Yo Ho Ho! Pirates! The Penzance Musical Sets Sail on Broadway Tonight

Pirates! The Penzance Musical, the jazz-infused, New Orleans-style adaptation of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, begins performances at the Todd Haimes Theatre on April 4. The official opening is set for April 24, with the limited engagement scheduled to run through June 22.

The show stars Ramin Karimloo (Pirate King), David Hyde Pierce (Gilbert/Major General Stanley), Jinkx Monsoon (Ruth), Nicholas Barasch (Frederic), Preston Truman Boyd (Sullivan/Police Sergeant) and Samantha Williams (Mabel Stanley). The cast also includes Kelly Belarmino, Maria Briggs, Eddie Cooper, Cicily Daniels, Ninako Donville, Alex Dorf, Rick Faugno, Niani Feelings, Tommy Gedrich, Alex Gibson, Afra Hines, Dan Hoy, Ryo Kamibayashi, Tatiana Lofton, Nathan Lucrezio, Shina Ann Morris, Cooper Stanton and Bronwyn Tarboton.

The production features orchestrations by Joseph Joubert and Daryl Waters, music direction by Joubert, choreography by Tony winner Warren Caryle and direction by nine-time Tony nominee Scott Ellis. Tony winner Rupert Holmes did the adaptation.

The design team also includes scenic design by Tony Award winner David Rockwell, costume design by Tony Award winner Linda Cho, lighting design by Tony Award winner Donald Holder, sound design by Tony Award nominee Mikaal Sulaiman and dance arrangements by John O’Neill. 

With music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W.S. Gilbert, The Pirates of Penzance first premiered in New York in 1879; Joseph Papp’s 1981 Broadway production, starring Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline, won the Tony Award for Best Revival, and was turned into a 1983 film.