themselves, they allow their prey to go free if they too are orphans. Frederic notes that word of this has got about, so captured ships' companies routinely claim to be orphans. Frederic invites the pirates to give up piracy and go with him, so that he need not destroy them, but the Pirate King notes that, compared with respectability, piracy is comparatively honest ("Oh! better far to live and die"). The pirates depart, leaving Frederic and Ruth. Frederic sees a group of beautiful young girls approaching the pirate lair, and realizes that Ruth lied to him about her appearance ("Oh false one! You have deceived me!"). Sending Ruth away, Frederic hides before the girls arrive. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Marion Hood (April 1, 1854 - August 14, 1912) was an English operatic soprano in the last decades of the 19th century. ...

1880 poster
1880 poster

The girls burst exuberantly upon the secluded spot ("Climbing over rocky mountain"). Frederic reveals himself ("Stop, ladies, pray!") and appeals to them to help him reform ("Oh! is there not one maiden breast?"). One of them, Mabel, responds to his plea, and chides her sisters for their lack of charity ("Oh sisters deaf to pity's name for shame!"). She sings to him ("Poor wand'ring one"), and Frederic and Mabel quickly fall in love. The other girls contemplate whether to eavesdrop or to leave the new couple alone ("What ought we to do?"), and eventually decide to "talk about the weather," although they steal a glance or two at the affectionate couple ("How beautifully blue the sky"). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (940x1904, 443 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): The Pirates of Penzance User:Davepape/Images Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (940x1904, 443 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): The Pirates of Penzance User:Davepape/Images Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from...


Frederic warns the girls of the pirates nearby ("Stay, we must not lose our senses"), but before they can flee, the pirates arrive and capture all the girls, intending to marry them ("Here's a first rate opportunity"). Mabel warns the pirates that the girls' father is a Major-General ("Hold, monsters!"), who soon arrives and introduces himself ("I am the very model of a modern Major-General"). He appeals to the pirates not to take his daughters, leaving him to face his old age alone. Having heard of the famous Pirates of Penzance, he pleads for their release on the (false) ground that he's an orphan ("Oh, men of dark and dismal fate"). The soft-hearted pirates are sympathetic and release the girls ("Hail, Poetry!"), making Major-General Stanley and his daughters honorary members of their band. Henry Lytton as the Major-General The Major-Generals Song is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivans 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. ...


Act II


The Major-General sits in a ruined chapel on his estate, surrounded by his daughters. His conscience is tortured by the lie that he told the pirates, and the girls attempt to console him ("Oh dry the glist'ning tear"). The Sergeant of Police and his corps arrive to announce their readiness to go forth to arrest the pirates ("When the foeman bares his steel"). The girls loudly express their admiration of the police for facing likely slaughter at the hands of fierce and merciless foes. The police are unnerved by this, and remain around (to the Major-General's frustration) but finally leave.

"Have mercy on us!"
"Have mercy on us!"

Left alone, Frederic, who is to lead the group, pauses to reflect on his opportunity to atone for a life of piracy ("Now for the pirate's lair"), at which point he encounters Ruth and the Pirate King. It has occurred to them that his apprenticeship was worded so as to bind him to them until his twenty-first birthday – and, because that birthday happens to be on the (February 29) in Leap Year, it means that technically only five birthdays have passed ("When you had left our pirate fold"), and he will not reach his twenty-first birthday until he is in his eighties. Frederic is convinced by this logic that he must rejoin the pirates, and thus he sees it as his duty to inform the Pirate King of the Major-General's deception. The outraged outlaw declares that their "revenge will be swift and terrible" ("Away, away, my heart's on fire"). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... February 29 is a day added into a leap year of the Gregorian calendar. ... A leap year (or intercalary year) is a year containing an extra day (or, in case of lunisolar calendars, an extra month) in order to keep the calendar year synchronised with the astronomical or seasonal year. ... A quibble is a common plot device, used to fulfil the exact verbal conditions of an agreement in order to avoid the intended meaning. ...


Frederic meets Mabel ("All is prepared"), and she pleads with him to stay ("Stay Frederic, stay"), but he explains that he must fulfill his duty to the pirates until his 21st birthday in 1940. He promises to return then and claim her. They agree to be faithful to each other until then, though to Mabel "It seems so long" ("Oh here is love and here is truth"), and Frederic departs. Mabel steels herself ("No, I'll be brave") and tells the police that they must go alone to face the pirates. They muse that an outlaw might be just like any other man, and it is a shame to deprive him of "that liberty which is so dear to all" ("When a felon's not engaged in his employment"). The police hide on hearing the approach of the pirates ("A rollicking band of pirates we"), who have stolen onto the grounds, meaning to avenge themselves for the Major-General's lie ("With cat-like tread").


The police and the pirates prepare for the fight ("Hush, hush! not a word"). Just then, the Major-General appears, sleepless with guilt, and the pirates also hide, while General Stanley listens to the soothing sighing of the breeze ("Sighing softly to the river"). The girls come looking for him ("Now what is this and what is that"). The pirates leap to the attack, and the police rush to the defence; but the police are easily defeated, and the Pirate King urges the captured Major General to prepare for death. The Sergeant plays his trump card, demanding that the pirates yield "in Queen Victoria's name"; the pirates, overcome with loyalty to their Queen, do so. Ruth appears and reveals that the orphan pirates are in fact "all noblemen who have gone wrong". The major-general is impressed by this and all is forgiven. Frederic and Mabel are reunited, and the Major-General is happy to marry his daughters to the noble pirates after all. “Queen Victoria” redirects here. ...


Musical numbers

  • Overture (includes "With cat-like tread", "Ah, leave me not to pine", "Pray observe the magnanimity", "When you had left our pirate fold", "Climbing over rocky mountain", and "How beautifully blue the sky")

Act I Magnanimity is the generosity of the victor to the defeated. ...

