The Narrows Community Theater takes the plunge with “Pirates of Penzance in concert”

Hey!

Starting Friday, March 2, the Narrows Community Theater (NCT) will present “The Pirates of Penzance” in concert to the Bay Ridge audience at St. Patrick’s Catholic Academy.

This time around, NCT will feature Gilbert and Sullivan’s hilarious farce of sentimental pirates, goofy cops, silly young lovers, and an eccentric Major General. The story centers on young Frederick, an orphan who was mistakenly apprenticed to an ineffective but noisy pirate gang.

Show director Justin Ward Weber is excited to bring this adaptation to the local theater.

“’Pirates of Penzance’ was one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s first hits first performed in New York in 1879, a year after their previous and popular ‘HMS Pinafore’ show,” he said. “Pirates” was a big hit from its first performance and maintained its comedy status for over 100 years. I sincerely believe that this is what makes it a great choice to replay. Its crowd of colorful characters, twisty plot, and eye-catching, memorable tunes are the recipe for a show that begs audience members to see it again and again.

Weber thinks the charm of the show is in its wit and humor.

“As the predecessor of the modern musical, ‘Pirates’ parodies the overly dramatic conventions of 19th century opera,” he said. “Grand musical gestures often poke fun at the triviality of the character’s words and actions, as in the act one finale.”

As for the highlights, “There are too many to count, but if I had to name a few favorites, I can’t wait for our audience members to see moments like the finals of every act where all the cast and band are. woven together in a tapestry of stimulating musical figures and many comedic scenes that continue to build towards the end, “Weber said.” I’m sure everyone will enjoy the moments with our sergeant and his police, but I won’t spoil no surprises, you’ll just have to see for yourself to find out. “

So far, Weber has had a wonderful time working with the cast.

“Not only are they smart and fast learners, which makes it easy to rehearse, but they are also daring actors ready to dive into their material,” he explained. “They certainly aren’t afraid of getting a little bit silly. Learning music is obviously a big undertaking, but the special contributions they make to that music through the way they perform the material and the characters is really the icing on the cake. I’m sure the public will see it from the start.

While there aren’t a lot of sets and costumes, expect the performances to carry the show.

“Our semi-scenic show gives us a lot of room to do a lot with a little,” Weber said. “There will be a lot of surprises to be had that involve directing and movement, as well as some prime hats here and there. Our imagination will help us with the rest.

Providing high quality local theater has always been a goal for NCT. Thanks to local talent, they’ve accomplished just that over the years and Bay Ridge is poised to have another high-quality production, Weber said.

“The community here is strong and has many members who excel at what they do on stage, but it also brings together those inside and outside the community who are totally new to it, or who want to learning and growing in theater and in the arts, “he said.” In this environment, these two groups come together and complement each other in such a special way.

“By working together and growing together, they create something on stage that is even more special than what you would expect when they first started out,” Weber continued. “It turns into something completely new and different every time, and I think this event is important not just for Bay Ridge, but for neighborhoods in Brooklyn and across the country. This is the real joy and beauty of the local community theater.

“Pirates of Penzance” will premiere on Friday, March 2 at 8 p.m. at the St. Patrick’s School Auditorium, 401 97th Street. Additional shows will take place on Saturday March 3 at 8 p.m., Sunday March 4 at 2 p.m., Friday March 9 at 8 p.m., Saturday March 10 at 8 p.m. and Sunday March 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $ 25 for adults, $ 20 for seniors and students under 21. Children under 12 enter for $ 15. For more information, visit www.ncttheaterny.com.