'Pirates of Penzance' is just a load of fun

Pirates is perhaps Gilbert and Sullivan's best known light opera. The show follows Frederic in his attempt to leave the apprenticeship with the world's most ineffectual pirates and start an honest life. This ambition is hampered by his overwhelming dedication to duty. For Frederic even marriage is a matter of duty. When his loyalty to his pirate comrades, his bride-to-be and his law-abiding conscience come into conflict, he is at a loss. The entire show is a blaze of action and music. The costumes are very good, and they are sufficiently gaudy to fit with the melodramatic tone of the play. The music, featuring tunes that can be recognized from countless advertisements, is always upbeat and brightly performed. The highlight of the show was the performance of David White as the Modern Major General. With just a few gestures, he effectively created the character as a weak and self-important buffoon. White's verbal dexterity was even more impressive, as he wrestled with the opera's most absurdly contrived rhymes and made every word fully intelligible. His grotesque attempt at ballet, although less than dextrous, was wildly applauded. Engineering junior David Quart was also impressive as Frederic. He was amiably geeky, trying to smile through life despite always tripping over his hypertrophied sense of duty. College senior Susan Poliniak's performance as Frederic's fiance Mabel was not so strong. One of Gilbert and Sullivan's most difficult parts, the role requires a highly skillful soprano. Although Poliniak easily handled the vocal gymnastics, her high-pitched warble obscured most of her words. Those in the female chorus were much better, perfectly portraying their roles as giggling, bitchy airheads as both irritating and sympathetic. Playing the soft-hearted pirates and cowardly policemen, the male chorus was equally good. They combined clear, skillful singing with over-the-top slapstick. The scene with a dozen Keystone Kop lookalikes with monstrous moustaches rendering A Policeman's Lot was very comical, although Wharton senior James Mendelsohn, playing the police sergeant, lacked the power for the lead part. The Pirates of Penzance continues tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Zellerbach Theatre in the Annenberg Center. Tickets cost $5 and are on sale on Locust Walk.

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