Why no Gilbert and Sullivan Revivals?

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 6:35pm

Why are their works almost never revived on or Off Broadway?

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 7:08pm

Actually, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, which tour all over the country, do several (short) runs at City Center each year. However, the only G&S that would have commercial appeal to Broadway fans is The Pirates of Penzance, which had a very successful Broadway revival in the 1980’s.

They are essentially operas, albeit “light operas” or operettas, not musicals.

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 7:31pm

There was a smashing Pirates done at Barrington Stage in Pittsfield about 2 years ago, directed by John Rando, that I thought might make its way to the Main Stem.

Will Swenson starred as the Pirate King, Kyle Dean Massey as Frederick, Scarlett Strallen as Mabel, and a hilarious Alex Gibson as the sergeant of the police. It moved like the wind, was beautifully sung, and filled with barrels of laughs. With the right marketing, I think this terrific production could have been successful here in NY.

[tomwsjr]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 7:35pm

I’d love to see a revival of The Pirates of Penzance!!!!!!!

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 8:22pm

Pirates was OUTSTANDING at Barrington. It was so well put together and was worthy of transferring to Broadway. That being said, it would have likely had the same fate as On the Town, which also was fabulous at Barrington. 

Even though G&S companies are fairly common, most people aren’t that interested. A few concerts with established names, ala Encores? I think they would be well received.

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 8:52pm

The 1980 Broadway production was so well-reviewed that even Frank Rich gave it a near rave:

LAST night Joseph Papp's production of ''The Pirates of Penzance'' sailed into the Uris, and, yes, it is every bit as wonderful on Broadway in January as it was in Central Park in July.

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/09/theater/stage-pirates-of-penzance-on-broadway.html?pagewanted=all

It starred Kevin Kline, Lovely Linda Ronstadt, Patricia Routledge and George Rose as the very model of a modern Major General.

And a film was released in 1983 with the same cast except Angela Lansbury replaced Routledge.

The film was a box office bust apparently due in part to some labor strife that was in progress, but the DVD received on Amazon 4.6 out of 5 with over 650 reviews. On IMDB it did 7.2 out of 10.

And, if you can find one, a DVD was produced from the original Central Park production. What it lacks in audio and video quality is said to be made up for by the excitement of the live theater.

Here is a live performance from the original Central Park production with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt and mostly George Rose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSGWoXDFM64

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 10:07pm

IMO, unless done by a non-profit for a limited engagement, I do not think G&S can succeed at the box office today. Again IMO, G&S is seriously dated, unless you happen to like operetta; I doubt that there is much of an audience for it.  

Have to admit that I have hated every production of G&S that I have ever seen.  Even the 1980 production in which I had great seats.  I find myself smiling for about 15 minutes, then I realize that I am bored, then I realize that I am very bored, then I can't wait to leave.  To me, they are just too precious for modern audience tastes. 

So, why was the 1980 production a hit?  Well, first of all, it had a stellar cast (Linda Ronstadt was huge at the time, Kevin Kline was getting increasing recognition, etc.), it was well produced, well staged and choreographed, well performed, and the critics loved it.  The only thing wrong with it was most of the G&S songs and the overall silliness, most of which wasn't actually funny, again IMO.  I think I am a typical, pretty regular theatre-goer and, unless there was a monster cast, I cannot imagine purchasing tickets unless the cast was incredible, a even then I would probably pass.  I know that many will disagree with me and cite the 2 year run.  At today's prices, I don't see it.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 10:24pm

I loved the Barrington Pirates of Penzance as well; one of my all-time favorite regional shows I've seen. I wish it transferred to Broadway, especially with that cast!!

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 11:15pm

The “big three” of the G&S shows are Pirates, HMS Pinafore, and The Mikado. I’ve done all three and love all three, but Mikado can’t be done anymore because yes, it’s totally racist (but still funny), and Pinafore is for opera and classical music fans only. It’s kinda like Pirates or nothin if you want to get butts in seats.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 11:42pm

I wonder how audiences would react to an all Japanese cast performing The Mikado, especially if done in the style of traditional Japanese theatre, a la Pacific Overtures.

[ddenoff2]

Posted: 1/8/18 at 11:46pm

Stay tuned, fans!

Updated On: 1/9/18 at 11:46 PM

[chewy5000]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 1:00am

Pirates is probably their only show with the necessary pizzazz for today's theatre scene, however I'm very partial to both Patience and Gondoliers (which has their best score, IMHO)

[OlBlueEyes]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 1:16am

Have to admit that I have hated every production of G&S that I have ever seen. Even the 1980 production in which I had great seats. I find myself smiling for about 15 minutes, then I realize that I am bored, then I realize that I am very bored, then I can't wait to leave. To me, they are just too precious for modern audience tastes.
 

I guess that most people would agree with you, since there are, as noted, no G&S revivals around. But in that clip from Central Park everyone seemed to be having an awful lot of fun. I guess that was due to George Rose more than anything, and his delivery of a G&S song that is still memorable if not coverable.

