The Pirates of Penzance
by Wilford Leach
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Angela Lansbury, George Rose, Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Rex SmithDirector: 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 Penzance
Movie Review: The best 'Pirates' version I've ever seen, for television
Summary: 4 Stars
There 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 Penzance
When 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
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