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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2016)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2016 7 A ‘Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here’ for LRP’s ‘Pirates’ ‘Pirates of Penzance’ Review B Y B URNEY G ARELICK That’s the first tune you hear when the orchestra plays the overture to Last Resort Players’ (LRP) “The Pirates of Penzance,” now playing at the Florence Events Center. Actually, the words are: “With Cat-Like Tread, Upon Our Prey We Steal.” But these pirates are anything but stealthy. Cat bur- glars they are not. These pirates are soft-hearted poets and bun- glers, rather like the Keystone Kops, the Penzance police keeping the peace on the shores of Cornwall in nineteenth cen- tury England. Penzance also includes impetuous, perplexed young lovers and a doting daddy gen- eral and his brood of weather girls in this zany musical come- dy by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. The show debutted in 1879 in New York and in 1880 in London and became a beloved classic throughout the world, along with other Gilbert and Sullivan shows like “H.M.S. Pinafore” and “The Mikado.” in Verdi’s “Il Trovatore,” which premiered in 1853. The Cat- Tread song parodied “The Anvil Chorus,” which was also paro- died in Popeye and Bugs Bunny cartoons, among other works. “Hail, Hail the Gang’s All Here” was a pop song written in 1917, and it has never stopped hailing lyrics. Music is not bound by time or space. With lots of singing and lots of action and exquisite timing, “The Pirates of Penzance” is a difficult show to mount, and Last Resort Players director Leah Goodwin has done a mas- PHOTO BY KATHLEEN WENZEL terful job blocking the actors in Jim Wellington fills the stage as the “very image of the tandem with music director modern major general” in Last Resort Players’ “Pirates of Jennifer Weier and music Penzance.” It opens this weekend and continues Nov. 11 Aaargh-tistic director Laura to 13. Merz. Weier’s orchestra includes a dozen players, many That’s pretty good for a couple Pirates of Penzance” has a sub- of whom are members of the of musicians who preferred to title: “The Slave of Duty.” Oregon Coast Chamber write serious music and dramat- Unlike Broadway musical Orchestra. ic plays. comedies, operetta has more Applause and armloads of “The Pirates of Penzance” is singing than dialogue, and in “aaaarghs” to all the performers an operetta, sometimes called Gilbert and Sullivan shows, the for striking dexterity and har- light opera. Don’t worry; you’re lyrics are tricky — voluminous mony. not being coerced into four rhyming words at breakneck Special kudos to Sean hours of droning Wagner, how- speed, a little bit like rap and Abplanalp, Hilary Roach, ever grand that can be. Operetta hip hop in Lin-Manuel Crystal Farnsworth, Jim is light on drama and tragedy, Miranda’s spectacular Wellington, Sandy Vaccaro and light on endless arias by dying “Hamilton,” currently taking Dana Rodet. divas and light on plot and char- Broadway by storm. In fact, Abplanalp, a tall drink of acter, more akin to melodrama Miranda pays homage to water, plays innocent young with its dastardly villains, pure Gilbert and Sullivan in his Frederic, the tenor hero and heroes and damsels in distress. songs, just as Gilbert and pirate apprentice sworn to And like melodrama, “The Sullivan paid homage to a song uphold his duty, no matter what pitfalls he encounters. Roach is Mabel, the soprano diva, his first love, and wise to the world. Roach delivers several send-ups of grand opera belle canto singing that would delight Gilbert and Sullivan. Farnsworth plays Ruth, Frederic’s long-suffering nurse maid and the pirate workhorse. While her character is not very good at distinguishing “pilot” from “pirate,” Farnsworth’s singing is, like her name, crys- tal clear. Veteran Florence actor Wellington as Major-General Stanley, with big yellow brick- like epaulets, gets the show- stopping song, “I am the Very Model of a Modern Major- General,” a tongue-twisting rhyme-bashing recitation of his dubious resume, and he handles it with aplomb. This song has been parodied many times; the best rendition is satirist Tom Lehrer’s “Elements” in which every single element is so beau- tifully enunciated you think you’ve been to “Hahvard” where the elements have been “discahvered.” Vaccaro is the swashbuckling Pirate King, and his hearty voice is at its wittiest at word play, such as the “orphan” and “often” banter with the Major- General and the Paradox song (“Now For the Pirates’ Lair”) when he and Ruth tell Frederic the truth about his birthday. Veteran