Fine Arts Students Ready for Starring Role in “Pirates of Penzance”

Oh, happy day, with joyous glee.

The latest collaboration between Kansas Wesleyan and Theatre Salina is a revival of "The Pirates of Penance; or, The Slave of Duty." The production opens Friday, April 3.

Despite being 147 years old, premiering in 1879, the comic opera by Gilbert & Sullivan has remained ever youthful, hilarious and hopeful. It has been produced at Kansas Wesleyan and Theatre Salina in the past and at least 25 times on Broadway.

The farce follows young Frederic, an orphan who has been apprenticed to a raucous but ineffectual band of pirates. He disavows the pirates' way of life and falls for the beautiful Mabel, Major-General Stanley's songbird daughter. When the Pirate King discovers that General Stanley has lied about being an orphan to keep the pirates from stealing all of his belongings and carrying off his bevy of beautiful daughters, complications ensue, and then the complications have complications.

Kansas Wesleyan has a substantial role with students on stage: Zander Flener as Frederic, Grace Corman as Mabel, Tru Haesemeyer as Kate, Mackenzie Martinez as a sister, Perry Grewell as a sergeant, and Kaiden Comeau as a pirate, along with several KWU alums.

KWU also is responsible for all music for "Pirates," with David Corman, director of the vocal program, as musical director and assistant professor of Music Dr. Gustavo do Carmo directing the orchestra pit, which also contains KWU students and alums. The director is Michael Spicer, of Theatre Salina.

"Pirates of Penzance" will be offered every Friday and Sunday from April 3-19, with a Thursday performance April 16. To purchase tickets for all performances, please go to www.salinatheatre.com.

Release by Jean Kozubowski