Drawing of Richard Temple as the Pirate King
Drawing of Richard Temple as the Pirate King
  • 1. "Pour, oh pour, the pirate sherry" (Samuel and Chorus of Pirates)
  • 2. "When Fred'ric was a little lad" (Ruth)
  • 3. "Oh, better far to live and die ...I am a pirate king!" (Pirate King and Chorus of Pirates)
  • 4. "Oh! false one, you have deceiv'd me" (Frederic and Ruth)
  • 5. "Climbing over rocky mountain" (Chorus of Girls)
  • 6. "Stop, ladies, pray" (Edith, Kate, Frederic, and Chorus of Girls)
  • 7. "Oh, is there not one maiden breast?" (Frederic and Chorus of Girls)
  • 8. "Poor wand'ring one" (Mabel and Chorus of Girls)
  • 9. "What ought we to do?" (Edith, Kate, and Chorus of Girls)
  • 10. "How beautifully blue the sky" (Mabel, Frederic, and Chorus of Girls)
  • 11. "Stay, we must not lose our senses" ... "Here's a first-rate opportunity to get married with impunity" (Frederic and Chorus of Girls and Pirates)
  • 12. "Hold, monsters" (Mabel, Major-General, Samuel, and Chorus)
  • 13. "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" (Major-General and Chorus)
  • 14. Finale Act I (Mabel, Kate, Edith, Ruth, Frederic, Samuel, King, Major-General, and Chorus)
    • "Oh, men of dark and dismal fate"
    • "I’m telling a terrible story"
    • "Hail, Poetry"
    • "Oh, happy day, with joyous glee"
    • "Pray observe the magnanimity"
Isabel Jay as Mabel
Pirate King Henry Lytton denounces the Major General
Pirate King Henry Lytton denounces the Major General

Act II Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Drawing of Temple as the Pirate King as Arac in Princess Ida Richard Barker Cobb Temple (March 2, 1847–October 19, 1912) was an English opera singer, actor and stage director, best known for his work in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas. ... Sherry solera For other uses, see Sherry (disambiguation). ... Henry Lytton as the Major-General The Major-Generals Song is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivans 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Isabel Jay was born in Wandsworth, London, on October 17, 1879. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Sir Henry Lytton (born London, 3 January 1865, died London 15 August 1936) was the leading exponent of the patter roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century. ...

  • 15. "Oh, dry the glist'ning tear" (Mabel and Chorus of Girls)
  • 16. "Then, Frederic, let your escort lion-hearted" (Frederic and Major-General)
  • 17. "When the foeman bares his steel" (Mabel, Edith, Sergeant, and Chorus of Policemen and Girls)
  • 18. "Now for the pirates' lair!" (Frederic, Ruth, and King)
  • 19. "When you had left our pirate fold" ("A paradox") (Ruth, Frederic, and King)
  • 20. "Away, away! My heart's on fire!" (Ruth, Frederic, and King)
  • 21. "All is prepar'd; your gallant crew await you" (Mabel and Frederic)
  • 22. "Stay, Fred'ric, stay" ... "Oh, here is love, and here is truth" (Mabel and Frederic)
  • 23. "No, I'll be brave" ... "Though in body and in mind" (Reprise of "When the foeman bares his steel") (Mabel, Sergeant, and Chorus of Police)
  • 23a. "Sergeant, approach!" (Mabel, Sergeant of Police, and Chorus of Police)
  • 24. "When a felon's not engaged in his employment" (Sergeant and Chorus of Police)
  • 25. "A rollicking band of pirates we" (Sergeant and Chorus of Pirates and Police)
  • 26. "With cat-like tread, upon our prey we steal" (Samuel and Chorus of Pirates and Police)
  • 27. "Hush, hush, not a word!" (Frederic, King, Major-General, and Chorus of Police and Pirates)
  • 28. Finale, Act II (Ensemble)
    • "Sighing softly to the river"
    • "Now what is this, and what is that?"
    • "Frederic here! Oh, joy! Oh, rapture!"
    • "With base deceit you worked upon our feelings!"
    • "You/We triumph now"
    • "Away with them, and place them at the bar!"
    • "Poor wandering ones!"

Versions

In the original productions, the revelation by Ruth that the pirates are "all noblemen who have gone wrong" prompted the following exchange (recalling a famous passage in H.M.S. Pinafore): Wikisource has original text related to this article: H.M.S. Pinafore H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ...

GIRLS: Oh spare them! they are all noblemen who have gone wrong.
GENERAL: What, all noblemen?
KING: Yes, all noblemen!
GENERAL: What, all?
KING: Well, nearly all!

Gilbert deleted this exchange in the 1900 revival, and the Chappell vocal score was revised accordingly. The new D'Oyly Carte Opera Company restored the original version in their 1989 production. The DOyly Carte Opera Company staged performances of Gilbert and Sullivans Savoy operas in the UK, Europe, America, South Africa and elsewhere from the nineteenth century to the twenty first. ...


Production history

From the beginning, The Pirates of Penzance has been one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular comic operas. After its unique "triple opening" in 1879–80, it was revived in London in 1888, in 1900, and for the Savoy repertory season of 1908–09. In the British provinces, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company toured it almost continuously from 1880–1884, and again in 1888. It re-entered the touring repertory in 1893, and was never again absent through to the company's closure in 1982. The DOyly Carte Opera Company staged performances of Gilbert and Sullivans Savoy operas in the UK, Europe, America, South Africa and elsewhere from the nineteenth century to the twenty first. ...


In America, after the New York opening on New Year's Eve, 1879, Richard D'Oyly Carte launched four companies that covered the United States on tours that lasted through the following summer. Gilbert and Sullivan themselves trained each of the touring companies through January and early February 1880, and each company's first performance – whether it was in Philadelphia, Newark, or Buffalo – was conducted by the composer. Richard DOyly Carte Richard DOyly Carte (May 3, 1844 – April 3, 1901) was an English theatrical impresario during the latter half of the nineteenth century. ...


