This week, the UCF Theatre Department opened its first musical of the season, The Pirates of the Penzance, on its main stage theatre. I had the opportunity to see it this Friday, October 23.
Pirates is an older musical, first being performed in 1879. It is about a young man who, in his twenty-first year, is no longer bound to the pirates and decides to leave them forever. I don’t want to tell you much more, for I don’t want to spoil any of the humor in the show.
The show blew me away. It reminded me of my childhood fantasies of what I thought pirates were. When I first walked in, the stage reminded me of a cartoon show, due to the obviously cardboard cut-out set pieces. The costumes also had a fantasy-like feeling to them, with many colors and layers instead of the rags the pirates in my history books always wore. The lighting was also fairly colorful, yet still lit the cast well. I think this was intended, especially with the way the storyline and songs developed.
The cast was amazing. I especially liked Terry Alfaro as Fredrick. I thought it was great how his facial expressions made the sometimes hard-to-understand, older English words into a more modern feeling. The ensemble as a whole also made the show entertaining with their great singing, dancing, and acting.
The Pirates of the Penzance is a great musical that everyone would enjoy. It’s full of humor and action, making it a perfect evening out. It will be playing in the UCF main stage theatre (across from the chemistry building) from October 22 to November 1. Student tickets can be purchased for $12 at the box office. You can also call (407) 823-1500.
For more information, check out the theatre department website at www.theatre.ucf.edu.
