Was dragged there by family for the 2pm show today, was ready to be underwhelmed for 2 hours. obviously not, or i wouldn't be posting this now.
TL;DR: no joke, buy tickets to see this thing by UofM students before it is over. they were great. according to the schedule there are still shows on the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th.
for real. Wow!
i'm pretty sure UoM isn't "known" for the school of music, theatre and dance as they are for their other programs, but fuckin' a that performance was amazing.
it would be obvious to single out the leads, but the entire cast did fantastic work and the orchestra crammed into that small space in the mendelson theater was tight {musically and literally} as f.
hey orchestra people, a couple times, i forgot you guys were there and playing live. seamless! bravo orchestra!
seriously, when i'm not consciously aware of the instruments in a musical and it is just all a part of the atmosphere of the experience but then i snap to and realize it's all being played live and look down (we were in the balcony) and see you guys doing your thing... fantastic!
as an aside- [mr. stand up bass, why'd you switch to an electric for a bit during the intermission?]
afterwards when my kids were matching actors to roles in the program, they couldn't decide who they liked best. psst- hey troupe/company members, some of you were their favorites, computed by whichever matrix children decide things, so kudos to you, and it proves the point that the things you embody in the chorus DO make a HUGE difference to the performance and we notice them
leads, well, {slackjawed in awe}. all of you were fantastic. i mean, really fantastic. like there are some names we think we will hear about in the future fantastic.
voices, acting, dance. you all make the school of MTD something to really pay attention to.
you all deserved that standing ovation, and i usually sit during those at school plays when the elders in the audience do it as a matter of course and not because it is earned. the cast at the 2pm show on sunday earned it.
BTW: Thanks for all the tap! unexpected, and it made us all super happy.
Edit- superfluous hashtags in lieu of in depth commentary on a couple of individual performances: #thempipeswow #the3rdstandsfortriplethreat
requested by /u/Kody02
whimsical is the perfect word to define Wilford Leach's "The Pirates of Penzance." full of conspiring, unauthorized men who perform the act of piracy, the film is subdued with dizzying amounts of chanting vocals and musical accomplishments. these are people who always have a pep in their step, along with an endless tune swaying around inside their heads. with the gift of talented vocal range, they manage to create and settle differences with one another. the sense of adventure hardly ever comes from sailing ships, sword fights, or golden treasures. instead, it's precedented by competently staged confrontations.
the story centers around Frederic (Rex Smith), who was sent in the care of his nursemaid, Ruth (Angela Lansbury), to be apprenticed to a pilot. but she misunderstood her instructions, being hard of hearing, and apprenticed him instead to the Pirate King (Kevin Kline). now turning 21 years old, his service is finished, so he decides to leave the Pirates of Penzance. Ruth joins along with Fredric, but he grows weary of having her be the only woman in his life. he's very open about his thoughts on Ruth's equivalence to other women, and puts it to the test once he scurries out on his own and runs into a group of young maidens.
Fredric quickly tries to please the girls through song, but he simultaneously diminishes them in the process, causing a scornful response (also in song). turns out these maidens are the daughters of Major-General Stanley (George Rose), a stern man who also has a sense of humor. before too long, Frederic falls in love with one of the daughters, Mabel (Linda Ronstadt). he gains a strong "sense of duty" and vows to lead a blameless life and to exterminate the pirates. soon, however, the pirates return and seize the girls. their father then arrives and lies to the pirates, telling them that he is an orphan. he knows that they were orphans themselves, and would never attack one of their kind.
after the pirates leave, General Stanley wrestles with his conscience, having told a lie. Mabel and Frederic try to cheer him up, and Frederic has engaged the constabulary to help him defeat the pirates. what follows is a conundrum in which Fredric is lured back by the Pirate King and Ruth to join their side and stay in his indentures. the police also happen to get themselves involved, as they can always smell when trouble is afoot. their team is r
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This show is the most ridiculous one I've been in this far. It's hard as hell for me to not even crack up during rehearsals!
Has anyone else done this show yet? Was is just as fun for you as it is for me? XD
If anybody needs a ticket for the London to Penzance service on Thursday at 5 let me know (seat reservation and everything). I can no longer use it and there are no refunds. First come first serve! Cheers
Iβm a 22 year old female and fed up of living in London. I really want to learn to surf, can already skateboard. I work as a remote front end developer so can work anywhere and I really like the look of Penzance. I would move abroad but have to stay in UK at the moment for family reasons. Would you guys say Penzance is a friendly place? Do people have pretty open mind sets? Is the surf pretty consistent down there? How expensive would you say it is to live there? Whatβs the best way to find short term rentals done there and house mates?
Really looking forward to checking the place out. It looks beautiful!
Edit: noticed the title error - donβt know how to change it lol!!
I think it would fit and be hilarious. Plus ISIS probably wouldn't like it.