There was still no international copyright law, and the first unauthorized New York production was given by the Boston Ideal Opera Company at Booth's Theatre in September 1880. The first non-D'Oyly Carte professional production in a country that had been subject to Gilbert's copyright (other than J. C. Williamsons' authorised productions) was in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, in September 1961. In 1979, the Torbay branch of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society presented a centenary tribute to the world premiere performance of Pirates in Paignton, with a production at the Palace Avenue Theatre (situated a few metres from the former Bijou Theatre). James Cassius Williamson (August 26, 1845 - July 6, 1913) was an actor and theatrical manager, was born in Mercer, Pennsylvania. ... Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 30,461 in 2006. ... Torbay (IPA: ) is an east-facing bay, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. ...


As discussed below, Joseph Papp's 1980–83 Pirates gave a boost to the opera's popularity. Professional and amateur productions of the opera continue with frequency. In March 2007, the New York City Opera is mounting a new production, following their recent productions of The Mikado and Patience.[6] Joseph Papp (1921 - 1991) was an American theatre producer and director. ... The New York State Theater at Lincoln Center, seen from Lincoln Center Plaza New York State Theater The New York State Theater at Lincoln Center, interior, as seen from the stage The New York City Opera (NYCO) is based in Philip Johnsons New York State Theater at Lincoln Center. ... The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Patience (operetta) Patience (video tape cover) Patience (video tape cover) This article refers to the Savoy Opera. ...


The following table shows the history of the D'Oyly Carte productions in Gilbert's lifetime:

Theatre Opening Date Closing Date Perfs. Details
Bijou Theatre, Paignton December 30, 1879 December 30, 1879 1 English copyright performance.
Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York December 31, 1879 March 6, 1880 100 Original run in New York. The company toured the Eastern seaboard between March 8 and May 15. Three other touring companies were launched in January and February 1880.
May 17, 1880 June 5, 1880
Opera Comique April 3, 1880 April 2, 1881 363 Original London run.
Savoy Theatre December 23, 1884 February 14, 1885 ? Series of matinées with a juvenile cast.
Savoy Theatre March 17, 1888 June 6, 1888 80 First professional revival.
Savoy Theatre June 30, 1900 November 5, 1900 127 Second professional revival.
Savoy Theatre December 1, 1908 March 27, 1909 43 Second Savoy repertory season; played with five other operas. (Closing date shown is of the entire season.)

is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This articles section called History of Copyright does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the toll-free telephone number see Toll-free telephone number Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the toll-free telephone number see Toll-free telephone number Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Äž: For the film, see: 1900 (film). ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Historical casting

The following tables show the casts of the principal original productions and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company touring repertory at various times through to the company's 1982 closure:

Role Paignton
1879
New York
1879
Opera Comique
1880
Savoy Theatre
1888
Savoy Theatre
1900
Major-General Richard Mansfield J. H. Ryley George Grossmith George Grossmith Henry Lytton
Pirate King F. Federici Sr. Brocolini Richard Temple Richard Temple Jones Hewson
Samuel G. J. Lackner Furneaux Cook George Temple Richard Cummings W. H. Leon
James John Le Hay role eliminated
Frederic Llewellyn Cadwaladr Hugh Talbot George Power J. G. Robertson Robert Evett
Sergeant Fred Billington Fred Clifton Rutland Barrington Rutland Barrington Walter Passmore
Mabel Emilie Petrelli Blanche Roosevelt Marion Hood Geraldine Ulmar Isabel Jay
Edith Marian May Jessie Bond Julia Gwynne Jessie Bond Lulu Evans
Kate Lena Monmouth Rosina Brandram Lilian La Rue Nellie Kavanagh Alice Coleman
Isabel Kate Neville Billie Barlow Neva Bond Nellie Lawrence Agnes Fraser
Ruth Fanny Harrison Alice Barnett Emily Cross Rosina Brandram Rosina Brandram
Role Savoy Theatre
1908
D'Oyly Carte
1915 Tour
D'Oyly Carte
1925 Tour
D'Oyly Carte
1935 Tour
D'Oyly Carte
1945 Tour
Major-General Charles H. Workman Henry Lytton Henry Lytton Martyn Green Grahame Clifford
Pirate King Henry Lytton Leicester Tunks Darrell Fancourt Darrell Fancourt Darrell Fancourt
Samuel Leo Sheffield Frederick Hobbs Joseph Griffin Richard Walker Hilton Layland
Frederic Henry Herbert Dewey Gibson Charles Goulding John Dean John Dean
Sergeant Rutland Barrington Fred Billington Leo Sheffield Sydney Granville Richard Walker
Mabel Dorothy Court Elsie McDermid Elsie Griffin Kathleen Frances Helen Roberts
Edith Jessie Rose Nellie Briercliffe Eileen Sharp Marjorie Eyre Marjorie Eyre
Kate Beatrice Boarer Betty Grylls Aileen Davies Maisie Baxter Ivy Sanders
Isabel Ethel Lewis Kitty Twinn Hilary Davies Elizabeth Nicell-Lean Maysie Dean
Ruth Louie Rene Bertha Lewis Bertha Lewis Dorothy Gill Ella Halman
Role D'Oyly Carte
1950 Tour
D'Oyly Carte
1958 Tour
D'Oyly Carte
1968 Tour
D'Oyly Carte
1975 Tour
D'Oyly Carte
1982 Tour
Major-General Martyn Green Peter Pratt John Reed James Conroy-Ward Alistair Donkin
Pirate King Darrell Fancourt Donald Adams Donald Adams John Ayldon John Ayldon
Samuel Donald Harris George Cook Alan Styler Jon Ellison Michael Buchan
Frederic Leonard Osborn Thomas Round Philip Potter Colin Wright Meston Reid
Sergeant Richard Watson Kenneth Sandford George Cook Michael Rayner Clive Harre
Mabel Muriel Harding Jean Hindmarsh Valerie Masterson Julia Goss Vivian Tierney
Edith Joan Gillingham Joyce Wright Peggy Ann Jones Patricia Leonard Jill Pert
Kate Joyce Wright Elizabeth Howarth Pauline Wales Caroline Baker Helene Witcombe
Isabel Enid Walsh Jane Fyffe Susan Maisey Rosalind Griffiths Alexandra Hann
Ruth Ella Halman Ann Drummond-Grant Christene Palmer Lyndsie Holland Patricia Leonard

