Pirates of Penzance Stratford festival 1985

Old TV recording of the Canadian troop performing pirates of penzance.

[@recklessrex]

20:15 The Pirate King working the words "scene change" into his Shakespearean antics is so fantastically extra I love it! Brent Carter will always be the perfect Pirate King in my heart

[@Panwere36]

This is one of the best productions of this Operetta ever. Douglas Chamberlain, for instance, captures MG Stanley in a way that even some who are in movies and on TV regularly cannot.

[@MrKaywyn]

I was fortunate to go and see this production in person.

[@NoName-fo7mz]

Nobody cares.

[@MrKaywyn]

@@NoName-fo7mz What are you talking about?

[@cyrosphere0154]

I care

[@WillScarlet16]

God bless you Brent Carver - He became best known on Broadway for playing shy and/or repressed, usually tragic characters. At least we have this as a reminder that he could also ham it up with the greatest of them.

[@flanplan5903]

This is exactly why he would’ve made for a great Jack Skellington in a Nightmare Before Christmas stage musical.

[@AmandathePandaBooks]

So agile and hysterical!!

[@martinpatrick1746]

Canada Day 1985 the year I graduated from high school this was the best ever Canadian production of the Pirates of Penzance with Jeff Hyslop and Brent Carver.

[@10cabe]

A remarkably athletic and handsome/lovely cast with splendid voices and excellent enunciation.

[@cmontague7333]

Agreed! Much to like about ditching the marble-mouthed English diction wh sounds so out of place in North American mouths. Just plain Canadian speech, please.

[@azoriusherald]

“Once more unto the beach!” Got me pretty good 😆

[@hortondlfn1994]

So far, every Stratford G&S production I've seen has been AMAZING - production values are over the top! Thank you so much for uploading this.

[@adambrannon8934]

yeah. I wish more productions out there would hire more than one cameraman to record the performance. editing them together to give the audience at home the perfect focus is an art in it's own right. I wish this group performed ruddigore back in the 80s.

[@AmandathePandaBooks]

Think of it.....these are baby boomers. I'm one. That means a classical education. No wonder they are so fantastic.

[@martinpatrick1746]

Brings back memories of Tony Azito the funniest police Sargent.this guy has the same spirit.

[@andrewferguson5653]

This was another favourite of mine that year at Stratford!

[@MixerTWS]

Thanks for uploading Brian Macdonald's Stratford G&S cycle. I videotaped them on betamax from the CBC telecasts in the eighties, then copied them to VHS when the technology changed, then copied them to DVD when the technology changed AGAIN. It's nice to have them stored safely on my hard drive now. I only wish Macdonald and his team didn't kill Gilbert's greatest lyric, the Lord Chancellor's 'Nightmare Song' in Act II of Iolanthe, by replacing it with a load of senseless gibberish.

[@adambrannon8934]

wow that's commitment to their preservation right there! I think I'll draw a custom thumbnail for all the shows I've uploaded btw.

[@Hayzito]

I Love this production! It brought life to an already spectacular opera, thank you 😊

[@orion8835]

Operetta.

[@AmandathePandaBooks]

Operetta: a short opera. Light hearted theme, with spoken dialogue.

[@marypagones6073]

This is incredible! I was so wowed by the Kevin Kline original theater production I watched on KZbin, I didn't think I could be equally impressed by another. But this is a totally different, more whimsical take that's equally as marvelous.

[@MrTonyHeath]

On reflection, not only was it the best Pirates I have seen, it was the best G&S. Stunning.

[@reighfreuden6473]

Their rendition of the Major General's lullaby has turned into a lullaby of my own, I put it on right before I go to sleep many nights. It's super cool of you to be uploading these old Stratford performances, the local G&S troupe here puts on one show a year so KZbin is my recourse finding new G&S plays that I haven't been able to see. These old Stratford ones have yet to disappoint. It really would have been such a shame for them to be lost to time.

[@adambrannon8934]

I thought the same, It's the very reason I searched for physical copies and posted because more need to see.

[@Sarcasticron]

Yes, what @reighfreuden said! Thank you so much!

[@tedotten4377]

So delightful to see Brent Carver and all the other wonderful performers in this splendid production!

[@TheMadNatter]

Let’s be honest. You searched for this just like I did.

[@oldcollegegal]

For years!!

