One of the leads is played by a relative newcomer to the area. Dr. John W. Campbell gets to sing one of the all-time great songs in the history of theatre.
Let’s hear from Major General Stanley:
Q: For those who aren’t up on Gilbert & Sullivan (shame on ‘em), tell us the basic story of The Pirates of Penzance.
John: Boy meets girl. They fall in love. Obstacles arise - he’s a pirate, she’s a major general’s daughter; the pirates want to kidnap and marry all the daughters but the father objects; the boy learns he has obligations to the pirates for many more years to come, but she will wait for him; etc. - and are overcome through clever plot twists.
Q: Tell us about the character you play.
Q: Tell us about the character you play.
John: Major General Stanley sings about himself in one of the best-known songs from the show, “The Modern Major General.” The song highlights his vast classical, esoteric but completely impractical knowledge base, in a spoof of military self-importance. He is clever, but also honest enough to experience remorse over lying to escape the pirates. And he is a lot of fun to play. As he sings at one point, “It is, it is a glorious thing to be a Major General” (stealing that lick from the Pirate King!).
Q: What's your favorite part (or song) of the show?
Q: What's your favorite part (or song) of the show?
John: There are so many hilarious moments that it is hard to narrow my favorite part to only one, but I’ll try. I am a musician in real life, and marvel at the truly beautiful tunes by Arthur Sullivan in this show. One of my favorites is the sweet, sweet air “Ah, leave me not to pine,” sung back and forth between Mabel and Frederick, but that ends each verse with a tongue-in-cheek “Fal la la la!” Our audience will be caught between real pathos and the utter silliness of the lyric. Exquisite! And very “Gilbert & Sullivan.”
Q: What's your background in theatre?
Q: What's your background in theatre?
John: Before moving to the area last August, I appeared on several stages in central Kentucky, most often with Georgetown Community Theatre. I have been privileged to play Tevye (Fiddler on the Roof with GCT), Warbucks (Annie, with Bluegrass Theatre Guild), Benjamin Franklin (1776 with Woodford Theatre), and Gus Klingman (Southern Comforts with Studio Players of Lexington), among other roles. I directed Music Man, The Sound of Music and Cinderella for Georgetown Community Theatre. Before that I have to leap back to high school and college productions, although I have directed or worked with church and college productions as part of my positions at various of those institutions.
Q: What's the most challenging thing for you about staging this show?
Q: What's the most challenging thing for you about staging this show?
John: We put this show together in about 5 weeks. A complete operetta using amateur actors, many of whom don’t read music or read it well, in only five weeks! And the results will astonish our audiences. It is a tribute to the hard work and genuine talent of the cast and production team.
Q: Tell us about the cast of the show - are you having fun working on this comic operetta?
Q: Tell us about the cast of the show - are you having fun working on this comic operetta?
John: This cast has been a true delight to work (and play) with. There are no divas, no super-egos to work around or put up with. It has been a team effort from the beginning, community theatre at its best.
Q: Why would you recommend this show to our readers?
Q: Why would you recommend this show to our readers?
John: First of all, because our audience will be thoroughly entertained. They will laugh and laugh and laugh at the slapstick, at the wit of the lyrics, at the posturing of the actors and their characters, and at the general silliness of the comic situations. They will have a good time, the best to be had in town these two weekends!
Secondly, it is a great show to serve as an introduction to live theatre. People who may not normally think of going to a live show will be very glad they saw this one, and just may get hooked. Movies and television can be great in their own ways, but neither comes close to the experience of live theatre.
Thirdly, while Pirates of Penzance is 130 years old, it is still a show that resonates with modern audiences, and it continues to play a role in popular culture. “Penzance” and its Gilbert & Sullivan siblings set the stage for Monty Python and much of the British (and by extension some American) sense of humor. This is a classic show - though not at all stodgy - and the “educated” individual (whatever that means exactly) really should be acquainted with it. You never know when it will show up on Jeopardy!
One last reason is that you never know who you may see on stage. The quiet co-worker suddenly is transformed into a pirate, larger than life! You may look at friends and acquaintances in a new light when you unexpectedly see them in a show. And that is a lot of fun.
Thanks, John! (And thanks to Stephen Vance for the photo!)Don't miss it!
1 comment:
Thanks, Chuck. I saw it Friday. Wonderful!
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