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>> RIVERSIDE CHILDREN'S THEATER PRESENTS 'PIRATES OF PENZANCE JUNIOR.'

July 9, 2009 12:35 am

BY COLLETTE CAPRARA

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Ahoy, mateys! You're invited to join the escapades of a merry band (well, not all are so happy!) of (somewhat) raucous seafarers, as Riverside Children's Theater features "The Pirates of Penzance Junior" throughout the month.

As the action opens, the pirates' apprentice, Frederic, has come of age and has decided that he'd rather find his own way in the world. (It's been fun and you guys are great, BUT ) Not only will the crew miss him but his nursemaid, Ruth, fears his entry into the world of other women.

"This show's humor is thoroughly British," said Steve Thompson, who with his wife, Mary, have directed and coordinated Riverside's Children's Theater since its inception 10 years ago. "It's class-based, with people acting differently than the decorum that would be expected of their class."

The comic opera was created by the London-born Gilbert and Sullivan and debuted in the late 1800s in the era of the British Music Hall performances (similar to America's vaudeville). The play features a crew of hapless pirates who are, in fact, noblemen; a young man who was apprenticed to them because his nursemaid misheard his father's wish that he become a "pilot" as "pirate," a team of constables who are high on bravado and low on bravery; and a Major-General who has up-to-date knowledge of everything except the military.

When Frederic ventures out and encounters the eight beautiful daughters of the Major- General (including Mabel who will be his love) the pirates begin to grasp the lure of the land. They, too, are attracted to the maidens and, being proper gentlemen, offer to marry them on the spot. But the Major-General cannot envision these marauders as sons-in-law.

Even Frederic's romance begins to unravel when he learns that his contract of apprenticeship bound him until his 21st birthday rather than his 21st year, and that, being born in a leap year on Feb. 29, he was indentured to the pirates for another 63 years.

After a number of twists and turns in the plot, all is well in the end. The lovers are all paired and happy (including Ruth, who ends up with the police sergeant), and the pirates loyally return to their role as subjects of the queen.

"Families will enjoy the production, because it's fun and it has pirates and sword fighting and all that good stuff--all the things they'd expect to see," said Thompson, "but, in addition, they will see that music can be much more than a diversion. It can be powerful and ennobling.

"We wanted to expose kids to music that they probably would never hear until college; and we're not telling them it's opera," he said.

The performances range from "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General," an example of "patter" (which is the 19th-century precursor to today's "rap") to a stunning show-stopper, "Hail Poetry," (where the entire cast sings in five-part harmony using all of the voice classifications: soprano, alto, mezzo, baritone, and bass).

"We're hoping that the kids will be so blown away by the grandeur and beauty of this production that they will want to explore musical theater more," Thompson said. "Live theater is very different from what I call 'the media' --television, DVDs, and the movies.

"There's a sense of immediacy," he said. "Emotions are more than just portrayed; they're experienced."

The audience members can feel like they're a part of the production, Thompson said. "There's an electricity in the air and a sense of connection. Every show is unique and different, because the audience is different.

"That's why it is a community event," he said.

Collette Caprara is a local artist and freelance writer.