[@annemodistach3849]

My favourite.

[@randalltilander6684]

Since I started on KZbin.

[@LilacKatz12]

Of course.

[@Sarcasticron]

Maybe 30 years? What an amazing production - Stratford really knows how to put on a good show.

[@jasonmatthews534]

Amazing production. Fredric ♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@johnbartash8473]

What a wonderfully entertaining production.Thank you, Thank your,. for making this available for us to enjoy, best batch of pirates I have ever seen.

[@sandramosley2801]

It really WAS a great production! History and memory line up! Thanks for posting!! Remarkable talents!

[@MadameChristie]

Ah man, Brent Carver. That hit me in the feels :(

[@lucieudem]

Me too. Thinking that he won't be there when we go back to the Festival is really sad 😞

[@martinpatrick1746]

Jeff Hyslop went on star in the Canadian nat company of Phantom of the Opera and Brent Carver was the star of the Broadway production of Kiss of The Spider woman.

[@lostspaniard]

Taran Kilam voice is so unique. Thanks for the upload.

[@krobson4849]

I live in south-western Ontario, and go yearly- to at least one show- a season at Stratford. The quality is stunning for the ticket price.

[@krobson4849]

Although, I must say that Kevin Klein is THE Pirate King.

[@dottiedavis355]

I love the gentle sway of the ship … as the pirates gently sway!

[@MrTonyHeath]

BRILLIANT! and I have been watching G&S since the 70s. The best Major General I have seen. Damned good band too.

[@papagen00]

I'm seeing it in Central City, Colorado this weekend.

[@theatrenycfan5984]

THANK YOU! I watched this in high school (long time already) and it is my favorite production. I could not find it anywhere for years. Great performances all around. Thank you, sir.

[@mdfogarty]

58:42 One test of a production is how well they work as a chorus with "Hail Poetry!" This cast nails it. Listen to all those parts.

[@mitchellminer9597]

Oh, my. The best ever. Thanks for posting.

[@Erikaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

This version is great but I do wish Frederic would just slow down like 10-15%. He just talks too fast. Like he's in a rush to get somewhere. Like, please take a breath my boy lol I absolutely love Jim White as Samuel though. I don't even know why, he's just really charming. The way he's always screaming. Brent Carver is fantastic too. RIP.

[@harrietward2990]

Thank you for sharing this - it was wonderful!

[@AmandathePandaBooks]

Just read a short bio of brent carver. Amazing career, played 9 seasons at the stratford! Along with all his other stage and film credits!

[@daniellekugler2886]

I grew up with this recording 😭 Thank you so much for posting!!

[@adambrannon8934]

Glad I could take you down memory lane

[@PlanetBobstar]

Amazing set pieces!

[@AmberAge]

Thank you so much! It's amazing. I've never been much into musical theatre but this is great. The only downside is the lack of subtitles (I had to read the script on the other screen because I couldn't make out all the words).

[@adambrannon8934]

I made subtitles for the gondeliers, but not for pirates of penzance. It's a painstaking process with these old DVD's

[@AmberAge]

@@adambrannon8934 yeah, I started having a go at it myself, and it's a pain in the arse. The parts that stick to the libretto are easy enough, it's this specific version's additions that are hard to figure out by ear sometimes.

[@JohnGisMe]

47:42 The moment you were all waiting for

[@AmandathePandaBooks]

I love MG!! Hysterical!

[@CathyKitson]

No policemen were hurt in the making of this film. I must say Frederick and the Pirate King were very fanciable.

[@ww0yrr]

This is REALLY well done!

[@fandompowerpodcast]

Researching Doug Chamberlain for an EWOKS project. The man has virtually no internet presence. So I was delighted to find this! 😀

[@adambrannon8934]

@@fandompowerpodcast I didn't know he was an ewok in Star wars! 😂😄😋

[@fandompowerpodcast]

@@adambrannon8934 Logray in Season 1 of the animated series 😀

[@adambrannon8934]

@@fandompowerpodcast btw he is in 2 other productions on my channel. Iolanthe and the gondoliers

[@atomik4568]

Enjoyed this video very much - with all its faults and shortcomings - enjoyable staging and wonderful cast. Thank you

[@omophagia]

my childhood!

