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Howdy, Duty: Satirical 'Penzance' Sparkles

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By KURT LOFT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 12, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Had Jose Gaspar been around today, he'd be crooning at Demens Landing, trading starlit nights on the ocean for stage lights and comic devotion.

At least the ol' rogue is here in spirit in American Stage Theatre Company's new production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance," the very model of a modern romp on the Victorian classic. The company borrows and flaunts cultural motifs with all the subtlety of a drunken sailor, and the talented cast lays on the slapstick like hot pitch.

The 23rd annual American Stage in the Park differs from the vernacular of Shakespeare with a lighthearted musical that tips its hat to Monty Python. Thursday night's preview performance had its share of unintended pratfalls - static in the outdoor sound system, for instance - but the team of song-and-dance characters worked up an entertaining sweat over two hours.

The plot of "Penzance" is as silly as it is confusing, not that the audience relaxing on the lawn seemed to mind. William S. Gilbert's clever dialogue retains its wit for modern ears, especially when the cast embellishes lines with contemporary props - bottles of Heineken beer, cell phones, a cordless drill. The company's five-piece band injected electricity into the show, but no one can expect it to capture the felicitous nuance of Arthur Sullivan's orchestral score.

"Penzance," however, survives any number of wardrobe changes, as it has since its first performance in 1879. With its satirical references to duty and military anomalies, zany characters, crackling tunes and tightly knit choruses, the operetta won a fast following out of the gate. In the United States, loose copyright laws allowed theater companies to avoid paying royalties to the British - lending a double meaning to the "pirate" moniker.

"Penzance" is best enjoyed for its contrapuntal puns and dexterity of language, and Todd Olson's direction does a good job on both counts. Despite the cardboard-like set and Salvation Army costumes, the cast coasts through a number of devilishly difficult moments. The most enjoyable is the women's chorus chattering about the weather in 2/4 time against a duet in counterpoint by the lovers Frederic and Mabel.

The diminutive Gina Varchetto as Mabel possesses a powerful, floating voice, and Zach Nadolski as Fredrick commanded the stage with good-natured machismo. Darrel Blackburn's swashbuckling Pirate King stole more than one scene as a lovable bloke whose heart outshines his blade.

Of course, everyone waited for the highpoint in "Penzance," the Major-General's lickety-split patter song. Jack Eddleman, portraying this most dignified buffoon, launched into the famous "I am the very model of a modern Major-General; I've information vegetable, animal and mineral..." at a moderate clip, allowing the audience to understand his amusing dialogue - and the booming responses by the chorus of scalawags.

"THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE"

What: 23rd annual American Stage in the Park

When: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m., through May 4

Where: Demens Landing, 200 First Ave. S.E., downtown St. Petersburg

How much: $11-$27, and children under 12 free on the lawn; (727) 823-7529

Reporter Kurt Loft can be reached at (813) 259-7570 or kloft@tampatrib.com.

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