"Eh, I liked the more simpler opening (with the oars) done in Chicago..."
I think Pirate Queen will be one of those shows where a lot of fans will long for songs and elements from the original out of town version. Personally I love the new oar opening with the step dancing. The show really came alive when the Irish dancing started, and it's good to see NY audiences won't have to wait 40 minutes for this. As far as I could tell this was the only big change from the Chicago version apparent in the rehearsal video.
I find the marketing of Pirate Queen very frustrating. While other new shows like "Legally Blonde" and "Spring Awakening" have made their songs readily available online, Pirate Queen is keeping just about everything under wraps. Claude Michel's music is their greatest asset. We should all be humming this new opening song he's written long before the New York previews start. I think one well produced video clip of Steph singing the new song would do more to build excitement for PQ's New York run than every single one of those silly Castcoms clips played end to end.
"I have got to have some professional music!" - Big Edie