Mansfield was well known as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. ... John Handford Ryley, (c. ... George Grossmith, as illustrated in The Idler magazine, 1897 George Grossmith (December 9, 1847 - March 1, 1912) was an English actor and comic writer, best remembered for his work with Gilbert & Sullivan. ... George Grossmith, as illustrated in The Idler magazine, 1897 George Grossmith (December 9, 1847 - March 1, 1912) was an English actor and comic writer, best remembered for his work with Gilbert & Sullivan. ... Sir Henry Lytton (born London, 3 January 1865, died London 15 August 1936) was the leading exponent of the patter roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century. ... Drawing of Temple as the Pirate King as Arac in Princess Ida Richard Barker Cobb Temple (March 2, 1847–October 19, 1912) was an English opera singer, actor and stage director, best known for his work in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas. ... Drawing of Temple as the Pirate King as Arac in Princess Ida Richard Barker Cobb Temple (March 2, 1847–October 19, 1912) was an English opera singer, actor and stage director, best known for his work in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas. ... John Le Hay was the stage name of John Healy (March 25, 1854 – November 2, 1926) was an Irish-born singer and actor best remembered for his portrayal of the comic baritone roles in the Savoy Operas. ... Hugh Talbot as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance Hugh Talbot (c. ... Robert Evett was a theatre manager and producer. ... Fred Billington, (July 1, 1854 – November 2, 1917) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Rutland Barrington (January 15, 1853 - May 31, 1922) was an English actor, comedian, and musical comedy star, best remembered for his work with Gilbert & Sullivan. ... Rutland Barrington (January 15, 1853 - May 31, 1922) was an English actor, comedian, and musical comedy star, best remembered for his work with Gilbert & Sullivan. ... Walter Passmore (May 10, 1867 – August 29, 1946) was a singer and actor best known as a successor to George Grossmith in the comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Blanche Roosevelt (b. ... Marion Hood (April 1, 1854 - August 14, 1912) was an English operatic soprano in the last decades of the 19th century. ... Geraldine Ulmar, (June 23, 1862 – August 13, 1932) was an American singer and actress, best known for her performances in soprano roles of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Isabel Jay was born in Wandsworth, London, on October 17, 1879. ... Jessie Bond (January 10, 1853–June 17, 1942) was an English singer and actress best known for creating most of the mezzo-soprano soubrette roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. ... Jessie Bond (January 10, 1853–June 17, 1942) was an English singer and actress best known for creating most of the mezzo-soprano soubrette roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. ... Rosina Brandram (July 2, 1846 – February 28, 1907) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her work in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Alice Barnett (May 17, 1846 – April 14, 1901) was an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in contralto roles of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Rosina Brandram (July 2, 1846 – February 28, 1907) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her work in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Rosina Brandram (July 2, 1846 – February 28, 1907) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her work in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Charles H. Workman (May 5, 1873 – May 1, 1923) was a singer and actor best known as a successor to George Grossmith in the comic baritone roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas. ... Sir Henry Lytton (born London, 3 January 1865, died London 15 August 1936) was the leading exponent of the patter roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century. ... Sir Henry Lytton (born London, 3 January 1865, died London 15 August 1936) was the leading exponent of the patter roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century. ... Martyn Green (1899 - 1975) was an actor primarily known for his work in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. ... Grahame Clifford (December 25, 1909? - 19??), was an English opera singer and actor primarily known for his work in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Sir Henry Lytton (born London, 3 January 1865, died London 15 August 1936) was the leading exponent of the patter roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century. ... Darrell Fancourt (March 8, 1886 – August 29, 1953) was an English bass-baritone, known for his performances of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Darrell Fancourt (March 8, 1886 – August 29, 1953) was an English bass-baritone, known for his performances of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Darrell Fancourt (March 8, 1886 – August 29, 1953) was an English bass-baritone, known for his performances of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Leo Sheffield, (November 15, 1873 – September 3, 1951) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Richard Walker, (November 18, 1897 – August 26, 1989) was an English opera singer and actor, best known for his performances in the baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Charles Goulding (c. ... John Dean (September 2, 1897 – March 20, 1990) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... John Dean (September 2, 1897 – March 20, 1990) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Rutland Barrington (January 15, 1853 - May 31, 1922) was an English actor, comedian, and musical comedy star, best remembered for his work with Gilbert & Sullivan. ... Fred Billington, (July 1, 1854 – November 2, 1917) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Leo Sheffield, (November 15, 1873 – September 3, 1951) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Sydney Granville, (1880 – December 27, 1959) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Richard Walker, (November 18, 1897 – August 26, 1989) was an English opera singer and actor, best known for his performances in the baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Elsie Griffin (December 6, 1895 – December 21, 1989) was an English opera singer, best known for her performances in the soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Helen P. Roberts (born November 12, 1975) is a Canadian greek mythology expert. ... Nellie Briercliffe (1889 – December 12, 1966) was an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in the mezzo-soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Marjorie Eyre (1897 – December 3, 1987) was an English opera singer, best known for her performances in the soprano and mezzo-soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Marjorie Eyre (1897 – December 3, 1987) was an English opera singer, best known for her performances in the soprano and mezzo-soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Bertha Lewis (May 22, 1887 – May 8, 1931) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her work as principal contralto in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Bertha Lewis (May 22, 1887 – May 8, 1931) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her work as principal contralto in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Ella Halman, (July 18, 1906 – March 20, 1995) was an English opera singer, best known for her performances in the contralto roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Martyn Green (1899 - 1975) was an actor primarily known for his work in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. ... Peter Pratt (March 21, 1923 – January 11, 1995) was a British actor and bass singer who started his career in the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas but later moved to radio and television work. ... John Reed is an English baritone singer and actor, known for his performances in the comic leads of the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. ... Darrell Fancourt (March 8, 1886 – August 29, 1953) was an English bass-baritone, known for his performances of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Donald Adams (December 20, 1928 – April 8, 1996) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in bass-baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Donald Adams (December 20, 1928 – April 8, 1996) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in bass-baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... John Ayldon (born December 11, 1943) is an English opera singer, best known for his performances in bass-baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... John Ayldon (born December 11, 1943) is an English opera singer, best known for his performances in bass-baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... George Cook, (28 May 1925 – April 1995) was an English opera singer, best known for his performances in bass-baritone and baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Alan Styler (1925 – September 1, 1970) was an English opera singer, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Leonard Osborn (1915 – September 26, 1994) was an English opera singer, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Thomas Round (born October 18, 1915) is a retired English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company, Sadlers Wells Opera (now known as English National Opera), and Gilbert & Sullivan for All. ... Philip Potter (born February 6, 1936) is an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Alexander Meston Reid (March 21, 1945 – October 31, 1993), better known as Meston Reid, was a Scottish opera singer, best known for his performances in tenor roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Richard Watson (1781-1833) was a British Methodist theologian who was one of the most important figures in 19th century Methodism. ... Kenneth Sandford, (June 28, 1924 – September 19, 2004) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... George Cook, (28 May 1925 – April 1995) was an English opera singer, best known for his performances in bass-baritone and baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Valerie Masterson (soprano) was born in Birkenhead and after studying at the Matthay School of Music in Liverpool and the Royal College of Music, she made her debut as Frasquita in Carmen in Salzburg in 1963. ... Joyce Wright (born June 23, 1922) is an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in the mezzo-soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Patricia Leonard, (born c. ... Joyce Wright (born June 23, 1922) is an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in the mezzo-soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Ella Halman, (July 18, 1906 – March 20, 1995) was an English opera singer, best known for her performances in the contralto roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Ann Drummond-Grant (1905 – September 11, 1959) was an English singer and actress, best known for her performances in contralto roles of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Patricia Leonard, (born c. ...

