'Pirates! The Penzance Musical' Broadway review — classic comedy becomes Mardi Gras extravaganza
Read our review of Pirates! The Penzance Musical on Broadway, a jazz-infused Pirates of Penzance revival starring David Hyde Pierce, Ramin Karimloo, and Jinkx Monsoon.
The pirates of Penzance have once again made land on Broadway, but things are a little different this time. For one thing, these pirates (with an exclamation mark!) are not from Penzance. Instead, they prowl the waters of New Orleans, and they have the tunes to show for it. Rupert Holmes's adaptation, titled Pirates! The Penzance Musical, infuses the Gilbert and Sullivan classic with jazzy beats, Caribbean influences, and all the celebration of Mardi Gras.
Pirates! The Penzance Musical comes with a stacked cast and a nearly 150-year history of Broadway adaptations. With such an iconic piece of theatre, any change is bound to stir the pot. But perhaps what makes this version such a smash is that at its core, it’s exactly what Gilbert and Sullivan created the original to be: a fun, silly, nonsensical laugh with the lightest plot and a great big happy ending to wrap it all up.
As for the stacked cast, this production sure has got 'em and knows how to use 'em. Ramin Karimloo leaps into action as the Pirate King with a voice to bring the house down and the athletics to match. His chemistry with Jinkx Monsoon as Ruth, the pirates’ resident maid, makes them a formidable pair.
Monsoon is a scene-stealer, embodying Ruth with a playful sexuality that doesn't work on Nicholas Barasch’s Frederic. Despite Frederic’s indifference, however, she lights up every scene she’s in. For his part, Barasch’s clear, bright voice and earnest portrayal in a musical full of farce only enhances just how much of a square Frederic is, and we love him for it.
But the perfect foil to them all is David Hyde Pierce as Major-General Stanley. His killer comedic timing delivers a deadpan general who would be right at home on Frasier’s couch. He is prude to Mabel’s (Samantha Williams) refreshing coquettishness, curt to Frederic’s sweetness, and restrained to the delightfully over-the-top performances from Karimloo and Monsoon. One of the adaptation’s many tweaks is to add in “The Nightmare Song” from G&S’s Iolanthe, giving Pierce one more song with which to bewitch us with his speedy patter — not to mention for the rest of the cast to get in some more of Warren Carlyle’s hypnotic choreography.
Most of Pirates! follows the original plot until the end, where the revelation that they’re all immigrants, rather than aristocrats, brings everyone together. It’s pretty sappy, but no more so than G&S’s original ending, and Pierce’s matter–of-fact delivery elicited cheers and applause in my audience. Thoughtfully and lovingly updated for a modern audience, there’s something for everyone in this production. There’s a sense that the cast is having so much fun that they would do this every night even without an audience. We’re just lucky they decided to sell tickets.
Pirates! The Penzance Musical summary
Set in the 1880s, Pirates! The Penzance Musical transports Gilbert and Sullivan’s beloved characters to New Orleans. Young Frederic is about to turn 21 and be released from his indenture to the Pirate King (here named Santiago du Bouchard). Despite his love for the pirates who raised him, he vows to change paths and become a law-abiding citizen.
But as soon as he and his nursemaid Ruth set foot in the Big Easy, Frederic and the pirates become enchanted by the beautiful daughters of Major-General Stanley. Frederic’s love for Mabel Stanley and his duty to the pirates collide when his father figure du Bouchard and hopeful father-in-law-to-be Stanley find themselves at war.
What to expect at Pirates! The Penzance Musical
It may not be your mother’s (or your great-grandmother’s) Pirates of Penzance, but it can’t be said that Holmes’ adaptation isn’t faithful. Every change is intentional, from the tinkering of Gilbert and Sullivan’s songs (the orchestrations are by Joseph Joubert and Daryl Waters) to the added agency for characters like Mabel and Ruth. The adaptation also pays homage to the show’s storied past, from the swashbuckling adventure of Joseph Papp’s 1980s production to the real-life history of piracy (copyright piracy, that is) from the show's 1879 premiere.
Gilbert and Sullivan themselves, played by Pierce and Preston Truman Boyd, introduce the show before the curtain rises. They maintain a fourth-wall-breaking vaudeville dynamic throughout while also filling in as characters in their own show. So technically, Pierce isn’t playing the Major-General — he’s playing W.S. Gilbert as the Major-General and occasionally breaking character.
What audiences are saying about Pirates! The Penzance Musical
At the time of publication, Pirates! The Penzance Musical has an 83% audience approval rating on Show-Score, with mostly positive reviews from theatregoers.
- “Thoroughly enjoyed 2 hours of fun, escapist, colorful musical with top talent.” - Show-Score user Show Addict
- “This riff on the G&S classic is such a joy bomb that it gets tedious at times.” - Show-Score user aka
- “Entertaining show, but not ground breaking.” -Show-Score user NewtoNYC
- “A laugh a minute nonsense performance of an undeniable classic. The cast have reinvented a classic for a modern day audience.” - Show-Score user Craig
Read more audience reviews of Pirates! The Penzance Musical on Show-Score.
Who should see Pirates! The Penzance Musical
- Theatregoers who seek out fresh takes on beloved classics will love the jazzy adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s songs and modern-day updates to the characters and plot.
- RuPaul’s Drag Race fans will delight to see two-time winner Jinkx Monsoon star as Ruth, Frederic’s hammy nursemaid.
- Fans of all-out spectacle will be wowed by the sheer joy of Carlyle’s choreography, Linda Cho’s costumes, and the luscious set design of David Rockwell.
Learn more about Pirates! The Penzance Musical on Broadway
Chock-full of laughs and fun, this exuberant adaptation of The Pirates of Penzance combines a devotion to its source material with the joy of its evolution.
Photo credit: Pirates! The Penzance Musical on Broadway. (Photos by Joan Marcus)
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