‘The Pirates of Penzance’ Preview: A Tale Filled With Love, Laughs, and Shenanigans

Duty, love, and tomfoolery take a starring role in the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club and Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ production of “The Pirates of Penzance”: the classic operetta by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, directed and choreographed by Alicia C. Chu ’28.

“It’s just an absolute magical time. It’s irreverent, it’s hilarious, it’s often slapstick at moments,” said Jack R. Damon ’28, the show’s pit and vocal music director.

“The Pirates of Penzance” has been consistently performed and adapted since its first production in 1879, including a recent Broadway reimagining (“Pirates! A Penzance Musical.”) The HRDC’s production will take the traditionalist approach. The operetta follows Frederic (Henry D. Pahlow ’28), a young man fresh out of his apprenticeship to a group of orphan-loving pirates, who falls in love with Mabel (Violet A. Paris-Hillmer ’29), the daughter of a Major-General (Weston B. Fox ’28) — a romance that inspires much jealousy in Frederic’s old nursemaid, Ruth (Eliza R. Zangerl ’26).

“It’s a very lighthearted operetta that features some hijinks — mistaken birthday-related and orphan-related,” Zangerl said.

Despite being written over 100 years ago, the plot is still relevant to students today. According to Chu, Frederic’s conflict between duty, finding his own path, and love mirrors a conflict that a lot of Harvard students face.

“I think a lot of people at Harvard also are constantly conflicted between their duty to maybe a career path that they think they should be following — and what maybe looks good on paper — looks good for a resume, but then at the end of the day, it’s like, ‘What do you really want to be doing, and how are you going to choose between the two of them?’” Chu said.

This show attracted many of the actors because it is an opera. Pahlow, Benjamin K. Pixley ’29, the Pirate King, and Zangerl all mentioned previous experience with opera, with Pixley mentioning that Gilbert and Sullivan operas specifically hold a special spot in his heart.

“Gilbert and Sullivan has been a big part of my life and my life and my family’s life. Growing up, we used to come and see the Gilbert installments each year, and so it’s really special that I’m able to be a part of it now that I’m here,” Pixley said.

Both Pahlow and Zangerl performed in Gilbert and Sullivan shows before. As a part of the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players, Zangerl performed the role of Phyllis in Iolanthe in 2022. Pahlow's experience goes back to high school, where he first played the role of Frederic in “The Pirates of Penzance.” By reprising the role of Frederic, Pahlow has further dove into the character.

“When I did the show before, I put a lot of the character work in, so it’s kind of fun to be revisiting the character, seeing what I can change from the last time I did it, what new things I’ve discovered, spending a little more time with him,” Pahlow said.

Chu and Damon are hoping that this show can revive the organization of the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players, as it has gone relatively “dormant” according to Chu, having not put on a full production in the past few years. As well as promoting the work of Gilbert and Sullivan, Damon hopes that the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players becomes a welcoming space for those exploring the arts at Harvard.

“I mean, we want our shows to be excellent, but also they’re fun shows, they’re comical. What's honestly more important is that everyone just has a great time, and that everyone is interested in breaking out of their comfort zone, and I guess, just pulling together and just making theater,” Damon said.

As music director, Damon conducts the pit orchestra in the same style as a classical orchestra and is very specific in terms of his expectations for the musicians in order to portray an artistic vision of the music scoring the operetta.

“I’m just going to be kind of a little bit pedantic about this, because that’s where I think a lot of your originality can come from — through finding what you think is most natural in the music, what is most natural in the singing, what is most natural in the words,” Damon said.

For the majority-underclassmen cast and crew participating, this production offers a segue into the Harvard arts scene. Zangerl gave a shout out to the first-years in the costume department, saying they made some of “the most beautiful costumes I’ve seen” at Harvard, and specifically complimenting the costumes’ historical accuracy and their smart use of budget. Chu hopes that by providing a positive first experience, this production can encourage underclassmen to continue being involved with theater for the rest of their time at Harvard.

“Rather than having the experience, we wanted to let more people into Harvard theater and just teach them the ropes through this show,” Chu said.

Despite its age, “The Pirates of Penzance” is still very accessible to a modern audience, Chu assures, as it is entirely in English and is very easy to understand. Ultimately, the comedic tone, music, and overall message of the show will appeal to many, according to the cast and crew.

“I think it’s really a sort of humor that transcends time, and there’s a lot of good laughs, there’s a lot of heart. The characters are really fun, and the music’s incredible,” Pahlow said.

“The Pirates of Penzance” runs at the Agassiz Theatre from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16.