Joseph Papp's Pirates

In 1980, Joseph Papp and the Public Theater of New York City brought a new production of Pirates directed by Wilford Leach to the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, one of the series of Shakespeare in the Park summer events. The show played for 10 previews and 35 performances. It then transferred to Broadway, opening on January 8, 1981 for a run of 20 previews and 787 performances at the Uris and Minskoff Theatres. This take on Pirates earned several Tony Awards, including a Tony Award for Best Revival. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image:RexSmith. ... Linda Marie Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946 in Tucson, Arizona) is a popular vocalist with multiple Grammy Awards, numerous multi-platinum albums, an Emmy Award, a Tony Award nomination who has recorded over 30 studio albums and has made guest appearances on over 100 other albums. ... Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an Academy Award- and Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor. ... The Delacorte Theatre is an open-air theatre located in Manhattans Central Park. ... Joseph Papp (1921 - 1991) was an American theatre producer and director. ... The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization. ... Wilford Leach (August 26, 1929 - June 18, 1988) was a Tony Award-winning American theatre director, set designer, film director, screenwriter, and college professor. ... The Delacorte Theatre is an open-air theatre located in Manhattans Central Park. ... Central Park is a large public, urban park (843 acres, 3. ... Shakespeare in the Park is a concept used across the world, as a form of free public presentation of William Shakespeares works. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The George Gershwin Theatre, located at 222 West 51st Street in New York City, was originally built as the Uris Theatre in 1972. ... The Minskoff Theatre is a Broadway theatre. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... The Tony Award for Best Revival was presented from 1977 until 1994, when it was split up int the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. ...


Compared to traditional productions of the opera, Papp's Pirates featured a more swashbuckling Pirate King and Frederic, and a broader, more musical comedy style of humour. It also featured an adapted orchestration and a number of key changes. The "Matter Patter" trio from Ruddigore and "Sorry her lot" from H.M.S. Pinafore were interpolated. The production also restored Gilbert and Sullivan's original New York ending, with a reprise of the Major-General's song in the Act II finale. Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theater combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Ruddigore, or The Witchs Curse, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: H.M.S. Pinafore H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ...


