Before the curtain rises on Roundabout Theatre Company’s spirited reimagining of The Pirates of Penzance, there is an engagingly meta introduction by the operetta’s composer Arthur Sullivan (Preston Truman Boyd) and librettist W. S. Gilbert (David Hyde Pierce). Their charmingly affable preamble is largely based on historical fact about the numerous pirated stagings of their work in the US in the late 19th century, which they say inspired their new show’s title and spurred them to premiere the work in New York (which they actually did on New Year’s Eve 1879), before touring on to New Orleans (invented for this production).
Rather than being encouraged to suspend our disbelief about the events we are about to watch unfold on stage, Gilbert and Sullivan underscore that this is a show of their creation, which they have cast themselves in. They draw us in by transporting us from our seats in the Big Apple’s Todd Haimes Theatre and situating us in the Big Easy’s Theatre of the Renaissance in the French Quarter in 1880. The celebrated English duo go on to reveal that they have transposed the original setting from the titular Cornwall coastal town to NOLA and “infused” it “with that region’s colorful personality”. This rousing, jazzy reworking that they speak of—rebranded as Pirates! The Penzance Musical—was in fact conceived and deftly undertaken for 2025 by Scott Ellis (direction), Rupert Holmes (adaptation and musical arrangements), Warren Carlyle (choreography), and Joseph Joubert (orchestrations and musical arrangements).
While the locale may have shifted across the Atlantic and the sound been revamped, the plot of this unabashedly, blissfully silly swashbuckling romp remains fundamentally intact. Frederic (Nicholas Barasch) is about to turn 21, thus concluding his apprenticeship in piracy, which only came about in the first place because his long-serving nanny Ruth (Jinkx Monsoon) misheard the instructions of the boy’s father to place him with a riverboat pilot, and instead landed him with a pirate. Frederic announces to his fellow shipmates, a hitherto close-knit, raggle-taggle chosen family (Rick Faugno, Tommy Gedrich, Richard Riaz Yoder, Tyrone L. Robinson, Nathan Lucrezio, Ryo Kamibayashi, and Alex Gibson) and their dashing, tender-hearted leader—the Pirate King (Ramin Karimloo), a sucker for anyone who claims to be an orphan—that as midnight strikes, and he becomes a decent law-abiding citizen, he will be duty-bound to turn on them; to “hunt them down to the ends of the Earth!”
Frederic’s strong sense of obligation as a “slave of duty” does have a limit though, with him reneging on a promise to marry Ruth, a decision he doubles down on when his head is turned by the only other women he has ever encountered. The women in question are the daughters of Major-General Stanley (Pierce) who were all conceived in far-flung reaches of the globe (Kelly Belarmino, Cicily Daniels, Bronwyn Tarboton, Ninako Donville, Afra Hines, Tatiana Lofton, and Shina Ann Morris). Severely unpracticed in the art of wooing, the young man immediately offers his hand to any of them “however plain” they may be. His bluntness scores him no takers until the enthusiastic Mabel (Samantha Williams) whisks him into her tent and the two quickly become smitten with each other. The rest of the daughters are claimed by the pirates, that is until their father arrives on the scene and declares, “I am the very model of a modern Major-General”.
Following her successful stints in Chicago and Little Shop, her Carnegie Hall debut earlier this year, and ahead of her turn in Oh, Mary!, Jinkx Monsoon’s outrageously good performance here once again proves that she is the very model of a modern major Broadway star. She makes the most of every second that she is on stage, making bold, richly characterful choices with her physicality and vocals that really pay off. Her ability to sustain a note is not only jaw-droppingly impressive, but makes for some standout funny moments too. Along with the fun, she brings real heart and soul to her second act solo number “Alone and Yet Alive”. It is one of several numbers in this production adapted from other Gilbert and Sullivan works, in this case The Mikado, with new lyrics and musical treatment by Rupert Holmes. Tenderly and passionately delivered, it is unexpected poignant, giving us emotional connection to this comic character and her situation. The richness and power of her singing voice continues to astound. Jinkx knows how to pull off stage business like nobody’s business, making her impactful grand entrance from the pirate ship’s bough, whirling her way around the top of an upright piano during her first big number, and killing her tamborine-ography.
Barasch makes Frederic’s earnestness captivating and the character’s frustrated wrestling with his conscience between duty and desire is a joy to behold, as he elevates the romantic lead while really selling the comedy and delivering sublime vocals. His interactions with Monsoon really fizz and the pair make for a great double-act. While Barasch’s duet with Williams, “Ah, leave me not to pine”, actually makes us feel invested in their love story despite the fact that they have only known each other for five hours.
Karimloo cuts a dashing figure, possessing the necessary swashbuckling swagger to carry off the Pirate King’s confidence and the smoldering good looks to make the character a true heartthrob, while landing the humour. Not wishing to objectify, but it is fair to say that Karimloo is certainly familiar with the gym, and Linda Cho’s costume design serves body-ody-ody, emphasizing his torso as he athletically makes his way around the stage. You might need to bring a fan with you. His vocals also bring the heat, and “I Am the Pirate King” is one of the show’s most enjoyable numbers, energetically performed with help from Frederic, Ruth, and the pirates.
Many of the show’s songs are wordy, filled with exposition, and vitally all the lyrics are crystal clear, including the jewel in the show’s cutlass, “Major-General”, exquisitely delivered by Pierce. The actor’s absorbingly understated performance is made all the more delectable by the added layer that he is playing Gilbert playing the Major-General. There are clear moments when Pierce as Gilbert breaks character as the Major-General, to congratulate himself on the mastering of his own patter song, relishing in his own cleverness as an author and performer. One the most hilarious exchanges in the entire show occurs when the Pirate King realizes that he has just met the man who killed his father, the Major-General, who deadpans “so glad that’s all behind us now” with meticulous, masterful comic timing.
David Rockwell’s appealingly old school set, beautifully deigned and lit by Donald Holder, with not a video screen in sight, proves to be utterly immersive, igniting our imaginations, while delivering some magical moments like the arrival of the pirate ship. While Cho’s vibrant, gorgeously detailed costumes add to the opulence of the production. One of the stars of the good ship Pirates! is Caryle’s choreography with tap-dancing, high-kicking policemen and pulsating ensemble numbers that match the energy of the show’s quick-fire wordplay. While Ellis’ dynamic direction keeps things sizzling. Not only does he fill the stage with spectacles like an epic sword fight scene with every movement adding to the humour as well as driving the plot, or the entire ensemble playing washboards—something you don’t see on Broadway every day—but he has a lot of fun with using the auditorium aisles for entrances and exits. The cast being in such close proximity to the audience ignited a child-like delight in me, while it also helped to make me feel like I was an integral part of the production, rather than merely observing something unfolding from a distance.
As the show reaches its climax, the operaetta’s original deus ex machina—the uniting force of loyalty to Queen Victoria—is reworked with a timely message about immigration, which had the audience I was in whooping. It is an ending that lends some meaning to what has transpired for the past couple of hours, in all its satisfying silliness, without diminishing any of that welcome escapism. This is a high-energy, high-spirited delight that earns the show’s exclamation point with every scene. In fact, this Pirates!—a throughly transporting, uplifting tonic—is a treasure.
By James Kleinmann
Pirates! The Penzance Musical officially opened on April 24th, 2025 at Broadway’s Todd Haimes Theatre (227 West 42nd Street) in a limited engagement extended through July 27th. For more details and to purchase tickets head to roundabouttheatre.org.
