OK, I saw Pirate Queen on Saturday and I have to say I was thoroughly unimpressed. While I adored all of the performers and appreciated their hard work and talent, the show itself is just totally uninteresting. I can't even say, "If THIS was changed, it would be much better." There is just too much wrong with it. The one thing I despise in theatre is not a bad show, but a boring show, and I think The Pirate Queen was immensely boring.
None of the songs, excluding "Because I Am a Wife," was memorable at all, although even that song had way too many words in it for the audience to understand them all. Queen Elizabeth is singing way too high. My friend and I thought this and, during intermission, we found out a lot of other people were saying the same thing. I couldn't get the majority of what she was saying because it was her songs were written way too high. I can honestly tell you I don't know why Elizabeth hated Grace so much because she sung everything pertinent.
I thought the plot seemed to have plenty of effect, but no cause. I couldn't understand why some things were happening, perhaps because I couldn't understand what the performers were saying. And I could rarely understand how much time had passed between each incident. It could have been days or years for all I knew.
Although I thought all the singers and dancers were wonderful, I truly did not care at all what was happening to the characters. The love triangle aspect was done well as I didn't expect it, but I don't feel like I was given enough of a chance to care about the characters. They seemed very two-dimensional to me.
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
My biggest complaint with this show has to be one of the most absurd things I've ever seen onstage. It is the point directly after Grania gives birth and Donal is deciding to surrender to the British. Grace decides to take command and go and fight the British herself. The people next to us cracked up at this and I could see other people in the audience rolling their eyes. You could practically see the afterbirth on her nightgown, but there she was, swordfighting against a dozen Brits and winning, of course. That part has got to go or be altered immensely. I know it's supposed to demonstrate her courage and tenacity, but the way it's done now is absurd and takes away any seriousness the moment might have.
The only reason that I seem to be so upset with this show is because I am so dissappointed. I was so much looking forward to a good show with good music and excellent performers. I only got the last of those. I feel the performers deserve something much better in which to showcase their talents.
I know you all will pounce on me for being so negative, but I was not the only one. I didn't hear any positive comments as we headed out the door and there were quite a few seats empty once intermission was over. I don't think this show is worth going to see.
You promised me poems. ~Tricky
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Interesting comments from Hadley Frasier on his lack of dance movements, and his idea of a "half-time" show. 
