To Keep the Music Going: “The Pirates of Penzance” docks at Gamut Theatre Group this month
Authors, playwrights, screenwriters, journalists and average Joes alike have been trying to figure out why certain stories and artforms just... work. And why they last.
And there has been a common theme: Good art outlives its time. So, it has connected not only with the people of its era, but with humanity itself.
Thus, theatre is a lovely example of taking a piece of art—years, decades, even centuries old—and breathing fresh life into its bones with modern direction.
Harrisburg's very own Gamut Theatre Group aims to "tell classic stories in new and exciting ways." They continue their mission this fall with "The Pirates of Penzance" by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, the opening production of the theatre's 32nd season.
Director Benjamin Krumreig, operetta aficionado and Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiast, opened his heart up about this production and operetta as a whole.
Krumreig received his master's degree of music in vocal performance and literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne. He's been performing, directing and choreographing Gilbert and Sullivan shows since 2012. Krumreig has mounted and participated in many productions from the Gilbert and Sullivan canon. This will be his third production of "The Pirates of Penzance."
(Oh, and he owns a shirt that says, "I may spontaneously start singing Gilbert and Sullivan." So, I'm pretty sure the guy knows what he's doing.)
Operetta has been considered by some to be a dying artform in America. Some modern musical theatre folks see operetta as old fashioned and dull, while some traditional opera folks refuse to see it as sophisticated music. Additionally, with the development of modern musical theatre, some patrons don't even know what an operetta truly is, nor are they aware of the shows.
Krumreig, though, promises, "You know something from 'H.M.S Pinafore'... and the same with 'Pirates of Penzance.'"
Though you may initially be surprised at the number of things you recognize from the genre, Krumreig said it's because operetta used to be "the most popular artform."
For any "Hamilton" fans out there, do you remember how George Washington quotes, "I am the very major model of a modern major general..." in "Right Hand Man?" He is directly quoting The Major General in "The Pirates of Penzance." Lin-Manuel Miranda's tribute to Gilbert and Sullivan is just one example of how foundational operetta is to modern musical theatre as we know it. Thus, to neglect operetta is to deny a critical player in the grand history of theatre.
Behind each note is hidden the pulse of a creative brain, long ago. Each melody a choir of vocalists, pouring their heart into the song. Each line a remembrance of all who have performed before, on stages big and small.
"Any time I hear the starting of the [operetta's] overture, it gives me a feeling... like a feeling of purpose," said Krumreig, discussing the importance of the music.
When an operetta begins and the orchestra strikes their first note, they play merely as a result of the millions of instrumentalists, musicians, composers and more who have developed the craft into what it is today. Who have taken the time to preserve the dignity of the music. Who have defended each sale of a violin, each tuning of a piano. Who have captured the noises of nature and carved into a tree the first set of strings.
When you come to see "The Pirates of Penzance," you are part of this legacy. Even if you have never heard the word operetta before today, rest assured that you will not be disappointed.
When asked what success would look like for this production, Krumreig said that success is "to keep the music going somehow."
So, let us do just that.
Here's to music. Here's to seeing theatre with family and friends in the fall. Here's to telling stories that make us laugh, cry, smile and ponder.
And here's to keeping the music going!
"The Pirates of Penzance" runs Nov. 2 through Nov. 17 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.gamuttheatre.org/pirates or call 717-238-4111.
UPCOMING EVENTS At Gamut Theatre www.gamuttheatre.org 717-238-4111
"The Pirates of Penzance" On the Select Medical Mainstage Nov. 2 to 17 Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
The Popcorn Hat PlayersStone Soup" On the Alexander Grass Second Stage Nov. 6 to 23 Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. Saturdays at 1 p.m.
TMI Improv On the Alexander Grass Second Stage Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
At Open Stage www.openstagehbg.com 717-232-6736
Big Wigs w/Aggy Dune & Mrs. Kasha Davis Vegas-style impersonation show Nov. 2 VIP Meet & Greet, 1 p.m. Show, 2 p.m.
Black NewsBeat w/ Dr. Kimeka Campbell Explore the life and community of Harrisburg Nov. 8 and 22, 7 p.m.
"Who's Holiday!" Studio Theater Cindy Lou Who is back to tell her story. Nov. 9 to 24
EFF (Erotic Fan Fiction) Live! The best of the worst fanfic for your amusement and horror Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m.
"A Christmas Carol" The magical 25th annual production Main Stage Nov. 30 to Dec. 22
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