[@theTRUTHgroup]

Wow, this is a very impressive production. High quality stuff. :O

[@adambrannon8934]

if you think this production was great you should check out the others I posted from the same theater group. the gondoliers I think turned out the best in its filming.

[@fredo1070]

Wonderful stagecraft.

[@Kirkee7]

Great policemen, choreography and chorus.

[@rogerbarton1790]

Fantastic

[@madgeson]

Superb!

[@JamesVlogsHomeBeyond]

I can see something things there that remind me of the Broadway version in terms of quality and choreography

[@paulsheppard5648]

Great let's see them on the UK b.b.c TV

[@russellflacco7811]

Is it common/normal for the production of this opera to have such a display of athleticism -so much. Only the second production of "Pirates" that I have seen and both seem to sacrifice music/lyrics for action? Just asking, not complaining.

[@adambrannon8934]

Well the director of this string of Gilbert and Sullivan shows was a choreographer, so he probably put more emphasis on dancing from his own bias

[@jasminnemcdonald94A]

We got Canadian Pirates!!

[@QUEfrang]

Pirates of the appalachians?

[@jjamiejackson]

I hate musicals...yet this is the 10th x I've watched this video. Can't explain it.

[@adambrannon8934]

@@jjamiejackson what a conundrum

[@brianeduardo1234]

Terrific

[@johntuffin3262]

This must be the best G&S!

[@pseudonymous9153]

My childhood

[@martinpatrick1746]

This production is the best one from Stratford..the production in central park ranks second.

[@JamesLeaveyConnections]

This production is ok but bears no comparison with Joseph Papp's Central Park version starring Kevin Kline...which is easily the greatest and most stylish version, ever. Papp was a genius. And his cast was absolutely brilliant.

[@Gusrikh1]

Has the score been rearranged or re harmonised? It’s so contemporary in many places. The script too.

[@renzo6490]

Gaspingly Good!!

[@christopherwilson2332]

nearly as good as the Australian version with the late great Jon English

[@moosicisthegood]

38:35 The greatest run in all of comic opera 😂

[@keaton718]

Better than the movie.

[@haethiarmalcolm-johnson9537]

Long live The Pirate King Brent Carver❤❤

[@flanplan5903]

Brent would’ve made for an awesome Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

[@alexandriat8399]

These are incredibly well done and so cool to look at!!! Did this company ever do Ruddigore?

[@jamesderiven1843]

I have the box set at hand, and to my knowledge they only did Iolanthe, Gondoliers, Pirates, Pinafore, and their truly-excellent Mikado. At the least, those were the five that were tagged for CBC broadcast. (The box set also has a 1950s Trial by Jury from a CBC broadcast, the link being that Norman Campbell, the TV-director fo these productions, also directed that.)

[@adambrannon8934]

I wish they had! Ruddigore is my favorite. but then I'm a big fan of gothic victorian and the Haunted mansion ride so there is my Bias.

[@frenchcookie42]

Its shame these aren't the pirates what kidnapped Hamlet, he might have had a better time.

[@AdcrofromTikTok]

What’s with all the lyric and dialogue changes? I’ve not heard any change them as much as this before… and that insanely long attack on Tremorden Castle… extended dance numbers… bizarre!

[@JayPabalat]

I've noticed that The Gondoliers have closed captions, would this and others also have one?

[@JayPabalat]

Also, someone may have copied this and reposted it on KZbin: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5PZh6qXdsSWm68

[@adambrannon8934]

I painstakingly transcribed the closed captions myself. it took weeks. I'd like to do other shows if my schedule frees up.

[@adambrannon8934]

@@JayPabalat not sure what I can do about that. I don't own anything of what I've posted. except for the thumbnail I drew

[@JayPabalat]

@@adambrannon8934 Splendid work, very much appreciated. If I could help in any way, I'd be glad to do so. I am also willing to translate subtitles, I am a native Filipino fluent in Tagalog.

[@elisecurran9497]

Long cadenzas for Mabel only really work if she is able to sing them well....

[@azban9808]

I see Sir Henry Simmerson got promoted

[@johnsarkissian5519]

As much as I enjoy these Stratford productions, I regret that the original orchestration is not kept. It completely changes the 19th century operatic character of the piece. The reduced orchestra makes it sound more like a low budget provincial production.

