CENTERVILLE, Utah, Aug. 17, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — No one ever accused Gilbert and Sullivan of being too subtle, sober or serious in their comic operettas.
No, the Victorian-era partners took a giddy joy in poking fun of the serious, skewering the upper social strata, and pushing the comedy beyond its reasonable limits.
We’ll never know, of course, what the duo would have thought of a theater company that pushed “Pirates of Penzance” even further. But the audience at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre, in Centerville, seems pretty giddy about the current production.
What if, for example, the director/choreographer Liz Christensen decided to turn dance numbers into something that would impress the scholars at Monty Python’s Ministry of Silly Walks? With elbows flying in unison, and knees that bend forward, but also right and left?
And what if she threw in a Three Stooges move or two?
Back all that up with the technical and design support up to the usual high standards. Costumes are by Jeana Forthman and Nita Smith, with sets by Bryon Christensen. And music director Anthony T. Buck leads a talented cast through some of the trickiest, tongue-twistiest lyrics in musical theater.
(Dare: You take a stab at “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General,” seen here in an English National Opera production.)
All the actors in the lead and ensemble roles are strong and talented in the Monday/Wednesday/Friday cast, which was reviewed, but CenterPoint is well know for having top local talent in all its double-cast shows.
The show will leave you a little exhausted, but it’s not totally clear whether it’s from a slightly long show or just all the laughing.
For anyone who is looking for a show with layer upon layer of silliness, “The Pirates of Penzance” is for you. It plays every day except Sundays now through Sept 1. For more information about the theater or how to get tickets, click here.
