Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

Gilbert and Sullivan’s popular operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance,” has been around for more that 100 years, but it continues to be produced in English-speaking countries on a more or less regular basis.
So, it isn’t exactly a surprise that Opera San Antonio – OSA – has put this tried-and-true show on its Spring 2024 schedule. The show has great music, a band of “nice” pirates; comedy and satire, banter
and colorful costumes and sets.

The production presented here was originally staged in St. Louis, directed and choreographed by Sean Curran, who is supervising the local production as well. We did not have a chance to ask OSA’s artistic director, E. Loren Meeker, why she picked this show, but Curran has a very likely answer.

“I can’t say why Loren chose it but I can tell you why it was a great idea. The operetta is a comedy with great music,” he said in a Zoom interview. “We need laughing and we need beautiful music in the world right now. And that’s good reason to have this show.”

“The San Antonio version of the musical is kind of an adaptation, in the sense that we are not starting from scratch. We already have a basic structure but add new things to that. All the new singers and actors who are in this, San Antonio version, have their own ideas. That’s certainly makes it more interesting for me,” explained the director. And he has some ideas on why this old operetta is still relevant today.

“That’s a good question! It is a rather old-fashioned and antiquated piece, but the lyrics are so clever! There’s incredible word play throughout; wonderful rhyme schemes, and it goes from the very comedic to the extremely poignant,” explained Curran. “I think it’s still relevant because it is a love story and a witty story.”

At the center of that story is a young man named Frederick, who grew up with a group of pirates. This is hilariously explained by a mistake of his caretaker, Ruth, who misheard the instruction of the boy’s father who instructed her to apprentice his son to a ship’s pilot. But she heard “pirate” due to her bad hearing.

When Frederick reaches the end of his pirate apprenticeship, and falls in love with Mabel, one of the 12 daughters of a Major-General who soon arrives onto the scene, his former shipmates “throw a wrench into his plans.”  Frederick had explained to his pirate comrades that once freed, his sense of duty would lead him to devote himself to the pirates’ extermination. He also pointed out that they were not successful pirates; they allow their prey to go free if they are orphans like the pirates.

“The show appeals to young people but it is not a children’s show’, though it is family-friendly,” noted Curran. “It’s really for an adult audience. It’s a very sophisticated piece although it’s full of whimsy.”
The show certainly appealed to him.

“I jokingly say that I am not a director choreographer; I am a choreographer director. I come from a background of contemporary dance and have choreographed many operas. It was only in St. Louis that I started directing. I was surprised when they asked me to direct. But I responded to the beautiful music in terms of storytelling by moving these characters and singers around the stage. I was drawn in by the beauty of the music.”

He also indicated that there are references in the show to things happening in the world today but he did not want to reveal the specifics. He acknowledged, however, that the goal was “to add more laughs.”

The main characters are all portrayed and sung by soloists with a national reputation, including Madison Leonard who portrays Mabel, David Walton as Frederick and Hugh Russell as the Major General. Set and costumes are designed by James Schuette. The production also includes a chorus, composed of San Antonio singers and directed by Chorus Master, Dottie Randall. The Classical Music Institute’s orchestra will be led by conductor James Lowe.

One hour prior to each performance, audience members can attend a free lecture, open to all ticketholders. These are held in the Feik Rotunda and are designed to be educational for all ages, helping audience members gain a better understanding of the production they are about to see.
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April 11 and 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle; tickets are $30-$130 at www.tobi.tobincenter.org/operaSAonline/ You can also call the box office at 210-223-8624.