THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
Auditions
will be held on 5, 6 November 2011, at Te Whaea (National
School of Dance and Drama), 11 Hutchison Rd, Newtown. No
roles have been pre-cast; all are available for
audition. Additional audition calls
and recalls may be held as
necessary - please enquire for an alternate date if necessary. Rehearsals will commence in April/May 2012. The work includes the principal roles as set out below, and a chorus of 30 is required which will include opportunities for role covers.
Southward Theatre Kapiti 18 August
Royal Wanganui Opera House 25 August
Regent, Palmerston North 1 September
Wellington Opera House 8,12,14,15 September
The Creative Team from WGSLO's very successful 2011 production returns for Pirates in 2012.
PIRATES is a farce, and will be a romp reminiscent of Trial By Jury. but with no time to sit down! It will be an action-packed production under the direction of the same creative team as this year. If you were fortunate enough to enjoy this year’s production of Trial by Jury and HMS Pinafore you will find more of what you liked, in 2012. As one critic wrote: So, with talent enough among the performers to burn, the traditional double-bill was a great success, reminding one of a number of things – the genius of the work’s creators (too readily taken for granted), the renewability of great music (able to enchant at each hearing), the excitement of live performance (with attendant thrills and spills), and the stunning clarity of the Wellington Opera House’s stage acoustic (every word sung with good diction as clear as a bell – such a joy!). The G&S Society can, in my opinion, be proud of their ”latest” – moments in time well worth the shared enjoyment! (Link to review website)
THE PIRATES of PENZANCE – Brief Synopsis:
In The Pirates of Penzance, Frederic was as a child apprenticed to a band of tenderhearted, orphaned aristocratic pirates by his nurse, who being hard of hearing, had mistaken her master's instructions to apprentice the boy to a pilot. Frederic, upon completing his 21st year, rejoices that he has fulfilled his indentures and is now free to return to respectable society. But it turns out that he was born on February 29 in leap year, and he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. By the end of the opera, the pirates, a Major General who knows nothing of military strategy, his large family of beautiful but unwed daughters, and a timid constabulary all contribute to a cacophony that can be silenced only by reverence for Queen Victoria's name.
Gilbert takes British institutions down a peg with his inimitable wit whilst Sullivan uses a wide range of musical styles to complement the action, sending up the melodrama of other operatic works without plagiarising them, in a very tuneful and appealing way.
(Link to full Synopsis)
(Link to Libretto)
(Link to a public domain Vocal Score)
General Reference Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirates_of_Penzance
http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/pirates/html/index.html
THE PIRATES of PENZANCE – The Cast:
MAJOR-GENERAL STANLEY: Baritone RUTH (a Piratical maid of all work) Contralto
THE PIRATE KING: Bass/baritone General Stanley’s Daughters:
SAMUEL (his lieutenant): Baritone MABEL; Coloratura soprano to top C
FREDERIC (a Pirate Apprentice) : Tenor EDITH: Mezzo soprano
SERGEANT OF POLICE: Bass KATE: Contralto
ISABEL: Speaking role
Chorus of Pirates, Policemen, Daughters, Governesses, Nurses.
SYNOPSIS:
The production opens in a den of pirates located on the Cornish
coast of Britain. Here a small band of pirates is drinking a round to Frederic,
one of their apprentices, who completes his apprenticeship at noon, half an hour
away, to become a full fledged pirate. Frederic has a secret to reveal though
noting he must leave the band after completion of his duty though by revealing
the reasons he would unduly burden another in the band. Ruth, a female servant
of the band, steps forward and reveals it is her and tells her story. When
Frederic was a child, his father sought to have him apprenticed to a "pilot" in
the harbor so that he may make a career out of going to sea. He sent Ruth, a
nurse, with the child to do such but she mistakenly confused the word "pilot"
with "pirate" bringing Frederic to the pirates for as an apprentice to sign on
until his 21st birthday. Ruth reveals she was too embarrassed by her error that
she could not face Frederic's father and right the situation so she too signed
on with the band.