Linda Ronstadt starred as Mabel, Rex Smith as Frederic, Kevin Kline as the Pirate King, Patricia Routledge as Ruth (replaced by Estelle Parsons for the Broadway transfer), George Rose as the Major-General, and Tony Azito as the Sergeant of Police. Notable replacements during the Broadway run included Pam Dawber, Karla DeVito and Maureen McGovern as Mabel; Robby Benson, Patrick Cassidy and Peter Noone as Frederic; James Belushi, Gary Sandy and Treat Williams as the Pirate King; David Garrison as the Sergeant; George S. Irving as the Major-General; and Kaye Ballard as Ruth. The national tour of the production featured Barry Bostwick as the Pirate King, Jo Anne Worley as Ruth, Clive Revill as the Major-General and Andy Gibb as Frederic. Linda Marie Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946 in Tucson, Arizona) is a popular vocalist with multiple Grammy Awards, numerous multi-platinum albums, an Emmy Award, a Tony Award nomination who has recorded over 30 studio albums and has made guest appearances on over 100 other albums. ... Image:RexSmith. ... Kevin Delaney Kline (born October 24, 1947) is an Academy Award- and Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor. ... Katherine Patricia Routledge CBE (born 17 February 1929) is a Tony Award-winning English actress who is best known to television audiences for her role of Hyacinth Bucket in the television comedy series Keeping Up Appearances. ... Estelle Margaret Parsons (born November 20, 1927 in Marblehead, Massachusetts) is an Academy Award-winning American theater, film and television actress of Jewish descent. ... George Rose (19 February 1920 - 5 May 1988) was a noted British music hall star. ... Tony Azito (July 18, 1948 – May 26, 1995) was an American eccentric dancer and character actor. ... Pam Dawber (born October 18, 1951 in Farmington Hills, Michigan) is an American actress. ... Karla DeVito was born in 1953 in Mokena, Illinois, a small farming town southwest of Chicago, At Loyola University, she majored in theater. ... A former secretary, Maureen McGovern quickly became the new it singer in 1973 with the Oscar-winning Morning After. ... Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal on 21 January 1956) is an American actor. ... Two notable people are named Patrick Cassidy: Patrick Cassidy (born 1956), Irish classical composer. ... Peter Noone (born Peter Blair Dennis Bernard Noone, 5 November 1947, in Davyhulme, Manchester) is an English singer, songwriter, Guitarist, Pianist, and actor. ... James Edgar Belushi (born June 15, 1954) is an American actor, comedian, musician and younger brother of the late comedian John Belushi. ... Gary Sandy as Andy Travis (with Jan Smithers as Bailey Quarters) on WKRP in Cincinnati Gary Sandy (born December 25, 1945 in Dayton, Ohio, USA) is an American actor best known for his starring role as program director Andy Travis on the classic TV sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati. ... Richard Treat Williams (born December 1, 1951 in Rowayton, Connecticut) is an American actor. ... David Garrison (born June 30, 1952 in Long Branch, New Jersey) is an American actor, who played the character Steve Rhoades on the television show, Married. ... George S. Irving (born November 1, 1922) is a Tony Award-winning American actor, known primarily for his character roles on Broadway. ... Kaye Ballard, born Catherine Gloria Balotta on November 20, 1926, in Cleveland, Ohio to an Italian immigrant father, is an actress who has appeared on Broadway and on television. ... Barry Knapp Bostwick (February 24, 1945[1]) is an American actor and singer. ... Jo Anne Worley Jo Anne Worley (born on September 6, 1937) is an American actress. ... Clive Selsby Revill (born April 18, 1930 in Wellington, New Zealand) is an experienced character actor who has made more than 50 films and TV movies and whose work has ranged from theatrical blockbusters to stage classics. ... Andrew Roy Gibb (March 5, 1958 – March 10, 1988) was an English-born Australian singer and teen idol, and the younger brother of Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, also known as the Bee Gees. ...


The production opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, on May 26, 1982 for a run of 601 performances. Notable among the cast were George Cole and Ronald Fraser as the Major-General; Michael Praed and Peter Noone as Frederic; Tim Curry, Oliver Tobias and Paul Nicholas as the Pirate King; Chris Langham as the Sergeant of Police; Pamela Stephenson as Mabel; and Annie Ross as Ruth. Currently home to Lord Of The Rings, the musical. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... George Cole as Arthur Daley in Minder (book cover) George Cole (born April 22, 1925 in Tooting, London, England) is a British actor. ... Ronald Fraser in Too Late The Hero 1970 Ronald Fraser (11 April 1930 – March 13, 1997) was an English character actor who appeared in numerous British films of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s whilst also appearing in many popular TV shows. ... Michael Praed (pronounced , prayd)[1] (né Michael David Prince, born April 1, 1960 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire), a British actor, is probably best known for his role as Robin of Loxley (Robin Hood) in the British television series Robin of Sherwood, which attained cult status worldwide in the 1980s. ... Peter Noone (born Peter Blair Dennis Bernard Noone, 5 November 1947, in Davyhulme, Manchester) is an English singer, songwriter, Guitarist, Pianist, and actor. ... Timothy James Curry (born April 19, 1946) is an English actor, singer and composer, perhaps best known for his role as mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). ... Oliver Tobias (b. ... Official Biography Paul Nicholas became a household favourite with his role as Vince in the BAFTA Award-winning BBC television series Just Good Friends and for LWT’s major drama series Bust for which he was nominated Best Actor. ... Christopher Langham (born 14 April 1949) is a British writer, actor, comedian and as such is most famous for playing MP Hugh Abbot in BBC Four sitcom The Thick of It and as presenter Roy Mallard in People Like Us, first on BBC Radio 4 and later on its transfer... Pamela Stephenson (also known as Pamela Stephenson Connolly) Ph. ... Annie Ross on the cover of the 1958 jazz album Sings a Song with Mulligan. ...


The production was turned into a film (released in 1983), with all of the original Broadway cast reprising their roles, except that Angela Lansbury replaced Estelle Parsons as Ruth. The film was not a success, but, according to the IMDB, this "had nothing to do with the reviews, which were often quite positive. The real problem lay with Universal's decision to release the film simultaneously to SelecTV and to theaters. Theater owners were so angry that they boycotted the film; in the end, only 92 theaters agreed to show it, and it enjoyed a long run at only one of them."[7] The film has been shown occasionally on television. Another film based loosely on the opera, The Pirate Movie, was released during the Broadway run. Angela Lansbury CBE (born October 16, 1925) is a four-time Tony-winning, six-time Golden Globe-winning, three-time Oscar-nominated, and eighteen-time Emmy-nominated English actress. ... SelecTV is an Australian satellite based subscription television broadcasting service headed by CEO Jim Blomfield (previously CEO of FOXTEL). ... The Pirate Movie is a 1982 musical and comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Christopher Atkins and Kristy McNichol. ...

