[broadway_bound]

I am auditioning for Pirates of Penzance soon and I really don't know anything about it. Could yall please give me some information I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

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Current roles- Seussical (Who, Circus MuGurkus, Hunch, Fish)

musicals only
Previous roles- The Jungle Book (Baby Monkey)
The Beauty and the Beast (feather duster)
The Wizard of Oz (Lacreecia the Witch)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Princess Starlight)
Peter Pan (Liza)
R&H's Cinderella (Rose the citizen)
The Secret Garden (chours)
The Sound of Music (Elsa Shrader)
Mamma Mia (Rosie) your Wicked (chours) with your Hairspray (chours)
The Music Man (Zaneeta Shinn)
High School Musical (Taylor McKessie)
Children of Eden (Aphra)

[Salome]

http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/


and check out the wonderful film version starring Kevin Kline,George Rose and Angela Lansbury.

[PappyCat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirates_of_Penzance

http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/musical002.html

[Patrick]

GOOD GOD, THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHOW EVERRRR....

anyways it is fun, bouncy, operatic music and may be the most fun you will ever have, look for other Gilbert and Sullivan shows for audition material Mikado and HMS Pinafore are two of their other most well-known shows

as the other replies have links, i'll let you use those

w/ any luck i'll be doing that show as well

but i never have any luck

[Eponine93]

Does anyone know about the concert version Pirates! I'm seeing it a regional theatre sometime within the next month or so, and I'm really not sure what to expect.

[JelliclePat]

For anyone not familiar with 'Pirates...', I strongly suggest that you go to the library. Most libraries have compilations of G&S's most famous shows, if not complete versions with all 13 (14, if you include the lost 'Thespis') plays. Next, see if the library has a recording (I recommend any by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company), or buy one, if you must. Then sit down, read the play, and listen to the recording as the songs come up in the script. I would also recommend Christopher Hibbert's book 'Gilbert and Sullivan and their Victorian World', to put the show in context. Since Gilbert had a propensity for deflating pomposity whenever he could, it helps to understand what he was mocking...

[Jekkienumber24601]

And if you live in CA check out Musical theatre West's Production Starring Rex Smith, and Norman Large. Rex is Frederic in the movie Salome mentioned and he's a very good pirate king. A tenor, not a bari-bass, but good none the less. Still noone beats Kevin Kline comedic wise in that role.

[zoomer15]

i believe they all gave you good advice! I just wanted to add my 2 cents..I was in this show in november at my high school! at first we were all REALL skeptical if we were going to pull it off but it was probably thebest show we have done in a long time! its lot of fun and there are really really funny lines and characters as long as they are delivered correctly! I was Ruth and it was so much fun!!! Some of the sonhs areawfully high and some are drawn out but oh well you get over them! Others are really fast but that is what makes them so fun!!! Sojust have fun

[phantomphan85]

I haven't been in this show, but I saw a production of it that a couple of friends were in and really liked it. My good friend was the Pirate King and he was brilliant.

[candymancan]

I did this show in school and it is an extremely hard musical! But we pulled it off. The music is really fun to sing and everything! I enjoyed doing this so much! I was Pirate (Act 1)/ Policeman (Act 2) I was pretty much on the stage longer than any other lead! Really fun show! If you do this show you will have a blast! I have videos of my performance posted on youtube here is a link.
Act 1 Finale (Part 1 of 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byb8JiZuzT4

Act 1 Finale (Part 2 of 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HwAbodOOrg

"Oh is there not one maiden breast?" and "Poor Wondering One"
I love this song when Mabel walks on! I just want to melt like a popsicle on the 4th of july
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9UdM1LRaTY

[TR_Wolf]

It's a great show, I'm in it in October.

If you want to get a version on DVD, to give it a first taste, I'd recommend the 1994 Simon Gallagher version starring Jon English, its much more light hearted, and is the 'Broadway' production as most people perform these days.

http://www.amazon.com/Gilbert-Sullivan-Penzance-Gallaher-Donaldson/dp/B000G1ALGQ/ref=sr_1_1/002-7426919-5129646?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1182634065&sr=8-1 (this version!)

[Bagel]