Pirates of Penzance - Will Swenson

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Will-Swenson-Kyle-Dean-Massey-and-More-in-PIRATES-OF-PENZANCE-at-Barrington-Stage-20160720

Has anyone here been involved in/seen this show in any capacity? The photos make me not want to go at all, but I love Will Swenson and to a certain extent Kyle Dean Massey (even after that torturous 2+ Pippin Revival hours). Was wondering is it's worth a visit.

I bought tickets yesterday too, and a friend and I are looking forward to driving up in August. If you're thinking of going, though, don't delay. My performance (on a Thursday) was very well sold, and choice spots like first-row mezzanine were completely sold out. What a cast and creative team!

Seeing it next week. The pictures look great!

For this production, I think it may be too close. You'll have to turn your head back to see the extended stage and everything that happens on that.

I think the best seats to see everything are those on stage or seats that are beyond the extended stage. Kind nit-picking here. The place is so small that every seat should be OK.

The on-stage seating are 4 on each side of the stage, sort of diagonally facing the audience. I believe they are not regular theater seats. Looks to be wooden or wooden stool seat. Hard to tell since there was a barricade in front of them to make them look like part of the scenery. If you're short, I would not recommend the stage seats.

Saw it Saturday-second preview. The show is in great shape. Have seen the 1980/81 Delacorte- Public performance with the original cast. This follows that exact text with the added songs and all. Zanier direction than I remember and the choreography is lot energetic than Graciella Danielle's 1980's version,. Highly recommended. Get row G or further back to see the entire stage

While purists may object, I'm glad they went with the Papp text and interpolations. I have no doubt the staging and choreo is fun--though I expected basic sets but the costume choices seem a bit odd--still it beats the Pirates of the Caribbean rip off a lot of recent productions have gone with.

I saw this over the weekend as well and wanted to echo the praise here. The show was absolutely delightful from start to finish. The performances were all top notch, and to borrow a term used earlier in this thread, I loved the zaniness of the direction. The bits of audience interaction (that I assume) were added for this production were hysterical. If you can, definitely get to Pittsfield to catch this before the run ends on Saturday.

The Papp "Pirates" is actually licensed now, because it's proven so popular over time.

So jealous of everyone who got to see it. I couldn't get anyone to drive to Barrington with me to see it. I'm hoping it transfers because I'm a fan of Will Swenson.

A friend and I saw the show last night and really enjoyed it. It's a very high-spirited, fast moving and funny rendition. Will Swenson owned the stage but didn't hog the limelight. I am a Bergasse fan and thought the choreography, particularly for the police officers, was great. Alex Gibson as the sergeant was hilarious with moves so sinuous it seems he doesn't have a bone in his body.

I liked the breaking of the fourth wall at the end with some topical (theater related) jokes, and Swenson looked to be having fun with it.

The only aspect of the production I felt fell a bit short was with enunciation. As previously stated, the women's chorus was not easily understood, and I also didn't think David Garrison as the major general got the words out well enough. I am hardly a Gilbert and Sullivan expert, but I did see the 1980 version at the Delacorte and have seen another production in the years intervening. I don't remember missing as much of the text as I did last night.

I know Jane Carr is a highly respected professional, but I thought she played up the comedy at the expense of the sound she was producing. (She was very funny.) I saw her in Gentleman's Guide and thought she sounded better singing that music.

The crowd was quite enthusiastic overall, so it must just be me!

I thought Scarlett Strallen did a nice job as Mabel.

On-stage seats looked as though they would give a good view, although of course from the extreme sides, and the cast members interacted often with the eight people sitting there. They seem to having a lot of fun. That seating is not for introverts though! My friend and I were happy in Row J in the orchestra. Nice theater.

We stayed at the Hotel on North, a boutique hotel about a half block away. The hotel is lovely, recently renovated/constructed, and filled with charm and interesting bits of the past. We liked the comfortable beds and welcoming staff. We ate all our meals there too. After the show, quite a few audience members and a few cast members repaired to the spacious bar area and it was a nice, laid-back scene. Highly recommended!

Pittsfield has a long way to go before it's gentrified, but in a few years it might be a hot spot. I bet the Barrington Stage is helping the city along. We were very glad we made the trip!

Updated On: 8/12/16 at 09:07 PM

I saw this a few weeks ago, and absolutely adored it. Will Swenson was terrific and Kyle Dean Massey was even better. Jane Carr and Scarlet Strallen and the girls who played the sisters were all pitch perfect.

And the direction and choreography were flawless--and fun!

The whole thing was completely enjoyable--and a very pregnant Audra was there lovingly watching her handsome and talented husband.

So it seems as though it's transferring, right? Taylor Frey posted something about it and Kyle Dean Massey retweeted.