That day having come, Frederic notes it is his duty to leave at the expiration of his contract in half an hour and that he would be obligated to reveal the band, though he wished he did not have to. The Pirate King reminds Frederic he is still under contract for half an hour and asks why the band cannot make a profit from piracy. Frederic relays to the band that their major problem is being compassionate pirates. They themselves claim to be orphans and therefore sympathize with orphans by releasing the orphans on the ships they capture and their treasure with it. Frederic notes that the word has gotten around and every ship they capture claims to have a crew of orphans as a result.
Ruth is told she will accompany Frederic as he departs while Frederic relays worries about finding a woman to wed. Soon the time comes and Frederic makes a final effort to convince the pirates to give up piracy. A refusal follows and Frederic and Ruth depart.
Asking Ruth for advice on what to look for in women, he questions her about her own beauty. She seemingly deceives him as a group of women come hiking along the cliffs prompting Frederic to bitterly criticize her before she departs. Frederic observes as the girls fill in to the ocean side spot. He emerges admitting to be a former pirate and asking if any will marry him. All but Mabel, one of the girls, refuse. Mabel and Frederic enter the cave alone to converse while deciding to marry but the pirates return, jealous, and claim each of the other girls for a wife. At this time it is announced that the girls are daughters of Major General Stanley who at that time makes a very notable entrance. The Pirate King informs Stanley of the marriages as the daughters reveal that they are being coerced into it by the pirates. In witty comment the General objects to having pirates as in-laws as the pirates do to having a Major General as an in-law. Stanley, threatened by the prospect of the pirates forcing the weddings without his consent, lies to the pirates claiming to be an orphan, for he has heard about the pirates's weakness as well. The pirates then have no choice but to free everyone.
Call (04) 389 9271 with any enquiries, and to book an audition time.
This
production, which will be fully staged and accompanied by 28 players of
the WGSLO orchestra, will open on 18 August 2012 and will
tour to regional centres north of Wellington by bus to present
Saturday-only performances, with dates (co-ordinated with the NBR NZO calls) as follows:Southward Theatre Kapiti 18 August
Royal Wanganui Opera House 25 August
Regent, Palmerston North 1 September
Wellington Opera House 8,12,14,15 September
The Creative Team from WGSLO's very successful 2011 production returns for Pirates in 2012.
PIRATES is a farce, and will be a romp reminiscent of Trial By Jury. but with no time to sit down! It will be an action-packed production under the direction of the same creative team as this year. If you were fortunate enough to enjoy this year’s production of Trial by Jury and HMS Pinafore you will find more of what you liked, in 2012. As one critic wrote: So, with talent enough among the performers to burn, the traditional double-bill was a great success, reminding one of a number of things – the genius of the work’s creators (too readily taken for granted), the renewability of great music (able to enchant at each hearing), the excitement of live performance (with attendant thrills and spills), and the stunning clarity of the Wellington Opera House’s stage acoustic (every word sung with good diction as clear as a bell – such a joy!). The G&S Society can, in my opinion, be proud of their ”latest” – moments in time well worth the shared enjoyment! (Link to review website)
THE PIRATES of PENZANCE – Brief Synopsis:
In The Pirates of Penzance, Frederic was as a child apprenticed to a band of tenderhearted, orphaned aristocratic pirates by his nurse, who being hard of hearing, had mistaken her master's instructions to apprentice the boy to a pilot. Frederic, upon completing his 21st year, rejoices that he has fulfilled his indentures and is now free to return to respectable society. But it turns out that he was born on February 29 in leap year, and he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. By the end of the opera, the pirates, a Major General who knows nothing of military strategy, his large family of beautiful but unwed daughters, and a timid constabulary all contribute to a cacophony that can be silenced only by reverence for Queen Victoria's name.
Gilbert takes British institutions down a peg with his inimitable wit whilst Sullivan uses a wide range of musical styles to complement the action, sending up the melodrama of other operatic works without plagiarising them, in a very tuneful and appealing way.
