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Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)Rating:
Release Date: 24 September, 2002 Retail Price: $24.95 OUR Price: $18.99 You SAVE: $5.96! Cast: Complete Cast (8 total) |
Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive) Reviews
Disappointing purchase
I thought I was purchasing the movie version of the musical and was very disappointed to see that it was a recording of the live musical. The movie version (only available on VHS) with Kevin Kline if far superior. Unfortunately I didn't realize this until after I had opened the DVD.
The very model of a modern major Gilbert and Sullivan show, and with Patricia Routledge
What this filmed record of an expert and amusing production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance lacks in a crystal clear DVD transfer it more than makes up for in complicated, good-natured silliness, wonderful performances and a spirited interpretation of the comic opera. Of course, you'll need to like Gilbert and Sullivan, or at least give them a chance.
Among the plot's coincidences, mistakes and surprises there is 21-year-old Frederic (Rex Reed), who was indentured as a babe to a pirate instead of a pilot by his hard-of-hearing nurse, Ruth (Patricia Routledge). "My mind has long been gnawed by the cankering tooth of mystery," she says before she tells us the story. "Let us have it out at once!" Frederic learns that leap years can greatly affect his age. He learns that the only woman he has ever seen, Ruth, has misled him about womanly beauty. It takes only one look at Major-General Stanley's daughter, Mabel (Linda Ronstadt), to see how misled he was. The Pirate King (Kevin Kline), who ends Frederic's indenture upon that 21st birthday, learns just how much a slave to duty is Frederic. Frederic feels he must turn in the pirates to the police. Major-General Stanley (George Rose), who knows nothing of military strategy but who has many beautiful and buxom daughters and wards, learns that pirates can fall in love with luscious young ladies as quickly as Frederic. And we learn that the Pirate King is an orphan, too. And so are all the pirates. Not only that, we learn that all the pirates are of noble bir...but I don't want to give too much away.
There's a little less satire and pomposity-puncturing by Gilbert in this play and more comic, romantic confusion. He and Sullivan concocted a charming, ridiculous fable of outlandish coincidences and sly situations. The Major-General is an endearingly pompous buffoon. His daughters are little nimble-toed crinoline dolls. The police are bumbling, tumbling young men more frightened of the pirates than the pirates are afraid of them. The five leads all do excellent work, particularly Rose, Kline and Routledge.
This is the filmed version of the 1980 Joseph Papp production that took place in Central Park's open-air Delacorte Theater. It was recorded during one of the live performances. Technically, it suffers, but the audience reaction and the response of the actors make it a great record of a charming hit. The show transferred to Broadway and Estelle Parsons took over the role of Ruth from Patricia Routledge. Then, when the show was restaged in Hollywood as a movie, Angela Lansbury took Ruth's role replacing Parsons. All the other major cast members stayed in place. If you want to see what an excellent musical comedy performer Routledge is, you'll want this version. The CD of The Darling of the Day, the 1968 Broadway musical play she co-starred in with Vincent Price, is still available. She's a fine singer.
Also keep an eye out for Alice Playten, who plays Edith, one of the Stanley daughters. She's one of the funniest, slyest Broadway actors never to have a major career. When she sings "Pets," "After All, I'm Only a School Girl" and "If You Like Les Belles Poitrines" from the CD "Ben Bagley's Unpublished Cole Porter-Volume II," she'd even make Porter blush.
This DVD is from the series issued by the Broadway Theater Archive. As noted, technically it leaves much to be desired but it can be watched with pleasure if you're not a perfectionist. There are no extras.
I think Major-General Stanley should have the last word:
I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
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