WOW

Theater review: ‘Pirates of Penzance’ overruns with fun

Nicole L.V. Mullis

Kellogg Community College rechristens the newly renovated Binda Performing Arts Center with its production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance.” It is a show full of comedy, music and movement, and a good fit for this beautiful theater.

This 1879 operetta is a comedy of errors, most of them having to do with honor. It opens at the end of Frederic’s accidental apprenticeship to a band of well-meaning, if unprofitable, pirates. Frederic’s father had wanted him apprenticed to a “pilot,” but Ruth, his nursemaid and the only woman he has ever known, misheard it as “pirate.” Frederic is grieved to leave the crew, especially knowing that once he reenters civilization, he must bring such pirates to justice. It is the honorable thing to do.

Frederic falls in love with Mabel, one of the first women he meets onshore and one of Major-General Stanley’s many daughters. The pirates descend on Mabel and her sisters, vowing to carry them off and marry them. Their father wins their release by telling the pirates a lie. He claims to be an orphan. The pirates, all orphans themselves, can’t bear to hurt a fellow orphan and so let the family be.

Meanwhile the Pirate King discovers Frederic hasn’t fulfilled his term as an apprentice. He was born on Feb. 29, leap year, which means Frederic is 5-and-a-quarter years old, not 21 years old. Frederic’s sense of duty is too high to refuse even this loophole. He leaves Mabel to fulfill his obligation to the pirates and she promises to wait another 63 years for him.

Frederic’s honor compels him to tell the Pirate King about the Major-General’s lie. The pirates want revenge, Frederic wants Mabel, the police want the pirates, and the Major-General wants his life. Honor got them into this mess and only honor can get them out.

Director Brad Poer’s cast and crew have a good time with this tongue-twisting comedy. It is evident in their faces. When this large cast fills the stage, you can’t help but smile back at them. They use the space well, including the wings, the aisles, the foyer, even the orchestra pit when the Pirate King swaggers down to duel the conductor.

The music is the star of this show. Music Director Gerald Blanchard put together a fabulous orchestra. They capture all the whimsy and wit of the score. The leads have powerful voices, especially Amanda Adams, who plays Mabel, DeQuan Perry, who plays Frederic and Anastacia Miller, who plays Ruth. There are several lovely duets and trios, but the real magic happens when the cast is together, as evidenced by the finales in both acts. They produce a commanding sound and when the pirate band, the Major-General’s daughters and the police overlay three different songs at once, it is a dizzying delight.

The cast makes good on the comedic spirit of the piece, carrying it into the little things, like the Major-General systematically kissing and receiving goodnight kisses from his daughters. The police are especially entertaining. Greg McCoy, the vocally talented and light-footed Sargent of Police, leads his troop of chickenhearted heroes into the audiences’ goodwill. Soon, any hint of a blue uniform prompts a grin.

The set is ingeniously simple, combining fun and functionality. The costumes are colorful and coordinated, underscoring each character’s quirkiness. The auditorium’s acoustics are amazing, surrounding the audience with rich, resonant sound. The only quibble was the sensitive floor mics tended to pick up shuffling shoes and rustling skirts.

This production is an ode to collaboration, starting with the community. A millage passed by the Battle Creek voters paid for the theater renovations. The theater and music department combined their efforts to produce this ambitious operetta. Even the story itself is about working together to achieve an honorable end for all. It is a joyful show. As one theatergoer said afterward, “It just makes me happy.”

And it should.

If you go

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays until March 29.

WHERE: Kellogg Community College’s Binda Performing Arts Center, 450 North Ave.

PRICE: $5-$10.

INFO: 964-4145.