{"id":19953,"date":"2015-07-22T20:47:37","date_gmt":"2015-07-23T03:47:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=19953"},"modified":"2015-07-22T20:47:37","modified_gmt":"2015-07-23T03:47:37","slug":"community-theaters-musical-pirates-defies-logic-but-enchants-amuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/community-theaters-musical-pirates-defies-logic-but-enchants-amuses\/","title":{"rendered":"Community theater’s musical \u2018Pirates\u2019 defies logic but enchants, amuses"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Woody’s [rating: 5]<\/span><\/p>\n

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Norman A. Hall portrays a blustery Major-General Stanley in \u201cThe Pirates of Penzance.\u201d Photo by Robin Jackson.<\/p>\n

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Phillip Percy Williams plays a swashbuckling Pirate King in \u201cThe Pirates of Penzance.\u201d Photo by Robin Jackson.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

Jim Dunn’s retired from directing colossal musicals for The Mountain Play in Mill Valley.<\/p>\n

But he hasn\u2019t quit doing them elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Exquisitely.<\/p>\n

Need proof? Check out the Ross Valley Players\u2019 production of \u201cThe Pirates of Penzance\u201d at the Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross.<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s professionalism, congeniality-packed presentation, and mastery of the 136-year-old musical comedy\/light opera may raise your perception of community-theater.<\/p>\n

It did mine.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d expected it to be fun, but I hadn\u2019t imagined it to be as impressive as it is.<\/p>\n

This two-hour show\u2019s as good as anything anywhere in the Bay Area.<\/p>\n

Some folks may be more familiar with Capt. Hook\u2019s crew, from this summer\u2019s \u201cPeter Pan\u201d Mountain Play, or Johnny Depp in the \u201cPirates of the Caribbean\u201d movie franchise, or, for that matter, the Pittsburgh Pirates.<\/p>\n

But Gilbert & Sullivan\u2019s tender-hearted pirates, I believe, are funnier.<\/p>\n

And more enchanting.<\/p>\n

Even though their actions defy logic and common sense.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost impossible to watch the 22 performers spilling over the stage at The Barn, the RVP\u2019s home, without feeling good.<\/p>\n

Especially when the dainty daughters of Major-General Stanley prissily twirl their parasols, the bobbleheaded British bobbies stumble and bumble like Keystone Cops, or the decidedly un-menacing pirates engage in unison foot-stomping \u2014 all courtesy of imaginative choreographer Sandra Tanner.<\/p>\n

Most audience members grinned from the first lines of the first number past the final curtain.<\/p>\n

Like me.<\/p>\n

Before the show, Dunn admitted to early birds he chose the show mainly because it was in the public domain, which meant the RVR wouldn\u2019t have to pay royalties (as it would most modern musicals).<\/p>\n

But he also informed one woman that, in contrast to the vulgar \u201cBook of Mormon\u201d he\u2019d recently caught, he loved \u201cPirates\u201d because of its old-fashioned innocence and it being a crowd-pleasing summer diversion.<\/p>\n

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Dainty daughters of Major-General Stanley in Gilbert & Sullivan\u2019s \u201cThe Pirates of Penzance\u201d include (from left) Kathryn McGeorge, Dana Cherry, Katie Sorensen, Chloe Hunwick and Arden Klizer. Photo by Robin Jackson.<\/p><\/div>\n

In my view \u2014 one that dates back 70 years to a time when my father introduced me to the frenzied rhythms and lyrics of Gilbert & Sullivan, whose sprightliness and cleverness dad relished \u2014 Dunn utilizes his own fondness for G&S to inject a comedic music-hall over-the-topness that works extraordinarily well.<\/p>\n

His direction, especially turning minor details into major laughs, is brilliant \u2014 as might be anticipated from an 83-year-old who\u2019s been directing and teaching theater arts for half a century.<\/p>\n

Everything works.<\/p>\n

Even having two couples seated in extra-fee boxes on stage and waving teeny Union Jacks.<\/p>\n

The cast as a whole is uncommonly good.<\/p>\n

In a word: superb.<\/p>\n

But several are even better than that: Norman A. Hall\u2019s Major-General Stanley is letter perfect, setting a sky-high bar for other comic performers. Phillip Percy Williams\u2019 Pirate King weaves exaggeration and energy into a smile-inducing, ideal blend. And Joni DeGabriele magnificently flaunts her coloratura, fancifully flutters her eyelashes and unsubtly scrunches up her face as Mabel, wannabe bride.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re all accompanied by the piano talent of Music Director Paul Smith, who, from the first note of the overture to the last note of the show, keeps well within the parameters of feel-good.<\/p>\n

All that\u2019s amazingly supplemented by the classic, colorful costumes of Michael A. Berg and the enchantingly spare but picturesque sets by Ron Krempetz.<\/p>\n

The irrational plot finds Frederic mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates until age 21 by his nurse. But because he was born on Leap Year\u2019s Day, he\u2019s stuck for an extra 63 years \u2014 despite having fallen for Mabel, daughter of Major-General Stanley. The pirates are sympathetic to orphans, so all who run afoul of them claim they\u2019re orphans \u2014 including Stanley. Pirates pursue Stanley\u2019s daughters. Police pursue pirates.<\/p>\n

It all ends with everything in harmony \u2014 or in unison, if you prefer accuracy.<\/p>\n

The best of the 28 musical numbers are \u2014 as always \u2014 the rollicking \u201cI Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General\u201d and \u201cThe Policeman\u2019s Lot Is Not a Happy One.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nitpickers may gripe about some British accents coming and going like the tide off the shore of Cornwall, the play\u2019s setting, or the old theater\u2019s lack of air conditioning.<\/p>\n

Clearly, their joy-ometer is off.<\/p>\n

I spied no children in the audience opening night. A pity. Kids would undoubtedly find the frisky silliness to their liking.<\/p>\n

As did the child in me.<\/p>\n

\u201cPirates of Penzance\u201d will run at The Barn, Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross, through Aug. 16. Night performances, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Matinees, 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $17-$33. Information: (415) 456-9555 or www.rossvalleyplayers.com.<\/em><\/p>\n

Contact Woody Weingarten at www.vitalitypress.com\/<\/a> or voodee@sbcglobal.net<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Woody’s [rating: 5] Jim Dunn’s retired from directing colossal musicals for The Mountain Play in Mill Valley. But he hasn\u2019t quit doing them elsewhere. Exquisitely. Need proof? Check out the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19953","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-woody-weingarten"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"