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It must be true that people flock to movies, concerts and theater for escape during trying economic times, because more than 1,000 people came to Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance on a warm April evening, even as other spring activities competed for their attention. Now, these are Kansas City opera-goers' kind of pirates and certainly a welcome type of pirate drama (the sort with a happy ending).  No single character stole the show in this balanced cast, and each well-developed personality contributed something unique to the dynamic story. The expected antics started even before the performance, as Evan Luskin wandered on stage to talk up the 2009-2010 series, complete with a depth perception-limiting eye patch. Not to be outdone, Andy Anderson (returning to the Lyric as guest conductor) entered the pit for Act 2 with a pirate hat and proceeded to lead the audience in a rousing rendition of "God Save the Queen." 

Fans of The Pirates of Penzance know going in that this is more opera than it is the lighter fare of operetta or musical, with little spoken dialogue to interrupt the unpretentious music.  Pirates indeed boasts the sophisticated comedy and inventive music for which Gilbert and Sullivan are known, and their collaboration here showcases long sequences of cleverly paced and contrasting musical numbers.  Most of the music in Pirates is by all accounts uncomplicated, but uncomplicated does not mean mundane.

 Sullivan is known for crafting music that expertly identifies a group, perhaps due to his ample experience as a composer of choral music, and the choruses added depth to every scene.  In this production three ensembles anchor the various scenes: the pirates, the young ladies and the police squad. Each group's collective personality remains well defined through distinguishing musical devices; pirates and young maidens must not mingle, after all, and the police squad should not fraternize with pirates.  To supplement the musical characterization, costumes and stage movement (attributed to Mary Traylor and Dorothy Danner, respectively) further personify the unique traits of each unit. This separation is critical to a successful production of Pirates, as it lends an additional layer to the story: Each "social" group must figure out how to live peaceably among the other.

It was the police squad that captured the audience in Act 2 (perhaps because our bunch of sympathetic pirates seemingly could not capture a bunny if they had to), and this collection of bumblers was worth the wait. Led by their Sergeant (KU's John Stephens, brilliantly comical), the police squad worked their magic -- at one point even getting physically tangled up in one another.

Chad Johnson perfected a youthful, idealistic Frederic. He took advantage of the character's affable nature, exploiting Frederic's personal journey from youth to manhood. In "O False One," a duet with nursemaid Ruth, the musical pair poked fun at opera's more serious side (everyone enjoys a little parody, and Gilbert and Sullivan deliver ample jabs at the loftier opera tradition and at Victorian England). The number made it easy to imagine both singers in more demanding stage roles. As Frederic makes this major life transition, Johnson's tenor becomes bolder. Act 2 gave Johnson even more opportunity to reveal the strength of his voice, although Gilbert's dialogue proved Frederic was no more worldly than when his seafaring adventures began.

After the manly pirate exploits of the opening scenes, the genteel young ladies were a welcome contrast, all softness and naïveté. While Clare Jacobs' solo spots suffered some during this very active scene --certain notes were noticeably under pitch, as if she could not hear the orchestra -- this was overall a fine ensemble, working well together as sisters would (and Jacobs definitely redeems herself in Act 2). Frederic works this group of ladies so well, seeking "one maiden" to "rescue" him, and here reveals his true star power; vocally he is absolutely a leading man. Most important, this chorus of ladies effectively gave the audience the other side of the story -- that is, the female perspective -- which in this drama is an important component for balance. Compare, for example, how Ruth measures the value of Frederic to how the Pirate King regards his worth. Everyone's reasons for wanting to remain close to Frederic differ significantly, but they find interesting ways to work together toward their common goal. Much of the story centers on how men and women relate and work around one another, pursuing their own agendas but finding ways to support one another as well.

Nili Riemer as Mabel was an inspired casting choice. Her entrance raised the vocal standard with a pure, light tone and remarkable range. Her coloratura moments (built in by Sullivan to set Mabel apart from the daughters and to poke some fun at pretentious Italian opera) clearly transfixed Frederic and the audience, and the scene furthered the clever focus on gender differences. There was a tangible chemistry between Riemer (whose diction was impeccable) and Johnson, certainly aided by the multiple onstage kisses they shared. "Stay, Frederic, Stay" was so earnestly delivered, a rare moment of expressive pathos in a Sullivan setting since his music typically avoids the emotional roller coaster. Here the characters indulge in romantic sentiment, even as the audience laughed loudly enough to drown out the two singers. Overall, Johnson's and Riemer's work created many sweet moments that provided respite from the raucous and wild storyline.

Many of the peripheral characters were memorable: Markus Beam created a pirate king with both a clumsy and a menacing side, with an impressive stage presence and resonant baritone. Robert McNichols always stands out, here both in acting capacity (he earns positive attention just through his sharp movements and facial expressions) and in unparalleled vocal contributions. Jennifer Roderer's Ruth (made up to be appropriately old and ugly) was played perfectly in her strong mezzo; she could easily handle the more dramatic roles that her artist bio boasts. One expects the Major General to steal the scene, and Robert Gibby Brand was outrageously funny. In his signature number, "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General," he was willing to let the accompaniment move so quickly -- even to a tempo where the number almost seemed to get away from him. This only added charm to Brand's original interpretation of this beloved character.

While there are no major technical challenges for the instrumentalists, the delightful music, from the atmospheric overture to the rousing finale sequence, was handled well by Andy Anderson, who drew a real unity of sound from this responsive ensemble. The set designs were admirably realistic and full of color and movement. And last but not least, thankfully the parrot was not hurt!

REIVIEW:
Lyric Opera of Kansas City
The Pirates of Penzance                                                         
Saturday, April 25, 2009                                        
Lyric Theater
11^th and Central, Downtown Kansas City, MO
Runs through Sunday, May 3
For tickets call 816-471-7344 or online at www.kcopera.org

By Sarah Tyrrell

Opera, Vocal and Classical Contributor

Since 2004, Dr. Sarah Tyrrell has been part of the Musicology faculty at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. In 2003, she completed doctoral work at the University of Kansas and also holds degrees in music history and voice performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and Kansas State University. At UMKC, Sarah teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in music history and world music, as well as graduate seminars on American and Latin American musics. Sarah has presented her research locally and nationally (her research specialty is the art music of Brazil) and actively guest lectures about town on Brazilian popular subjects such as samba and bossa nova. Her articles and reviews have appeared in Musical Quarterly, Latin American Research Review, and Latin American Perspectives.

Sarah is also active in the Kansas City choral music scene: she is the Artistic Director of the Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City and also sings soprano with the group. This 60-voice ensemble presents four concerts each year and recently completed a performance tour of Brazil.