Gilbert & Sullivan - Pirates of Penzance / Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Australian Opera
by Stuart Maunder
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DVD details
Actor: Anthony WarlowDirector: Stuart Maunder
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 112 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-08-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: KULTUR VIDEO
DVD Reviews of Gilbert & Sullivan - Pirates of Penzance / Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Australian Opera
DVD Review: A little unusual but a winner
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great production of Pirates. It is closely modeled on the Joseph Papp version, including substituting the patter song from Ruddigore for "Duty, Duty" (a shame they couldn't have done both), but better sung and acted. I grew up watching the Papp movie version and still enjoy it very much, but I have to admit that this is considerably better.
I initially found Anthony Warlow as Jack Sparrow to be very disconcerting, even off-putting. He mimics Johnny Depp so convincingly (down to the tilted chin and swaying gait) that I was very distracted. By the second viewing, I was able to more or less ignore him. He does sing well, which makes up for many evils. And the Pirate King is always a bit eccentric anyway - he just takes it to a new level.
The female singers, in particular Mabel, were great. David Hobson as Frederic was fantastic. A bit old for the part, but I imagine you wouldn't notice that from the audience, and it's not really that distracting in the close-ups, either. His clear tenor is very similar to that of Philip Potter (my favorite D'Oyly Carte tenor), and his acting is very good. His diction is also very clear, even in the patter song.
I guess the highest praise is that I will likely watch this DVD over the Papp version in the future. And I wish Opera Australia would complete the DVD pantheon - I would love to see Mikado, Yeomen, Iolanthe, and Ruddigore with Warlow, Hobson and the rest of this cast. (Preferably before they get any older!)
DVD Review: Almost as Superior as Linda Ronstadt
Summary: 4 Stars
Some years ago, I watched (over and over) Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline in this musical and loved it. Recently, I became aware of these PBS versions of twenty of Gilbert and Sullivan comic musical. This is my favorite of this project, as it is basically the same as the movie shown on HBO, wherewith one of the songs was altered to suit the pop culture back then. I've now seen most of the collection and find that the music is somewhat the same using different words for the storyline. This will always be my favorite. Imagine attending the Queen's special "teas" to which only the most popular of her acquaintances were invited to enjoy these musicals. It would appear that she had an obsession with their music and stories.DVD Review: Poor Wandering Camera
Summary: 4 Stars
Better weigh anchor, landlubber ... or take something to steady your eyes. There are several cameras working to capture this production--and it comes across in an unnatural way.
The cameras are constantly cutting to Anthony Warlow (adeptly impersonating Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean") whether or not it makes sense. Case in point, watch the clip of "Modern Major General". The director, swept up in Jack-Sparrow mania, overdoes the reaction shots. Very distracting--especially when the Major General is in the middle of his vocal line.
Not only are the camera cuts witness to the director's heavy-handed emphasis on Warlow/Depp/Sparrow but the final bows are as well. It is highly unusual for a Pirate King to get the last bow in a Penzance production. Usually, Mabel and Frederic do because they are the romantic leads and they are also the soprano and tenor. Furthermore, the Major General is listed at the top of the cast in most any Penzance score, so it wouldn't be so very strange for the Major General to be last out at a curtain call. While the Pirate King is important, there are four other lead characters in this show (Ruth rounds out the leads). But the very-talented Warlow is lucky enough to have a director who lets him overstep the soprano, the tenor and the lead actor. One wonders if an agent had worked Warlow's contract to get him the last bow. The final bows wouldn't have bothered me as much if the camerawork hadn't already been overdone.
Of special note, Richard Alexander delivers a delightful interpretation of the Sergeant of Police. And be sure to pay attention during the finale. During a coloratura passage that just won't end, one of the females nearly gets a finger pushed down her uvula. These sorts of humor-laced touches are pervasive throughout this Penzance, making it an essential addition to any G&S library--in spite of the camerawork being as choppy as the high seas.
DVD Review: Pirates: Tradition + Energy = Entertainment
Summary: 5 Stars
Containing all the traditional songs that have made the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta so popular over the years, this pleasing Australian Opera version adds some interpolated material from other G&S operas and an expanded finale that in itself has become common since the 1980's New York Papp version. Thankfully there is less obvious "ham" in the performances here. Anthony Warlow makes a dashing (and leering) Pirate King in the mold of Kevin Kline, John Dutton Wood is a cute and lovable Major General, David Hobson a handsome and lyrical Frederic, and Suzanne Johnson a serviceable Ruth, though she is not as funny as some of her competitors on other DVDs. Once past the shock of seeing a blond Mabel (somehow all my many previous exemplars had dark hair!), Taryn Fiebig sang a good Mabel. Richard Alexander has the best voice of all Sergeants on DVD, and his facial expressions are priceless! The men's chorus is energetic and the women charming (watch the body language on the uncredited freckle-faced daughter!). The orchestra is robust and plays the traditional score, not the rock-influenced versions so prevalent nowadays. All in all this is either the best or second best version on DVD and well worth the price.DVD Review: Jack Sparrow Never Sounded Better!
Summary: 5 Stars
Anthony Warlow's brilliant idea to transform the Pirate King into Jack Sparrow really makes this rendition of "Penzance" that much more amusing. The strong, pure voices, eloquence, humour, skilled acting, and fresh take on an aged tale turn this seemingly silly video into a timeless treasure. Wow, that was pretty sappy, huh? It really is as great as I make it out to be, though.
Description of Gilbert & Sullivan - Pirates of Penzance / Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Australian Opera
Lock up your daughters, the pirates are coming to town!Peppered with unforgettable melodies and tongue-twisting songs, The Pirates of Penzance is one of the most popular operettas ever written.
Opera Australia's new production is an effervescent smash hit with a national tour and jubilant sellout seasons everywhere.
In spite of being apprenticed to a Pirate King as a child, Frederic has led a very sheltered life. So when he arrives in Penzance with his boisterous shipmates, there are a few surprises in store for him! It all ends happily, but not before he's dodged the Old Bill, fallen in love and made some rather inconvenient discoveries.
Director Stuart Maunder (who last directed this show for D'Oyly Carte Company at London's Savoy Theatre), designers Roger Kirk, Richard Roberts and Trudy Dalgleish, choreographer Elizabeth Hill and a stellar cast join forces once again to present a spirited new production of this Gilbert and Sullivan classic.
This bright and breezy production is guaranteed to have you laughing all the way home; it's a big adventure book for boys where our swashbuckling Pirate King meets his match in the bumbling Major General.
Starring Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, John Bolton Wood, Taryn Fiebig and Suzanne Johnston as Ruth
If G&S is your thing, you'll love every moment of this joyful production
- The Australian
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