The Pirates of Penzance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Pirates of Penzance |
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Poster, ca. 1880
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| Written by | W. S. Gilbert (words) Arthur Sullivan (music) |
| Characters | Major-General Stanley Pirate King Frederic Sergeant of Police Mabel Ruth |
| Date of premiere | 31 December 1879 (New York) 3 April 1880 (London) |
| Place of premiere | Fifth Avenue Theatre New York City, New York Opera Comique London, England |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Duty |
| Genre | Operetta |
| Setting | Penzance, Cornwall, England, ca. 1879 |
The Pirates of Penzance is a super fun and famous musical show, called an operetta. It was created by the amazing team of Gilbert and Sullivan. This show is the fifth of their fourteen operettas. It first opened in London on April 3, 1880, at the Opera Comique. The show was very popular and played for almost a whole year, with 363 performances!
A Show with Two Premieres
The creators, Gilbert and Sullivan, along with their manager Richard D'Oyly Carte, traveled to New York City in October 1879. They were there to present another one of their popular shows, H.M.S. Pinafore.
While in New York, Sullivan finished writing the music for The Pirates of Penzance. To make sure no one else could copy their new show without permission, they had to open it in New York first. So, Pirates had its very first performance in New York City on December 31, 1879. Sullivan himself conducted the music!
But they also needed to protect their show in Britain. So, just one day before the New York premiere, on December 30, 1879, a special performance was held in a small town called Paignton, England. The singers used costumes from their other show, Pinafore, and sang from handwritten music sheets that had just arrived from the United States. This quick performance helped them get the British copyright.
Meet the Characters
The Pirates of Penzance has many memorable characters. Here are some of the main ones:
- Pirate King: The leader of the pirates.
- Samuel: The Pirate King's helper.
- Frederic: A young man who was accidentally apprenticed to pirates.
- Ruth: A "piratical maid of all work" who raised Frederic.
- Sergeant of Police: The leader of the police force.
- Major-General Stanley: A very clever general.
- Mabel: One of Major-General Stanley's many daughters.
- Edith, Kate, and Isabel: Also daughters of Major-General Stanley.
Modern Adaptations
In 1980, an American director named Joseph Papp created a new version of The Pirates of Penzance. This version was first performed outdoors in Central Park in New York City. It was so successful that it moved to Broadway, which is famous for its big theater shows. Later, it also played in London's West End.
This popular version was even made into a movie in 1983! The movie starred famous actors like Angela Lansbury, pop singer Linda Ronstadt, and Kevin Kline.
Images for kids
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Drawing of the Act I finale
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The Pirate Publisher – An International Burlesque that has the Longest Run on Record, from Puck, 1886. This drawing shows how some people copied books and plays without permission.
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Poster for the special copyright performance at Paignton
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George Grossmith as General Stanley, wearing a famous moustache style.
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Marion Hood as Mabel.
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George Power, the first Frederic in London.
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"Have mercy on us!"
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Drawing of Richard Temple as the Pirate King.
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Isabel Jay as Mabel.
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1880 poster.
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1881 programme cover.
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Drawing from a children's Pirates programme, 1884.
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Opera Australia's 2007 touring production of Pirates, with Anthony Warlow as the Pirate King.
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The Major-General carries an encyclopedia in this drawing.
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Wallpaper showing characters from Pirates and other Savoy operas.
See also
In Spanish: The Pirates of Penzance para niños
