It may seem like a stretch to mention the Broadway blockbuster Hamilton and Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance in the same sentence, but there are indisputable similarities. On a fundamental level, American musical theater owes its origin to the operetta, a genre that grew out of the mid- and late-19th-century opera comique. More revealing, however, is that Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer, lyricist, and star of Hamilton, was cast as the Pirate King in a ninth-grade production of Pirates—he’s said that the applause he received was a career catalyst. Even more to the point, Miranda allows the character of George Washington in Hamilton to describe himself as “the model of a modern major general,” a direct reference to the rapid-fire (and rap-like) patter song delivered by the character of Major-General Stanley in Pirates.
Knoxville audiences have the opportunity to consider other possible similarities between the two next week as Knoxville Opera brings a production of The Pirates of Penzance to the stage of the Tennessee Theatre for two performances. Although the operetta was staged by KO as recently as March 2010, this production will feature a completely different cast and director, and a fresh take on classic Gilbert and Sullivan.
“Pirates is a bit like [La] Bohème, in that each production is a whole new adventure because it’s about the relationships between the singers,” explains stage director Brian Deedrick, who will be staging all three KO productions this season, including February’s La Bohème. “Pirates is loved, loved, loved, because it’s silly, it’s whimsical, it’s a way to step out of your world for a couple of hours and just put your brain on hold.”
That whimsy and silliness begins with Gilbert’s joke in the operetta’s title. Penzance is a sleepy little resort town on the Cornwall coast—not an ideal spot for vicious pirates, but certainly one suitable for those intent on comic irony. Gilbert and Sullivan’s pirates also possess the comic flaw of having a soft spot for orphans and a reluctance to attack anyone weaker than themselves.
Many modern productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas—like Pirates, The Mikado, or H.M.S. Pinafore—often insert contemporary sight gags and timely social references. Deedrick believes it’s just not necessary, at least not for this production.
“When you are doing Gilbert and Sullivan these days, there is still an element of tongue even more firmly planted in cheek,” he says. “And it was tongue in cheek when it was written, so you got an extra layer in 2016. Upper English twits, thanks to shows like Downton Abbey, are now a part of our vocabulary.”
The two male leads, both of whom appeared in the recent productions of Elixir of Love and H.M.S Pinafore, will be familiar to Knoxville Opera audiences. Baritone Sean Anderson will sing the role of the Pirate King, with tenor Joshua Kohl taking the role of the young pirate apprentice Frederic. Frederic’s love interest, Mabel, will be sung by soprano Claire Coolen, making her KO debut.
In the role of Major-General Stanley will be baritone Robert Orth, making a return to KO after an absence of 23 years. Orth’s previous appearance was in a 1993 production of Die Fledermaus.
“Robert Orth is a North American legend,” Deedrick says. “What a great and funny guy—a singer who has a history of over 40 years in opera.”
“For traditional operagoers, there is some truly beautiful music in The Pirates of Penzance,” Deedrick concludes. “It’s no wonder that Arthur Sullivan was disappointed he never received the full respect he deserved as a composer, simply because he was composing for comedy. For first-timers, there’s everything from Monte Python’s Flying Circus to sending up Downton Abbey to elements of Saturday Night Live. It’s a way to step away from the Clinton-Trump election, or from hurricanes, for two and a half hours, and have a good time.”
Knoxville Opera presents The Pirates of Penzance at the Tennessee Theatre on Friday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 23, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $21-$99.
Alan Sherrod has been writing about Knoxville’s vibrant classical music scene since 2007. In 2010, he won a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts—the Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera—under the auspices of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He also operates his own blogs, Classical Journal and Arts Knoxville.
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