Opera Australia's 2007 touring production, with Anthony Warlow as the Pirate King
Opera Australia's 2007 touring production, with Anthony Warlow as the Pirate King

The production design has been widely imitated in other modern productions of Pirates, even where traditional orchestration and standard score are used. Many modern productions are also influenced by the popular Disney film franchise Pirates of the Caribbean. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow during their concert tour The Main Event (CD) Anthony Warlow (born November 18, 1961) in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, is an Australian star of opera and musical theatre. ... Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a theme park ride, a series of films and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. ...

Cultural impact

Pirates is one of the most frequently referenced works of Gilbert and Sullivan. The Major-General's Song, in particular, is frequenly parodied, pastiched and used in advertising. Its challenging patter has proved interesting to comics, notably as Tom Lehrer's song, The Elements, and it is used in film and on television, unchanged in many instances, as a character's audition piece, or seen in a "school play" scene. A few examples include: In the past 125 years, Gilbert and Sullivan have pervasively influenced popular culture in the English-speaking world. ... Henry Lytton as the Major-General The Major-Generals Song is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivans 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. ... The word pastiche describes a literary or other artistic genre. ... The patter song is a staple of comic opera: a solo, typically for bass or baritone, typically delivered very quickly to a kind of sing-song tune. ... Thomas Andrew (Tom) Lehrer (born April 9, 1928) is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician. ... The Elements (1959) is a song by musical humorist Tom Lehrer which recites the names of all the chemical elements known at the time of writing, up to number 102, nobelium. ...

  • In Animaniacs, Yakko Warner, in the episode "H.M.S. Yakko," sings the famous pastiche, "I am the very model of a cartoon individual";
  • The computer-animated series ReBoot ended its third season with a recap of the entire season, set to the song's tune;
  • In the Doctor Who Big Finish Productions audio, Doctor Who and the Pirates, the Doctor sings, "I am the very model of a Gallifreyan buccaneer" (and other songs, from Pirates, Pinafore and Ruddigore, are parodied);
  • The Muppet Show (season 3, episode 61)[8] staged a duet of the song with guest host and commedienne Gilda Radner and a six-foot tall talking carrot (The scene bore an ironic parody to another scene in Pirates, as Radner had requested a six-foot tall talking parrot, but was misheard);
  • David Hyde Pierce's monologue, as host of Saturday Night Live, was a parody of the song;
  • In the episode of Frasier titled Fathers and Sons, Frasier, Niles, and Leland Barton sing the first verse of the song. Martin, hearing them, tries to join in, but instead confuses the lyrics, singing something about a "scary hippopotamus" (instead of "the square of a hypotenuse");
  • In The Wild Thornberrys episode "Sir Nigel," Nigel Thornberry sings a song about the family to the tune of the song;
  • In a VeggieTales episode entitled "The Wonderful World of Auto-Tainment", Archibald Asparagus sings the first two verses of this song when asked to sing about "Military Intelligence";
  • In the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip episode "The Cold Open" (2006), the cast performs a sketch including a parody of the song: "We'll be the very model of a modern network TV show"; and
  • In an episode of Pinky and The Brain, The Brain sings a typically megalomaniacal parody of the song.

Other songs from the show that have been used frequently include the chorus of With cat-like tread, which begins "Come, friends, who plough the sea," which was used in the popular American song, "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," popularized by Fred Astaire. The song was also pastiched in an episode of Animaniacs in a song about surfing a whale. This article is about the television series. ... Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, also known as The Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister), are three fictional cartoon characters featured on the animated series Animaniacs. ... ReBoot was a CGI animated series that was produced by Canadian production company, Mainframe Entertainment, and created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace, with the visuals designed by Brendan McCarthy after an initial attempt by Ian Gibson. ... For other uses, see Doctor Who (disambiguation). ... Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces audio plays released straight to compact disc, based on British cult science fiction properties. ... Doctor Who and the Pirates is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Ruddigore, or The Witchs Curse, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... The Muppet Show was a television program featuring a cast of Muppets (diverse hand-operated puppets, typically with oversized eyes and large moving mouths) produced by Jim Henson and his team from 1976 to 1981. ... Gilda Susan Radner (28 June 1946 – 20 May 1989) was an American comedienne and actress, best known for her five years as part of the original cast of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. ... David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is a Tony Award and Emmy Award-winning American actor, best known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the sitcom Frasier. ... This article is about the American television series. ... Frasier is an American sitcom starring Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane. ... The Wild Thornberrys was an American animated television series. ... VeggieTales is a series of childrens computer animated films featuring humorous, anthropomorphic vegetables and conveying moral themes compatible with and often based on Christianity and Judaism. ... Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe Award nominated American television Comedy-drama series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. ... This article describes both the animated television series, and the characters from that series. ... Hail! Hail! The gangs all here! is a song made famous by Fred Astaire. ... Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... This article is about the television series. ...


Other notable instances of references to Pirates include a New York Times article on 29 February 1940, memorializing that Frederic was finally out of his indentures. Six years previously, the arms granted to the municipal borough of Penzance in 1934 contain a pirate dressed in Gilbert's original costuming, and Penzance had a rugby team called the Penzance Pirates, which is now called the Cornish Pirates. Isaac Asimov wrote a short story called "The Year of the Action", concerning whether the action of Pirates took place on March 1, 1873, or March 1, 1877. That is, did Gilbert take into account the fact that 1900 was not a leap year? The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... February 29 is a day added into a leap year of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Penzance Harbour and surrounding area as seen from the air Penzance (Cornish: Pensans) is a civil parish and port town in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, UK. Granted various Royal Charters from 1512 onwards and incorporated in 1614,[2] it has a population of 21,168[1] people and... The Cornish Pirates are a professional rugby union team who play in National Division One, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920?[1] – April 6, 1992), IPA: , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов) was a Russian-born American Jewish author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ...


