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May 11, 2003"The Pirates of Penzance" and "Carousel"...
This was a cultured weekend, if busy. I saw "The Pirates of Penzance" at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center on Friday night, and the closing performance of Notre Dame's "Carousel" yesterday evening.
"The Pirates of Penzance" was a bit of a letdown, truth be told. Although it was an Opera á la Carte production, directed by none other than company founder Richard Sheldon, I just felt like the whole thing was lacking in vitality.
The Pirate King didn't seem to realize that pirates are inherently cool and rowdy, and that, as their king, he had carte blanche to be the coolest and rowdiest of the bunch. The same held true for the Major-General (played by Sheldon). His character is fun in an entirely different way than the Pirate King, as they're opposing kings on this particular operetta’s chessboard, but no less interesting for the difference. Unfortunately, when it came time for Sheldon to deliver "I am the very model of a modern Major-General," one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most beloved patter songs, he sped through it so fast that he outpaced the accompaniment. He didn't seem to be having any fun with it, rattling through the lyrics at a decidedly impressive clip, but sacrificing all the humor (and rhythm) in the process.
Frederic and Mabel, you ask? Insipid, which comes as no shocker from the young lovers in a G&S show. Unfortunately, they lacked that likable sweetness that so often redeems the young lovers, a la Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum from "The Mikado".
When the dust clears, though, an evening of Gilbert and Sullivan is better than an evening without. I'll withhold my final judgment of the production in Cerritos until I’ve had a chance to watch the "Pirates of Penzance" DVD I checked out from the library a few days back. Until then, I won't know how much of what I’m feeling stems from the specific production, and how much of it comes from the writing and music itself.
Last night's "Carousel" was an altogether difference experience. I'd never seen the show before, so I walked in with no expectations. The story left me with more unanswered questions than I would have liked, but I enjoyed the performance itself.
I wasn't familiar with some of the cast members, and was pleasantly surprised by many of my "unknowns". There were other actors from whom I expected a lot, having prior knowledge of their skills, and they delivered. Daniel Favela even impressed my girlfriend with his portrayal of Billy Bigelow, and she's grown so accustomed to professional-grade performances in L.A. and New York that she holds all performers and productions to the same high standards.
I think, though, that I most enjoyed watching the newcomers—those who were new to performing, or at least those for whom this was such a departure from their usual self, who come to class each day and never call any particular attention to themselves. For some of my sophomore girls, in particular, their singing in last night’s performance might be more than I've heard them say in class all year! I had my eye on one of my theater newbie seniors during a chorus number, and it really warmed my heart to watch him having such a good time up there.
Posted by patrick at May 11, 2003 09:20 PM
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