Talent-testing for ‘Pirates’

Press, 8 July 1986, Page 23

Talent-testing for ‘Pirates’

An American director was in Christchurch on Saturday to test the talent for a $2 million New Zealand production of “The Pirates of Penzance.”

Mr Craig Schaefer will spend a week in New Zealand, auditioning singers and musicians for the light opera, that has in the last six years stormed much of the Western world. Since this latest version of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic hit Broadway in 1980, it has played to sellout audiences in America, Britain and Australia.

The New Zealand production will begin a nineweek tour on October 10, with its first stop Auckland. It will play in Christchurch for a week in November. All but three main roles of a cast of 32 will go to New Zealanders.

Peter Noone (Herman of Herman’s Hermits and an experienced “Pirates” performer), Jane Gregory, and Tim Tyler will pay Frederick, Mabel, and the Sergeant respectively.

Mr Schaefer does not expect any problems find-

ing the right talent to fill the remaining roles.

He has been with this latest version of “The Pirates of Penzance” since its first flush of Broadway success. He was assistant director for that production and the English production, and then directed and choreographed the Australian production. The Australian production had toured and retoured the main cities for the last three years, attracting sell-out audiences, said Mr Schaefer. It now topped “Cats” in popularity and in 1984 earned Mr Schaefer the Australian award for the best director of a musical.

The new version of “The Pirates of Penzance” had been much more successful than originally envisaged, said Mr Schaefer. He attributed its success to the vitality, rollicking raucous good fun of this version, compared with the rather "static, stoic and boring” productions of the past. The actual opera has remained the same, he emphasised, with the songs, their lyrics and

music, and the emphasis on good singing the same as in past productions. The presentation, however, was more energetic, the pirate king “dashing,

debonaire and sexy,” and synthesisers, percussion and orchestra used to create a fuller sound.

Even traditional Gilbert and Sullivan fans “come away loving the show,” said Mr Schaefer.

Six years involvement with opera has not dulled Mr Schaefer’s enthusiasm for the production. He found it “stimulating to direct ‘The Pirates’ in a new country.” Although each production was a recreation of the 1980 Broadway show, it was never the same because it meant working with different performers and with a different culture’s sense of humour. He aimed to draw out the best in both performers

and humour. * Mr Schaefer’s role will end once the' talent is Chosen, re-J hearsals held and the first« week of performances' over. Much of his time is* then spent directing other; musicals, such as “God-> spell,” acting in films,! such as "Rocky IV” and; “Stripes,” or In television’ serials such as! “Knightrider” and pro-' during extravaganza.' shows for industrial concerns in Monte Carlo and Spain. m

“The Pirates of Penzance” is thought to be! the most expensive show to tour New Zealand and! will be produced by Stew-, art MacPherson’s Stetson Productions.