4 THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014

Samuel Faustine as Frederic (double cast with Robert Vann), Chris Uzelac as Samuel, Charles Martin as the Pirate King (double cast with Ben Brady) and Deborah Rosengaus as Ruth (double cast with Sonia Garieaeff), The Pirates of Penzance. Photo - Rhys Cheung, 2014.

By Susan Steinberg“Hail, Hail, The Gang’s

All Here:" a pack of poeti-cal pirates, a bevy of beau-tiful maidens, a quivering corps of cops, and assorted eccentric characters.

It’s the world-famous G & S operetta “The Pirates of Penzance," and in the capable hands of the Lamplighters Music Theatre, it’s a non-stop laugh-fest full of glorious singing.

Best news of all, it’s coming to Livermore’s Bankhead Theater for performances on Saturday, August 23rd and Sunday, August 24th.

The singers are also extraordinarily talented actors. A sold-out house resounded with bravos at their opening night in Walnut Creek’s Lesher Theater. Audiences were equally enthusiastic at Mountain View’s Perform-ing Arts Center last week. Although I saw differ-ent lead singers at these two venues, I would be hard-pressed to declare a preference. In fact, I plan to see the show a third time in Livermore. (Yes, I’ll be buying my own ticket – it’s that delectable!)

How lucky Valley residents are to have this internationally-awarded company here for three delightful performances, a chance to enjoy world-class entertainment in our own local community!

Both tenors playing Fredrick, the sappy “Slave of Duty” (the show’s sub-title) exhibit boyish charm and sincerity, as well as suitable soaring voices for the beautiful vocal lines,

Review

Triumphant “Pirates” Land in Livermore

well worth the hours of driving to out-of-town venues!

Apprenticed (by mis-take) to a pirate crew as a young boy, he has become a comically admirable “slave of duty” to them, despite despising their vocation. Freed from his contract at age 21, he vows to capture them only to discover that, as a leap year baby, going by birthdays, he is only “5 and a little bit over.”

Ah, the perplexity of being a truly conscientious soul to the point of sheer idiocy! Poor Fredrick now feels sadly duty-bound to

return to piracy and join the assault on the castle of his beloved fiancee’s father.

That befuddled person-age, gloriously sung and acted by the wonderful Lawrence Ewing, shows off his erudition in the pompous patter-song “I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major-General” in which he describes his knowledge of arcane facts of history, art, and math-ematics while admitting that he is totally innocent of any military education. That statement has tickled audiences from Victorian Times right up to our own

day: the man in charge (of FEMA, for example) who has no qualifications for the job.

His giggling gaggle of daughters (all Wards of Chancery) are the pirates’ prospective brides, a distressing prospect for a proper person of rank. But how can he possibly thwart their plans?

Adding to the high hilarity is a dashing, not-too-dastardly Pirate Captain (on opening night a gallantly aristocratic Charles Martin, whose rubber-faced mugging had the audience roaring with laughter).

Ruth, Frederick’s old nursery maid, responsible for his erroneous indenture, provided great comic relief as well, her expressions a perfect foil for every stage action. And action there was a-plenty, especially when a timid police force tried to summon up enough courage to face and fight the dreaded pirates.

Their cockney Sergeant, an adorably-addled and timid minion of the law, endeared himself with the rueful solo, “A Policeman’s Lot is Not a Happy One," echoed by his quaking cho-rus of cops, individually and collectively riotous.

Their Keystone Kops choreography brought down the house at every performance.

Soaring over the company’s ensembles, heroine Mable’s gor-geous soprano negoti-ated virtually coloratura passages of great musical beauty while flirting outrageously to capti-vate the innocent young Frederick. Poor boy, he’s been at sea all his life, with no other female but Ruth, so just imagine his wide-eyed susceptibility to the coquettish charms of this sparkling and teas-ing beauty.

Their instant mutual attraction and ensuing attempts to “get better acquainted” shock and scandalize all of Mable’s adorable sisters, but also fascinate them enough to eavesdrop dreamily on the happy couple. The results are predictably hilarious.

A full professional orchestra led by fa-mous Music Director Baker Peeples, started the show off with a rousing overture, including the famous “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here," and maintained the merry pace with unflagging enthusiasm. Meltingly romantic melodies pre-pared the audience for the irresistibly touching scenes to follow. It’s a rare combination, and was handled superbly.

