By Mary Ann Bourbeau
Avast ye mateys! It’s no April Fools’ joke – “The Pirates of Penzance” is returning to the Spring Lake Theatre beginning April 1.
This is the fourth time the theater is presenting the Gilbert and Sullivan classic. Pat Barry first produced the outlandish Victorian operetta back in 1982.
“It was a fabulous success on Broadway, and the play was in public domain with no licensing restrictions,” said Barry.
The theater’s production team assembled graduate students from Westminster Choir College to fill the roles. With only 13 days, they built a set, created costumes and rehearsed the show.
“We were a much smaller operation back then,” said Barry. “But it was a great big hit! It was sold out. We had people wrapped around the block.”
It was the turning point for what was then a relatively new theater company that only produced one summer musical each year. It soon became a thriving venue with six major Broadway-quality productions as well as a children’s theater and dance academy. “Pirates” was staged again in 1987 and 2002. Barry and the rest of the board thought this season, as the world recovers from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the right time to bring it back.
“I thought it would be a fun and joyful thing to make people happy,” she said. “It’s also our first show where we don’t require masks in the audience. We’ve been lucky – not a single person in our cast has tested positive.”
The costumes are rich, detailed in hues to match the grand set, which resembles a 19th century opera house.
“The costumes are incredible and the set is just stunning,” said Barry.
“Pirates” tells the story of Frederic, a junior pirate who plans to mark his 21st birthday by breaking free from the Pirate King and courting the beautiful Mabel. But because he was born on Feb. 29, a date that only arrives every fourth year, Frederic isn’t technically 21.
Kerry White is directing the cast of 30, who are all having fun with the material.
“There’s been a lot of playing around, with the actors making the roles their own and even funnier,” she said. “The show is hysterical, with start to finish laughs. People who don’t know “The Pirates of Penzance” might be intimidated by an operetta, but they shouldn’t be. It’s the silliest thing ever.”
Many Spring Lake Theatre veteran actors are involved, including Paul Schiavone, who plays the Modern Major General, Andrew Ferrie as Frederick, Rebecca Madeira as Mabel and Leo Weismantel as the charismatic Pirate King.
“Leo is phenomenal,” said White. “He knows the show backward and forward. He is a big presence and such a joy to work with. Paul is wonderful too. He’s been in so many productions, starting when he was a kid. He’s very funny. Any little bit I throw at him, he runs with it.”
The cast also includes Laurett Gannon, Anthony Preuster, Steven Copp, Claudia Noto, Grace Allison and Cosette Lyncheski. Beth Moore and Teddy Kernizen provide musical direction.
Choreography is by Christine Baglivio; set and lighting design is by Andrew Dagostino.
“We felt this was the perfect time to bring “The Pirates of Penzance” back to our stage, to allow people to enjoy the show’s pure joy and fun and provide a temporary escape to what is happening in the world,” said Barry. “Give yourself a few hours to sit back and enjoy the beauty from a much simpler time. We are positive that no one will be disappointed.”
“The Pirates of Penzance” runs from April 1-10, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling 732-449-4530 or visiting springlaketheatre.com.
The article originally appeared in the March 31 – April 6, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
