Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)
by Joshua White (II), Wilford Leach
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Actor: George Rose, Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Patricia Routledge, Rex SmithDirector: Joshua White (II), Wilford Leach
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-10-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Kultur Video
DVD Reviews of Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)
DVD Review: Strictly for collectors?
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this DVD because of my addiction to Gilbert & Sullivan, and "Pirates" in particular, but I hesitate to recommend it to someone encountering the opera for the first time (not that there are any other better options on the market, regrettably). It is full of energy and great fun but, as other reviewers have noted, the picture quality is often very poor, and, especially in the choruses, the sound is frequently "muddy". Kevin Kline and the other principals who went on to make the later "Pirates" film are all in good voice here (although I cannot understand why George Rose introduced the irritating nasal whine in "I am an orphan boy" here, which he later repeated in the film - there must be some subtle cultural reference that I am missing). Linda Ronstadt seems less secure in her singing than she was in the film, but perhaps that is just the result of a live performance as opposed to multiple takes. I agree with other reviewers that Patricia Routledge's performance as Ruth is outstanding, far better than Angela Lansbury's in the film. For any G&S fan, that alone is good enough reason to buy the DVD. DVD Review: I wanted the movie
Summary: 3 Stars
My mistake. This is good, but I liked the movie better than this filmed stage play. I hope the movie comes to DVD soon.DVD Review: Looks like it was made by an amature film company
Summary: 1 Stars
This is the worst DVD I have ever seen. I love the VHS version and I have been waiting for the Pirates of Penzance with Kevin Kline to come out on DVD for years. I had a lazer disc of it years ago and loved it. The picture on this DVD is so bad it is unviewable. It is blurry and was obviously done on a home camera. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS. The audio is poor also so it cannot even be used as a CD.DVD Review: Delacorte Theater version - Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance
Summary: 2 Stars
I was hoping to get the version with Angela Lansbery but it appears this version is not available in DVD. Please let me know when it is available as i would like to purchase it.DVD Review: Good, but the film version released in America is better
Summary: 4 Stars
I do enjoy Patricia Rutledge, from ages of watching her perform in BBC Keeping Up Appearances as a social climbing civil servants wife. Her skill as a singing actress is every bit as delightful as her portrayal of Hyacinth in that series. As a staged version this is excellent. However, I do remember the film version which was released with Angela Lansbury playing the part of the nurse. Obviously there is more you can do with a filmed version than you can with a staged version. Kevin Kline's antics in the film version of "I Am a Pirate King" allowed for much more than you can do on stage, and Tony Azevedo as the policeman with his Keystone Cops gang were highlighted with the camera angles and staging. Saying this, it must be remembered that any performance of Pirate's will by nature be performed on a stage, and this is an excellent reference for what is possible on stage.
Description of Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Gilbert and Sullivan's raucous operatic tale is captured in all its fun and glory in this production, recorded live at Central Park's Delacorte Theater. Kevin Kline sparkles as the swashbuckling and libidinous Pirate King while Linda Ronstadt makes her theatrical debut as the lovely and virginal Mabel. When Mabel and Frederic, a young pirate bound to serve the Pirate King, fall in love, complications arise and high spirited antics ensue. The incomparable cast offers the best in this boisterous romp. ENDThis Pirates of Penzance is primarily a historical document, part of the Broadway Theater Archive television series. It presents, with some inevitable, tiny technical shortcomings, a live 1980 performance in Central Park, not the 1983 movie of the same name that also starred Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline. Those who remember that film, which had the benefit of retakes and editing, a lavish production budget, and the spaciousness of a Hollywood studio, may find this video less polished. On its own terms, it is nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable.
Advantages of this live performance include a sense of spontaneity, and the feeling of being part of a theatrical audience that is visibly and audibly having a very good time. The (reduced and partly electronic) orchestra is also visible; scenery is minimal; the onstage pirate boat, excellent for a live production, is no match for what a movie can offer. The voices are uneven, and some of them evoke Broadway more than London. But the performance is well styled, lively, and energetic. Gilbert and Sullivan's witty sparkle comes through clearly. --Joe McLellan
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