Huge romantic sets and lavish costumes added to the impressive production, brilliantly directed by Jane Erwin

(continued on page 5)

THE INDEPENDENT • THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014 5

lamplighters.org

Gilbert & Sullivan’sswashbuckling musical comedy

Aug 14-17 • YBCA, SF415-978-2787 • ybca.orgAug 23-24 • Livermore

925-373-6800"wry, sly and bright as a

summer day... a tiny masterpiece"- Pat Craig, Mercury News

There’s a reason why Sirius/XM satellite radio plays Rabbi Bob Alper’s comedy bits several times daily, often sandwiched between Bob Newhart and Bill Cosby: Bob’s unique background - he’s an or-dained rabbi who served congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary - prepared him well for a twenty-seven year comedy career with wonderfully unique material presented in a way that’s in-telligent, sophisticated, and 100% clean.

It will be 90 minutes of non-stop laughter on Wednesday, August 27th, when “the world’s only practicing clergyman doing stand-up comedy - inten-tionally,” returns to the Bay Area in programs open to the entire community.

He will perform in Pleas-anton at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Aug. 27 at Congregation

Bob Alper

Rabbi/Stand-Up Comic Performs in Pleasanton

Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada Court.

The New York Times put it succinctly: Bob “…had the audience convuls-ing.” The Chicago Tri-bune described Bob’s act as “Hilarious. Relaxed, clean, unhurtful. A warm type of humor.”

Tickets are $20. Infor-mation and tickets are avail-able at http://bobalper.bpt.me/ and 925-931-1055.

Hammett, whose every detail of staging brought the comedy into sharper focus. Truly a masterful presentation by a well-polished company.

No wonder the Lamp-lighters won acclaim as the top Gilbert and Sul-livan troupe in the world at England’s International Competition. Even in the homeland of G & S, their incredible showmanship and magnifi cent singing won fi rst place, a deci-sion which must have been diffi cult for English judges to announce!

A long-cherished British tradition, G & S shows became popular for combining irresistible comedy with deftly-point-ed jabs at the ridiculous side of government, the Courts, and the wealthy “upper crust." Yes, even in Victorian days, they managed to poke fun at societal prudery, exag-gerated aestheticism, and pretentious piety, as well as the very suspicious rise of certain questionable politicians.

Those sharp jabs of Victorian times have now mellowed into the jovial good humor that has kept “Pirates” an audience favorite down through the years. As the Pirate King tartly observes: “I don’t

think much of our profes-sion, but contrasted with respectability, it is rela-tively honest” for “in the cheating world…pirates all are well-to-do.”

Even high government offi cials are skewered, as the Major-General proudly boasts of his mastery of “Babylonic cuneiform," while privately admitting he can’t tell “a Mauser rifl e from a javelin," and knows no more of tactics than “a novice in a nunnery." All the clever lyrics are now clearly shown on super-titles, so the audience can enjoy every hilarious line, a great modern innovation.

For a “fi rst-rate oppor-tunity” to “enjoy this with immunity," reserve tickets for this jolly good show on Saturday, August 23, at 2PM or 8PM, or Sunday, August 24 at 2PM . Climb on board for a rollicking good time by contacting the Bankhead Theater at 925-373-6800, or liver-moreperformingarts.org. The theater is located at 2400 First Street in down-town Livermore.

After 60 years of watch-ing this fabulous company, I have NEVER failed to enjoy a superb perfor-mance, and this production is their fi nest to date. Don’t miss it!

PIRATES9continued from page 4)

The Livermore Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors, led by Chair Elizabeth Trutner, Esq., and Artistic Director Lisa Tromovitch hosted delegates from The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust on Sun., July 27. On hand were Paul Edmondson, the University of Warwick; Paul Prescott, and Misfi ts Inc. representatives, Melissa and AJ Leon. The visitors took part in a wine tour, "Livermore Shakespeare Festival – Past, Present and Future."

The professors are preparing a book on Shakespeare in America. Misfi tsInc. is creating an on-line presence for the current research tour "Shakespeare on the Road," a reverse-pilgrimage to explore Shakespeare production in North America.

Representatives from area Shakespeare festivals toured with the delegates to Retzlaff Estate Wiinery, Concannon Vineyard and Wente Vineyards (past, present and potential future venues for Livermore Shakes) as they discussed Shakespeare production world-wide. Will Brown and Sarah Connor-Brown of Arabian Shakespeare shared plans for their next international education program. Actress Jen-nifer Le Blanc represented four companies, as she works regularly with Livermore and Arabian Shakes as well as SF Shakes and Pacifi c Repertory in Carmel. The group of 14 agreed that the Livermore Valley Wine Country lifestyle pairs perfectly with Shakespeare.

For news and information about Livermore Shakespeare Festival visit: www.LivermoreShakes.org

British Delegates Enjoy Wine and Shakespeare Discussion

Bob Alper