ceebeegee | Weather and Pirates...

It's been horrible lately, meteorologically speaking. All last week, it was frigid, in the 20s every day. Friday was especially bad--Doug and I went to see The Pirates of Penzance at the City Center, and it was brutal walking around afterward. Then Saturday we were hit with a fuckwad of snow, something like 2 feet, plus hurricane force winds in some places. I went over to Hoboken Saturday night to help celebrate Doug's birthday (again) and although it was snowing like mad, the trip over wasn't too bad. Coming back though Sunday evening though--walking up Broadway in the dark and the wind, it was really, really bad. Nothing I did made me warmer and I discovered the temperature was 8 degrees, and it must have been lower with the wind chill. Yuck! Make it stop! I want spring, I want summer, I want skimpy clothes and flip flops and lying out on the Coney Island Beach, soaking up the sun!

So. Anyway. I really liked Pirates. I've seen this many times (and have sung it twice--once I was a regular daughter, once I was Kate) and love this show. The thing is, sometimes a lot of the humor is lost if it's not well-directed or cast for people who can only sing, and can't act to save their lives. It's a shame if non-G&S aficionados don't have fun, because it's an HILARIOUS show. The lyrics are so clever and funny--I LOVE when the daughters are singing to the cops about how glorious their deaths will be:

Go to death, and go to slaughter;
Die, and every Cornish daughter
With her tears your grave shall water.
Go, ye heroes, go and die!

And Frederic trying to convince the daughters to give him a shot:

Oh, is there not one maiden here
Whose homely face and bad complexion
Have caused all hope to disappear
Of ever winning man's affection?

Naturally they all say no! (God, I love this show. I had the hardest time not leaping up to start singing with the other girls. We have missed our opportunity/Of escaping with impunity/So farewell to the felicity of our maiden domesticity/We shall quickly be parsonified/Conjugally matrimonified/By a doctor of divinity who is located in this vicinity...) This production was very well directed. Very, very tight, very precise, VERY funny. The policemen made me laugh out loud and I've NEVER found the policemen funny. One of the best bits was at the end of "With cat-like tread..." when they reprised the verse again--the pirates turned around with glittery top hats and did the Chorus Line dance! Brilliant!

Hal Linden was great, very un-hammy, very well-acted. Small quibble--I thought the Mable was a little too old. She sounded fine--I've heard better but she was pretty good. But just a little past her prime. I was comparing her to one of my Mabels who was the best I've ever heard, and looked about 12 with long dark cascading curls. (Terry was awesome. And what a sweetheart too.) The Frederic was a better actor than most I've seen, and was a pretty decent singer. The Pirate King was a little too by-the-book but sounded great. Interestingly I thought the men's ensemble was a little better than the women's--tighter, better directed. The women were a little sloppy with endings.

Doug and I went backstage to say hello to my friend Katie (a daughter) afterward. At one point Hal Linden shuffled by us and we nudged each other. Katie came out and we ended up going out for a drink with her and her sister. BRUTALLY cold outside. But we had fun anyway.

I can't wait to put on Pirates myself. I will be a kickass Pirate King. Or Queen. I haven't decided yet.