(Link to full Synopsis)
(Link to Libretto)
(Link to a public domain Vocal Score)
General Reference Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirates_of_Penzance
http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/pirates/html/index.html
THE PIRATES of PENZANCE – The Cast:
MAJOR-GENERAL STANLEY: Baritone RUTH (a Piratical maid of all work) Contralto
THE PIRATE KING: Bass/baritone General Stanley’s Daughters:
SAMUEL (his lieutenant): Baritone MABEL; Coloratura soprano to top C
FREDERIC (a Pirate Apprentice) : Tenor EDITH: Mezzo soprano
SERGEANT OF POLICE: Bass KATE: Contralto
ISABEL: Speaking role
Chorus of Pirates, Policemen, Daughters, Governesses, Nurses.
SYNOPSIS:
That day having come, Frederic notes it is his duty to leave at the expiration of his contract in half an hour and that he would be obligated to reveal the band, though he wished he did not have to. The Pirate King reminds Frederic he is still under contract for half an hour and asks why the band cannot make a profit from piracy. Frederic relays to the band that their major problem is being compassionate pirates. They themselves claim to be orphans and therefore sympathize with orphans by releasing the orphans on the ships they capture and their treasure with it. Frederic notes that the word has gotten around and every ship they capture claims to have a crew of orphans as a result.
Ruth is told she will accompany Frederic as he departs while Frederic relays worries about finding a woman to wed. Soon the time comes and Frederic makes a final effort to convince the pirates to give up piracy. A refusal follows and Frederic and Ruth depart.
Asking Ruth for advice on what to look for in women, he questions her about her own beauty. She seemingly deceives him as a group of women come hiking along the cliffs prompting Frederic to bitterly criticize her before she departs. Frederic observes as the girls fill in to the ocean side spot. He emerges admitting to be a former pirate and asking if any will marry him. All but Mabel, one of the girls, refuse. Mabel and Frederic enter the cave alone to converse while deciding to marry but the pirates return, jealous, and claim each of the other girls for a wife. At this time it is announced that the girls are daughters of Major General Stanley who at that time makes a very notable entrance. The Pirate King informs Stanley of the marriages as the daughters reveal that they are being coerced into it by the pirates. In witty comment the General objects to having pirates as in-laws as the pirates do to having a Major General as an in-law. Stanley, threatened by the prospect of the pirates forcing the weddings without his consent, lies to the pirates claiming to be an orphan, for he has heard about the pirates's weakness as well. The pirates then have no choice but to free everyone.
Act
II opens with Stanley in deep mental anguish for betraying his honor by
lying to the pirates. He is found by Mabel and Frederic at the cemetery
on his estate. He complains that he betrayed his ancestors honour only
to be reminded that he bought the estate from another family little
more than a year prior. Stanley then relates that he considers the
entombed, whom he does not know, to be ancestors by virtue of
his purchase of the property. Mabel and Frederic then turn to
preparing the police under a rather incompetent and cowardly leadership
into raiding the pirates for it is now Frederics' duty. An
interruption comes as Ruth and the Pirate King arrive and
reveal that Frederic is still bound to his contract due to a
detail: Frederic was born on February 29 on a leap year and therefore
has only had five birthdays rather than the 21 required by his
apprentice contract. Bound by honour and duty, Frederic is forced to
leave Mabel and rejoin the pirates. Further, Frederic reveals out of
duty that Stanley lied about being an orphan. The Pirate King
furiously declares that he will raid Stanley's estate that night
Soon afterwards the police and the pirates confront each
other. A short battle results with the pirates winning. Stanley
is captured and set to be executed until the Sergeant of Police invokes
allegiance to Queen Victoria and events turn. All declare
allegiance to Queen Victoria. This oath reveals to the police that the
pirates are loyal Britons. The pirates reveal that they are not orphans
but rather old nobles who have gone bad. They renounce piracy
and the weddings proceed with General Stanley's blessing.