actor Rodet is hilarious as the Sergeant of Police, a manic, tap dancing athletic wiz- ard who traverses the entire stage in seconds, organizing his police. Rodet’s singing patter speeds like a bullet train but renders every syllable sparkling clear. A policeman’s lot may not be happy, but Rodet’s stage presence is a treat. The pirates, fetching daugh- ters, and cops are splendidly attired, thanks to Douglas Hansen’s costuming expertise. Each of the two acts has its own stunning set, from the pirate ship to the moonlight chapel. The walkway that departs one side of the stage, surrounds the orchestra, and returns to the other side of the stage is a styl- ish podium for solos and sotto voce commentary. This produc- tion abounds with all kinds of harmony! In conclusion, LRP catches the rollicking riff of Gilbert and Sullivan and runs with it for a home run in this delightful pro- duction of “The Pirates of Penzance.” The show plays Nov. 4, 5 and 6 and Nov. 11, 12 and 13 at the FEC, 715 Quince St. Join the gang ‘cause here’s where it’s at! Voyage ‘Down a Classic Country Road’ set to begin next week Fresh from two week-long engagements at Seven Feathers Casino, Florence’s Buck and A Quarter Band returns with another memorable classic country music show this November. “Down a Classic Country Road” features musical direc- tor, arranger, keyboardist and vocalist Marty Adams in a familiar role. Lending his vocal talents to classic hits from Jerry Lee Lewis to Sonny James and John Denver, Adams gives his usual stellar effort to these hit songs. Adams spent many years in Hollywood recording studios as a keyboard player, and recently released a new gospel album entitled “Power of Nature’s Corner Cafe & Market B R E A K FA S T • L U N C H • D I N N E R Specializing in the Finest Organic Foods B AKERY • E SPRESSO • D ELI Supporting Local Food Vendors Meats • Produce • Dairy • Bulk Foods Frozen • Gluten Free • Supplements 10% OFF G ROCERIES ON W EDNESDAY Come in & order your Fresh Thanksgiving Turkey For the Holidays! Hours: Monday through Sat: 7am-6pm • Sunday: 7am-3:30 185 Hwy 101 • Florence • 541-997-0900 • Food to Go www.naturescornercafe.com • WiFi Available Siuslaw News Photo of the Week: Grace,” which can be found on iTunes. Mike Jacobson wrote and directed last year’s popular “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes? A Classic Country Retrospective,” and has put together another show in the same style. Jacobson performed with such diverse talents as Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Jerry Lewis, and George Hamilton as well as appearing in numerous musical theater productions, and the Colgate/Texaco Country Showdown. In this new production, Jacobson tackles songs by artists such as Steve Goodman, Johnny Horton, Eddie Arnold and Freddy Fender. Joining Adams and Jacobson will be Doug Bushwar, who played guitar for the The Maddox Brothers and Rose. Doug’s guitar and vocals were a memorable part of last year’s show, and he brings his considerable talents to some great new renditions of classic tunes, ranging from Elvis to Hank Locklin. Also returning is bass player Earl Knight, who played with Merle Haggard, and does a great job with the vocals on By Janine Burgess COURTESY PHOTO “Down a Country Road” stars Buck and A Quarter Band. classic Merle hits. last year’s “Who’s Gonna Fill Denise Dee, who many will Their Shoes?,” you are sure to remember from her beautiful enjoy “Down a Classic Country rendition of “Stand By Your Road.” Man” by Tammy Wynette, The show will be performed rounds out the vocals with at the CROW Center for the songs by Patsy Cline, Patti Performing Arts, 3120 Page and Kay Starr. Highway 101, on Nov. 11,12 Dee is also known for her and 13 and 18, 19 and 20. beautiful jazz singing, and has Showtimes are Fridays and performed with Harold Jackson Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sunday of the Ink Spots, and the talent- matinees at 2 p.m. ed jazz duo On The Wing. Her Tickets are $15 per person versatility is evident in songs and can be purchased by calling like “Blue Bayou” by Roy 541-999-9671 or in person at Orbison. Best For Hearing or On Your Holding everything together Feet With A Splash. rhythmically with his outstand- A portion of each ticket sold ing drumming is Florence will go to benefit Children’s native Bob Severy. Repertory of Oregon If you enjoyed the Ink Spots Workshops (CROW). tribute “If I Didn’t Care” and DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR COPY? Est. 1936 SUBMIT PHOTOS (JPEGS) BY EMAIL TO E DITOR @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . 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