By Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is sailing the high seas with The Pirates of Penzance. The opening production of their 51st season is a romp filled with great music and plenty of laughs.
Directed and choreographed by Seán Curran, who also directed the company’s 2013 production, this iteration features vibrantly colored sets, effulgent lighting, and a zippy score from conductor George Manahan and members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Set in Cornwall in the mid-nineteenth century, this classic opera from Gilbert and Sullivan centers on Frederic, a spirited young man whose servitude to a band of pirates is finally over. His debt to them occurred when, as a child, his nurse, Ruth, mistakenly misheard his wish to sail the seas as a “pilot” as a “pirate.”
As a result of her error, he was legally bound to them until his 21st birthday. With his term up, Frederic dedicates himself to eliminating them.
At first, his mission seems simple as the scallywags are easily deceived. They are blissfully ignorant that the word is out that the pirates won’t harm anyone who is an orphan. Marked as pushovers, they are rubbish as seafaring bandits.
The group of ragtag misfits meets their match when they cross swords with the fanatically patriotic Major-General Stanley, a man whose love of country is matched only by his devotion to his daughters.
During this encounter, Frederic meets Mabel, one of his daughters. It’s love at first sight for the pair who immediately begin to plan their life together.
After learning of the pirates’ gullibility from Frederic, the Major-General follows those before him and declares himself an orphan, saving himself and his daughters.
Unfortunately, Frederic and Mabel’s rosy future is disrupted by Ruth and the Pirate King. They inform the lad that, because he is a leap year baby, born on February 29th, the contract binding him to service is still valid. As a result, they argue, he must complete several more decades of serfdom.
Noble to the point of nausea, Frederic reluctantly agrees to rejoin the pirates. Bound by duty, he informs the Pirate King of the Major-General’s clever deception.
Things seem bad for the Major-General and his daughters as they are recaptured. Luckily, they are saved by the local police, who begin to round up the pirates. With the tables turning against them, Ruth saves the buccaneers at the last minute by revealing that they are, in fact, wayward noblemen.
Following this revelation, chaos gives way to order as pirates return to their social standing, the Major-General finds happiness, and Mabel and Frederic are reunited.
Shiver me timbers, there is a lot of talent in this production, especially Daniel Luis Espinal. Gifted with a great voice and perfect comic timing, the tenor’s OTSL debut is captivating.
Jana McIntyre returns to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis with another wonderful performance. Starring as Mabel, she is exceptional alongside Espinal. As a soloist, her arias are incredible.
William Socolof chews plenty of scenery as the Pirate King. His OTSL debut is filled with great moments of silliness and skullduggery. Playing the role with oafish charm, he is clearly having fun.
Nearly stealing the entire production is Shyheim Selvan Hinnant as the Sergeant of Police. From the moment he appears onstage, audiences take notice. His company debut is marked by a rich and powerful voice that will undoubtedly be heard onstage with OTSL in the future.
Robert Mellon is electrifying. His rendition of one of the fastest pieces in operatic canon (I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General) is delivered with great aplomb. With a firm cadence, he plows through it without seemingly taking a breath.
Balancing the serious with the sublime, his wonderful performance epitomizes the upper-crust resoluteness of the character. Looking like he came from a Powell and Pressburger film; Mellon is commanding in the role both as a leader and patriarch.
Tying everything together is Curran’s choreography. Especially of note is the exceptional fluidity of motion from the production’s police force. Lifted straight from a cartoon, these keystone cops move in perfect synchronization to capture the essence of their ineptness and buffoonery.
Satirical and superfluous, this season opener is a lot of fun. Great for connoisseurs or those experiencing opera for the first time, this is unabashed merriment at its best.
No one walks the plank in this convivial presentation of The Pirates of Penzance. Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ sendup of the rigidity of the British Empire is loaded with talented performers, delightful music, and a treasure chest of fun.
The Pirates of Penzance runs through June 27 at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University.
Productions at Opera Theatre St. Louis are in English with musical accompaniment from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. For more information on programming for the 2026 season, visit opera-stl.org.
Photos by Eric Woolsey