Is that the Gilbert & Sullivan version, or a Hollywood-like remake?
Can’t stand the Victorian imperialist rubbish, myself.
A very light-hearted take on G&S.
As I mentioned above, I saw it twice on stage, It was set in Victorian times, but updated in every other respect. The movie (which is pretty much a slightly edited version of the stage production) misses the visceral performer/audience relationship.
The Broadway cast recording was released on CD.
The video is from the original Central Park production. It doesn’t feature Linda Ronstadt, but it was the highlight of the show. The Pirate King is Kevin Kline. I love the orchestral arrangement, especially the quote from the 1812 Overture.
By no means representative of her output but I’m a sucker for “What’s New”. A firm favourite for 30+ years.
But that’s what makes her unique. After a decade of pop/rock stardom, she started to explore a range of musical. She followed “Pirates” with Mimi in “La Boheme.” I didn’t see the production, but the reviews suggested that was a bridge to far.
Big mistake! G&S at its very worst. Eugh!
Frank Rich of The New York Times disagrees:
LAST night Joseph Papp’s production of ‘‘The Pirates of Penzance’’ sailed into the Uris, and, yes, it is every bit as wonderful on Broadway in January as it was in Central Park in July. It may even be more wonderful.
. . .
Perhaps it seems irrational to be thrown into ecstasy by a centuryold Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. . . . W.S. Gilbert’s Dickensian plot - which often revolves around mistaken word identities (‘‘pirate’’ for ‘‘pilot,’’ ‘‘often’’ for ‘‘orphan’’) - is the quintessence of silly. . . .
. . . .
But the more one looks at it, the more one realizes that this production is far more than the sum of its parts.
This show’s totally assured tone -funny yet not campy, sweet yet not soupy - is what brings its diverse elements together.
Other reviews were equally enthusiastic. It was nominated for 7 Tony Awards and won 3: Best Revival, Best Director, and Best Actor (Kline). And it ran for just short of two years. I wonder if any other production of “Pirates” has done that.
FWIW, this Japanese edition double CD is the best I’ve come across. Linda Ronstadt: The Collection
46 tracks. Taken from pristine masters.
Quite. It was a near parody version and disastrous in many respects. Well done to the previous poster for finding the positive review but it was generally and quite rightly slaughtered as being just awful. I have seen far better amateur productions all over the UK.
Ordered that👍
Your source for this? As I mentioned above it was nominated for 7 Tony Awards and won 3 (including Best Revival). It was also nominated for 8 Drama Desk Awards (winning 5 including Outstanding Musical), and won an Outer Critics Circle Award (Outstanding Revival), and a Theater World Award (for Rex Smith).
The film, which I found less successful than the stage version, still managed an 81% positive score from critics and an 83% positive score from audience members.
And it’s great fun.
And to prove it, I’ll post one more video. I presume Kevin Kline included in his contract that he get a patter song. Alas, G&S didn’t write one for the Pirate King. So the production borrowed one from “Ruddigore.”
You have presumably watched it, to know this?
I can’t see a ‘Japanese’ version of this, everywhere I’ve looked (inc Discogs) show it as a Rhino UK (music club) release.
Have you got any more details please?
It may be my mistake (I’m now sure it is after digging out the disc). When I bought it many many years ago, it was certainly only available in Japan at that time. Very possible that it was simply released here first and not a Japanese only release. I see mine was released by in Japan by Demon Music Group of the UK, pressed in the EU and released Japan 2010.
I can see a 2011 UK release that looks identical. I assume that is what you have found.
Thats the one i picked up the other day….Rhino records.