Does anyone wonder about the lack of general interest in this country, extending I believe to the musical theater community, in grand opera? The operas that are regularly produced around the world have certainly withstood the test of time, going back hundreds of years to Mozart. It appears to be most popular among the wealthy and those highly educated in the liberal and performing arts. Among the well-known operas that attract the most attention is Carmen, which just happens to have the greatest number of "hit" songs. I remember that Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass did a five or six minute track incorporating the famous themes from Carmen.

 

[rougeduck]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 1:24am

The Hypocrites brought their super-fun immersive Pirates to the Skirball Center last month! It was naughty, nautical fun for the whole family.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 1:29am

Princess Ida---now THAT is a beautiful G&S score.

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 3:26am

rougeduck said: "The Hypocrites brought their super-fun immersive Pirates to the Skirball Centerlast month! It was naughty, nautical fun for the whole family."

It's starting a 4 week run at the Pasadena Playhouse later this month.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 4:09am

Ruddigore has potential and could be spectacular.  However, all the operettas need dusting down and a small helping of irreverence to give them wider appeal.

[Fan123]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 5:24am

I agree that 'Ruddigore' could be fun. Perhaps speaking only for myself, back in the day I didn't intuitively 'get' the show's title, until I read the libretto and realised it's a gothic melodrama parody. Some kind of super-obvious Tim Burton / Addams Family-style marketing might help modern audiences understand what they would be in for. Maybe 'Patience' could work these days as well; Bunthorne was a hipster before it was cool! (In fact, quick googling indicates that some modern productions have emphasised that parallel.)

Personally, if I knew that one or two proven comedians or comic actors were cast in a G&S production, a la Eric Idle in 'The Mikado', that might get me through the door. Maybe other modern audience members would feel the same way, if the names were big enough? Casting opera stars, for example, isn't going to pull mainstream crowds these days. And there's nothing worse than sitting through a G&S production that has been cast with singers who have zero comic timing.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 5:45am

OlBlueEyes said: "Have to admit that I have hated every production of G&S that I have ever seen. Even the 1980 production in which I had great seats. I find myself smiling for about 15 minutes, then I realize that I am bored, then I realize that I am very bored, then I can't wait to leave. To me, they are just too precious for modern audience tastes.


I guess that most people would agree with you, since there are, as noted, no G&S revivals around. But in that clip from Central Park everyone seemed to be having an awful lot of fun. I guess that was due to George Rose more than anything, and his delivery of a G&S song that is still memorable if not coverable.

Does anyone wonder about the lack of general interest in this country, extending I believe to the musical theater community, ingrand opera? The operas that are regularly produced around the world have certainly withstood the test of time, going back hundreds of years to Mozart. It appears to be most popular among the wealthy and those highly educated in the liberal and performing arts. Among the well-known operas that attract the most attention is Carmen, which just happens to have the greatest number of "hit" songs. I remember that Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass did a five or six minute track incorporating the famous themes from Carmen.

"

They are such different art forms, that I'm not suprised by indifference from the musical theatre audience. Personally, I can't stand opera.   I've tried numerous times to be  a fan, most recently in November when my son and I went to the Met.   Couldn't stand it.  Neither of us could connect with it..   We left at second intermission.   

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 10:11am

Yeah, the audience for opera is getting smaller and smaller. I really like opera MUSIC but after having seen fifteen or so operas I can say that opera, for me at least, is usually not very compelling theatrically. It’s for classical music lovers, not theater people.

That said, the G&S shows are operettas - an opera/musical theatre hybrid, and therefore generally more accessible than opera to those who typically attend musical theater.

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 10:14am

I was very close last year to directing a slightly adapted "Mikado, but with Vikings." Since the world of Titipu has approximately as much resemblance to actual Japanese culture and language as it does to the land of the Norse, it isn't that big of a shift, and still allows for the prominent use of axes.

[Guildenstern]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 10:32am

The Jonathan Miller Mikado still works well. As it's a satire on British society, transporting it to a hotel lobby, inhabited St Trinian's schoolgirls and golf-playing toffs, seemed to do the business.

[OuttaTowner]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 5:19pm

The Barrington Pirates had onstage seating and clocked in at a bit over two hours - just right. The recent Pirates at Skirball was a little too immersive for me, but was still fun. If they remounted the Rando production, I’d snatch up tix!

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 5:38pm

My best friend is involved with the Hypocrites and has done all three of their g&s shows in various locations across the country (but didn't come to NYC with it). Their Makato proved it could still be done and not be seen as racist. They cut out all the mentions of "Japan" (changing lyrics to "we are citizens of this land" ) and nothing in the design was remotely Asian/Japanese. 

[AuroratheGeek]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 10:11pm

About 10 years ago now the Huntington Theater did a show called Pirates! Plundered which I adored. It was very much in the Pirates of the Caribbean heyday and really reflected that with a barely veiled Jack Sparrow as the pirate king.

It was a marvelous production and I adored the Caribbean feel they gave the score. I would kill for a audio recording!

I gather that the one or two big review venues in Boston didn't love it and so it never made it to New York.