 |
The Pirates of Penzance by Wilford Leach
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
DVD Cover InformationActor: Angela Lansbury, George Rose, Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith Director: Wilford Leach Writer: Wilford Leach Producer: Andrew Tribe Producer: Edward R. Pressman Producer: Joseph Papp Producer: Stephen Katz Producer: Timothy Burrill Writer: William S. Gilbert DVD: Region Code 1 Format: NTSC Running Time: 112 minutes Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Movie Reviews of The Pirates of PenzanceMovie Review: The best 'Pirates' version I've ever seen, for television Summary: 4 StarsThere was much controversy over the release and re-broadcast of this version, with Ronstadt playing Mabel. While the rest of the title cast (Kline, Rose, Smith, etc.) were marvelous, Ronstadt was selected to play Mabel for her "star" status at the time - and the raw outlook, that she was a country-western singer, NOT an opera or classical voice. Apparently she had worked for many weeks prior to shooting Pirates in order to enhance and "ready" the soprano she needed to portray Mabel. Not an easy feat, as she is no classical soprano. Through most of the chorus songs, and her solos, her lyrics are quite muddy, and you will notice during the round of 'Poor Wandering One' her inevitable country 'twang' seeps in, but is ALMOST rescued by a genuine sweeping soprano lyric.
However, her redemption at the ending of 'Poor' really gives you chills, a well done orchestrated coloratura she nails - as I've never heard ANY prior or latter version out do what she was required to accomplish as Mabel. Those incredible 'licks' she "teases" with the piccolo, and up to the encore high F at the very end.
As everyone else has previously commented, Kevin Kline was masterful as the bumbling Pirate King. Kline agreed to fulfill this role in his essence of once again returning to the Broadway stage in effort to create something broad, comical, and physical in humor. And that feat he certainly accomplished. Especially the musical scene in 'It Really Doesn't Matter'. His facial expressions, and running out of breath as he "faints"....priceless. Lansbury was equally wonderful as the long-repressed Ruth, secretly in love with her 'ward' Frederick....alas.
The huge disappointment with the CD release....it is not Lansbury's voice you hear as Ruth, but actress Estelle Parsons, whom Lansbury replaced for the film version. Her lyrics are even muddier than Ronstadt's and not nearly as delightful as Lansbury's voice.
But overall, I highly recommend this movie for ANYONE. Ronstadt and Smith have undeniable romantic chemistry together, and George Rose and Kevin Kline play marvelously off each other during the Major General song.
Summary of The Pirates of PenzanceWhen New York theatrical producer Joseph Papp decided to bring Gilbert and Sullivan to Broadway, he added typically broad, bold strokes to make their singular operetta format meaningful to 1980s audiences. In The Pirates of Penzance, Papp had a story that offered a mixture of potential action and comedy that was less arcane than other G&S chestnuts, which Papp's production underlined by playing up its antic conflict between its hapless, titular pirates and the citizens of Penzance, the Cornish town targeted for plunder. Adding to the new production's mainstream allure was the theatrical debut for erstwhile country-rock siren Linda Ronstadt as the virginal Mabel, along with a plum role for another putative pop heartthrob, Rex Smith, as the "good" pirate, Frederic. Naturally, such amendments piqued complaints from self-appointed G&S purists, for whom the duo's original satirical edge and theatrical innovation were obscured (if not ossified) by their canon's patina of respectability. Happily, for the rest of us, Papp's cheeky revisions are generally on the money, and this 1983 film version preserves them with unusual fidelity. Instead of opening up his production with location shooting or intricate editing, director Wilford Leach savors the artifice of its stage sets and hokey, colorful costuming, celebrating the genre's proud theatrical legacy. The cast, meanwhile, tears into the farcical plot with elan, led by Kevin Kline as the Pirate King, a role perfect for his skill at lampooning masculine bravado (not to mention his underexposed, generally strong singing). Broadway veteran George Rose proves the very model of the modern Major-General Stanley, and Angela Lansbury, added to the film's cast for marquee value, again shows her mettle as the ditzy maid, Ruth. Ronstadt justifies Papp's gamble, having trained rigorously to meet Sullivan's acrobatic melodies--indeed, this project marked her commitment to grow beyond rock, confirmed with her subsequent exploration of classic pop with arranger-conductor Nelson Riddle. --Sam Sutherland
|
 |
|
|
My Fair Lady (Two-Disc Special Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2004-02-03; DVDBest price: $8.77Price in other shops: $26.98
Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Jon English, Simon Gallaher, Helen Donaldson, Toni Lamond, Derek Metzger, Tim Tyler, Craig SchafferRelease date: 2006-07-25; DVDBest price: $12.70Price in other shops: $29.99
Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996)A&E; Release date: 2001-09-25; DVDBest price: $20.16Price in other shops: $39.95
The Pirate MovieRelease date: 2005-03-22; DVDBest price: $40.00
The Pirates of Penzance in Full Scoreby W. S. Gilbert, Sir Arthur Sullivan Dover Publications; Published: 2001-09-13; Paperback; BookBest price: $12.79Price in other shops: $19.95
Pirates of Penzance Vocal Score (Dover Vocal Scores)by W. S. Gilbert, Sir Arthur Sullivan Dover Publications; Published: 2001-09-18; Paperback; BookBest price: $12.19Price in other shops: $18.95
Gilbert & Sullivan - H.M.S. Pinafore / Trial By Jury - David Hobson, Anthony Warlow, Colette Mann, Tiffany Speight, John Bolton Wood, Richard Alexander, Opera Australia, State Theatre, The Arts Centre MelbourneRelease date: 2006-06-27; DVDBest price: $15.45Price in other shops: $29.99
Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado / Eric Idle, Lesley Garrett, Richard Van Allan, Felicity Palmer, Richard Angas, Bonaventura Bottone, Susan Bullock, English National OperaRelease date: 2005-12-26; DVDBest price: $4.30Price in other shops: $24.95
The Pirates of PenzanceRelease date: 1998-02-24; Music CDBest price: $16.97Price in other shops: $24.98
Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)Release date: 2002-10-22; DVDBest price: $13.40Price in other shops: $24.99
|