Film references to Pirates include Kate and Leopold, where there are multiple references, including a scene where Leopold sings "I Am The Very Model of A Modern Major General" while accompanying himself on the piano; and in Pretty Woman, Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) covered a social gaff by prostitute Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts), who said that the opera La Traviata was so good that she almost "peed in [her] pants" by saying that she had said that she liked it almost as much as "The Pirates of Penzance." In Walt Disney's cartoon Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004), there is a performance of The Pirates of Penzance that becomes the setting for the climactic battle between the Musketeers and Captain Pete. Kate & Leopold is a 2001 motion picture that tells a story of Duke who time travels from 1876 to the present and falls in love with a career woman in New York. ... Pretty Woman is a 1990 American romantic comedy motion picture. ... Richard Tiffany Gere[1] (born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. ... Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American film actress and former fashion model. ... La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. ... Alternate meanings: Disney (disambiguation) The Walt Disney Company (also known as Disney Enterprises, Inc. ... Black Pete (also known by countless other names, including Peg-Leg Pete and, simply, Pete) is a fictional character from the Walt Disney Company stables. ...


In the TV series, The West Wing, "The Pirates of Penzance" and other Gilbert & Sullivan plays are mentioned, in particular by Deputy Communications Director, Sam Seaborn, who was once recording secretary of the Gilbert and Sullivan society in school. In Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, a poster from "The Pirates of Penzance" hangs on Matt Albie's (Matthew Perry) office wall. “The West Wing” redirects here. ... Samuel Norman Sam Seaborn is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. ... Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe Award nominated American television Comedy-drama series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. ... Matthew Perry may be: Matthew Perry (1794-1858), American naval officer. ...


The show is referred to in video games. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a casino is called "Pirates in Men’s Pants", a crude play on Pirates of Penzance. The opera has also lent itself to other cultural references, such as the unlikely slang used by Melbournian youths, who refer to marijuana as "Pirates of Penzance" or the "Gilbert & Sullivan Special." Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ...


Adaptations

Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... Created in 1955, the Drama Desk Award was created to recognize Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows in addition to Broadway shows. ... Opera della Luna, founded in 1994, is a British touring theatre troupe of singers and comedians. ... The Pirate Movie is a 1982 musical and comedy film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Christopher Atkins and Kristy McNichol. ... In 1959 an organization, the Goodspeed Musicals, was formed to restore the old Goodspeed Opera House, located in East Haddam, Connecticut, to its original Victorian appearance and elegance. ... East Haddam is a town located in Middlesex County, Connecticut. ... Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Largest metro area Hartford Area  Ranked 48th  - Total 5,543[2] sq mi (14,356 km²)  - Width 70 miles (113 km)  - Length 110 miles (177 km)  - % water 12. ... Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theatre located in Millburn, New Jersey, less than 25 miles away from Manhattan. ... Map of Millburn Township in Essex County Millburn is a township located in Essex County, New Jersey. ... “NJ” redirects here. ... Advertising flyer for The Queensland Ballet for Pirates of Penzance - The Ballet! Pirates of Penzance - The Ballet! (originally called Pirates! The Ballet) is a comic ballet which was adapted from the Gilbert and Sullivan Savoy Opera The Pirates of Penzance. The plot remains the same as for the operetta. ...

See also

Henry Lytton as the Major-General The Major-Generals Song is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivans 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. ...

Notes

  1. ^ Information from the Savoyoperas.org website
  2. ^ a b Prestige, Colin. "D'Oyly Carte and the Pirates", a paper presented at the International Conference of G&S held at the University of Kansas, May 1970
  3. ^ Article about international copyright pirating, focusing on Gilbert, Sullivan and Carte's efforts
  4. ^ Article on the pirating of G&S operas (and other works) and the development of performance copyrights
  5. ^ In medieval times and later, however, Penzance was subject to frequent raiding by Turkish pirates, according to Canon Diggens Archive 1910.
  6. ^ Information from NY City Opera website
  7. ^ Information from the IMDB database
  8. ^ "tv.com link" Information on Muppet Show from TV.com

The University of Kansas (often referred to as KU) is an institution of higher learning in Lawrence, Kansas. ...

References

  • Gänzl, Kurt (1986). The British Musical Theatre—Volume I, 1865–1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 
  • Rollins, Cyril; R. John Witts (1962). The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in Gilbert and Sullivan Operas: A Record of Productions, 1875–1961. London: Michael Joseph.  Also, five supplements, privately printed.

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Gilbert and Sullivan
The Triumvirate:
W. S. Gilbert | Arthur Sullivan | Richard D'Oyly Carte
The Gilbert and Sullivan Operas:
ThespisTrial by JuryThe SorcererH.M.S. PinaforeThe Pirates of PenzancePatienceIolanthePrincess Ida
The MikadoRuddigoreThe Yeomen of the GuardThe GondoliersUtopia, LimitedThe Grand Duke
Other Works, People and Related Matters:
Other Works by W. S. Gilbert • Other Operas by Arthur Sullivan • Other Music by Arthur Sullivan
People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan • Gilbert and Sullivan performers • Cultural influence of Gilbert and Sullivan

  Results from FactBites:
 
The Pirates of Penzance (film) - Quotations (797 words)
The Pirates of Penzance is a 1983 film adaptation of the Gilbert and Sullivan operatta of the same name, with some updates for modern American audiences.
The plot revolves around the dutiful Frederic and his attempt to break away from the band of pirates he was mistakenly apprenticed to as a boy.
The Pirate King: We are all single gentlemen.
Pirates - welcome to Pirate Of Penzance (1986 words)
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Movie review of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl DVD written for Future Movies. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is directed by Gore Verbinski and staring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce.
The Scotsman - Scotland - Fun-filled Voyage For Chamber Orchestra’s Pirates
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