[@classiccandle27]

Pirate King time stamps @11:38 dialogue @16:31 Oh, better far to live and die @46:25 Too late! Ha ha! … Here’s a first-rate opportunity @52:43 dialogue @1:01:38 Yes yes remember Ruth … Pray, observe the magnaminity @1:16:44 With some ridiculous reason… @1:37:26 A rollicking band of pirates @1:43:05 Yes, the trees for very love @1:53:44 With base deceit

[@robertfredricks8549]

Stratford does the very best Gilbert and Sullivan

[@Eltonlaleham]

A shame this is not on dvd and also 1985 was not one of my favourite years been aged 16 and trapped in dreaed school

[@adambrannon8934]

this is on DVD, how do you think I got it to post here? no special features I'm afraid.

[@CharlesHerschel]

I enjoyed it and look forward to seeing some of the others but . . . a lot of the tempos are way too fast and the rubato passages too slow . . . and tempo-wise it's a mess. Major General Stanley's numbers hit the mark and it strikes me the gentleman has played the role a number of times. Marvelous performance. As a writer I'm not a fan of the liberties taken to add material to a rather perfect operetta. Sometimes it felt like it was very rushed to accommodate added verses and orchestra extensions. I'm a purist jerk so don't think too ill of me. Just my opinions. G & S strove to present the very best and sometimes is good to leave well enough alone.

[@adambrannon8934]

I agree, Fredricks role feels rushed so you don't really feel his reverence to his Duty, It could be because they had to squeeze a lot in for the TV special, perhaps the performance was different when cameras were not involved.

[@recklessrex]

I thought it was tradition to add a lyric or two?

[@michaeldwyer3352]

Totally agree. Too much of them and not enough of G&S

[@danielmoses6626]

Is that Jeff Hyslop as Frederic?

[@adambrannon8934]

Yes

[@carolinerouth3762]

The sound in this film seems problematic at times.

[@adambrannon8934]

Which times? I'll watch to see if it can be fixed

[@uroghai3439]

Where is the cover image from? Who is the artist?

[@adambrannon8934]

That was me, I was going to do them all but got real busy

[@uroghai3439]

@@adambrannon8934 It's great, very cute.

[@adambrannon8934]

@@uroghai3439 thankyou very much! I'll try to do iolanthe and the gondoliers

[@EliteHealersSportsMassage]

1:37:01 That song is not part of this play

[@ariaswan5122]

This contributed to my sexual awakening.

[@AlejandroKairo]

47:45 Modern Major General

[@gaia9020]

3:07 wait what? how?

[@drongoguy2]

Is it me or that the police sergeant sounds an awful lot like Hugh Laurie?

[@piecesofme8531]

31:00, high schools performed this strip show???!!

[@adambrannon8934]

pretty sure the high schools trimmed this part down making it even funnier when it was the audacity of removing just their shoes to paddle in the water.

[@kioselnelio4598]

47:50

[@gabykogut6462]

women would never take off their gowns in public in 1870s england. (this premiered at the very end of 1879 in nyc but takes place a few years before.) there is no reason to change gilbert's great lyrics and have the women do something they wouldn't do.

[@adambrannon8934]

Lol

[@gabykogut6462]

@@adambrannon8934 lol lol

[@markcraven8386]

What is the deal with this Miss Blue Stocking ? Fredrick's costume (?) was a tragedy.What self respecting pirate king weilds a whip ? Is there some rational reason that demands deviation from the original G&S version ? Copyright laws ? Seriously, the cast did fine with the G&S material, but the added script, song lyrics, and silliness was distracting.

[@CJFCarlsson]

It can get a lot worse.

[@pseudonymous9153]

Have you even ever seen G&S before?

[@markcraven8386]

@@pseudonymous9153 Yes. And your point to such a vague question ?

[@gabykogut6462]

way too much bs that isn't authentic gilbert and sullivan. there is no point in adding things; g and s is great as it is.

[@johnsarkissian5519]

The soprano’s coloratura passages were not supposed to be funny. Why was the audience laughing?

[@nativevirginian8344]

Nothing matches the version with the late Jon English.

[@alisonrhodes7312]

Good production and performances but weak voices. Pity

[@kenmisterfish8717]

Good chorus singing, but Mabel's voice is not suited to this sort of opera where it is important to hear her words - she forces too much and does not articulate, spoiling the whole performance for me. I will overlook the ludicrous, over-produced choreography which is too distracting.