'The Pirates of Penzance' Comes Back to Concord

CONCORD, NH - On the first weekend in May, the Community Players of Concord will reach deep into the past and bring back Gilbert and Sullivan's renowned comic opera, "The Pirates of Penzance," according to a press statement.

It is an historic production in more ways than one. Not only is the show more than 100 years old, but the Players -- itself one of New Hampshire's oldest artistic institutions, now in its 88th season - has not performed Gilbert & Sullivan for more than 70 years.

It was Karen Braz, director of the show, who persuaded the Players board to give G&S a shot again.

"I have loved this show for MANY years!" she said. "At age 12, instead of listening to the Beatles, I was playing my mother's LP record of the D'Oyly Carte production down in the TV room. That's what started my love of the show, which led to my being in it with the Northern New England Victorian Society at the Annicchiarico Theatre, and to my directing the Junior version at Bishop Brady High School. I actually never thought the Players would approve the show, but they did!"

Like all Gilbert and Sullivan shows, Pirates is a musical farce, with absurd characters stumbling through a ridiculous plot -- set to ravishingly beautiful music. The plot centers on Frederic, an apprentice pirate who doesn't really want to be a pirate, but is bound by the terms of his apprenticeship to serve the Pirate King. Frederic loves Mabel, one of the many daughters of the Major General. Mabel would marry Frederic, if only he weren't a pirate. The pirates are plotting to abduct Mabel and her sisters and marry them (they may be pirates, but they're honorable blokes in their own way). The Major General rounds up a posse of England's most timid policemen to stop them. Mayhem ensues.

As with most Players productions, the cast members run the gamut from seasoned performers to "newbies" feeling the theatre bug's first bite. The Pirates cast includes a few members with professional experience, and one amateur who is something of a Gilbert and Sullivan expert.

Laurence Weissbrot, who plays the Major General, has performed Pirates no less than five times previously (though never in this particular role). A recent transplant from Connecticut who is making his first appearance with the Players, "Laurie" has appeared in all fourteen G&S shows, knows all the major baritone roles, and has performed about half of them. "I auditioned for the Players with some trepidation," he admits. "I wasn't sure what to expect from a 'community theatre.' But I've been blown away. This is a fantastic group!"

Elliot Tardif, another newcomer to the Players, is perhaps the most experienced singer in the cast, having performed with professional opera companies from Rochester, NH, to Russia, Germany and Sweden. Like Weissbrot, he was half expecting a community theatre to have a "shallow pool" of talent, but quickly learned otherwise. "Listen," he says, "I've been in shows where people make a lot of money, and they're not half as good as here." Tardif is also new to Gilbert and Sullivan, and has found the role of Frederic -- the handsome young pirate apprentice -- much more challenging than he expected. "I thought Tamino [in Mozart's The Magic Flute] was hard. Frederic is a much harder role than Tamino!"

To Debra Buckley, who has been with the Players since 1996, the quality of the group is no surprise. She has played a wide variety of roles -- perhaps most memorably the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz -- and says, "For me it's all about having a great time creating something with people I love working with." Debra is no stranger to her role as Ruth, the hapless maid-of-all-work, either. She played the part in a professional production of Pirates at the New London Barn Playhouse, and won a New Hampshire Theatre Award for her performance.

Jillian Spring, who plays the Major General's daughter Mabel, has worked her way up through the ranks of the Players. First seen in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2003, and again in Titanic in 2004, Mabel is her first starring role.

"I love Pirates," she said, "and I'm having a great time. But it's more singing than I've ever had to do. I didn't even know I could hit an E-flat!"

Finally, Erik Peter Hodges, the Pirate King, got his start with the Players exactly 50 years ago - at age 10, in a children's production called Reynard the Fox -- and he's never looked back. While he may not be a "professional," Erik bristles at the notion that he's not a real actor.

"The only difference between an amateur and a professional is money, my friend. It's a big difference, but it's the only difference."

May 6th, 7th and 8th at the Concord City Auditorium, the Community Players of Concord, NH, will once again set out to prove that the "community" in community theatre only tells you who's in the show, and not how good they are. Come see for yourself! Tickets are on sale now at communityplayersofconcord.org. Prices are $20 for adults, $18 for juniors (under 18) and seniors (65+). Buy before May 4th and save $2 off each ticket. Show times are 7:30 pm Friday May 6th and Saturday May 7th, and 2:00 pm Sunday May 8th.

Caption: Elliot Tardif, left, and Erik Peter Hodges as Frederic and the Pirate King; Jillian Spring as Mabel; Debra Buckley and Erik Peter Hodges as Ruth and the Pirate King.