Test your knowledge of *The Pirates of Penzance* with these fun trivia facts about one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most beloved operas. How well do you know the unique plot twists, unforgettable characters, and signature patter songs that make this show a fan favorite worldwide? From its New York premiere to its Tony Award-winning revival, this comic opera continues to charm audiences. Let's see how much you remember about pirate life, leap-year birthdays, and more!
International Productions
- 'The Pirates of Penzance' is unique among Gilbert and Sullivan operas as it was the only one to have its official premiere in the United States.
- The London debut of 'The Pirates of Penzance' occurred on April 3, 1880, at the Opera Comique, where it ran for 363 performances.
- The copyright expiration in Canada allowed the first non-D'Oyly Carte professional production in September 1961 in Stratford, Ontario.
- The opera's debut in a German translation occurred at the Theater an der Wien in Austria on March 1, 1889.
- The first authorized performance in Australia took place on March 19, 1881, at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, produced by J.C. Williamson.
Musical Composition
- In 2022, a concert version of the opera was presented on Broadway with new orchestrations and a setting adapted to New Orleans.
- Arthur Sullivan parodied multiple composers in 'The Pirates of Penzance', including Verdi and Gounod, infusing the score with humorous takes on their iconic styles.
- The overture of 'The Pirates of Penzance' includes melodies like 'With cat-like tread' and 'Ah, leave me not to pine alone', combining them in a compressed sonata form.
- The first complete recording of 'The Pirates of Penzance' score was conducted by Rupert D'Oyly Carte in 1921.
- Due to a mishap with forgetting his music sketches in England, Sullivan had to recompose parts of 'The Pirates of Penzance' from memory upon his arrival in New York.
- The music for 'The Pirates of Penzance' included the number 'Climbing over rocky mountain,' which was originally part of an earlier opera, 'Thespis,' showing how Gilbert and Sullivan recycled their own work.
- Sullivan's conducting was key in the operas, and he personally conducted music rehearsals to ensure the quality of performances.
- The song 'Poor Wand'ring One' from 'The Pirates of Penzance' is included in the soundtracks of both 'An American Tail' and the 1992 film 'The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'.
- Gilbert and Sullivan introduced 'The Major-General's Song' in 'The Pirates of Penzance,' which has been widely parodied in various media forms.
Notable Tours
- Despite initial strong performances, the popularity of 'The Pirates of Penzance' surged after its New York debut, later becoming incredibly successful in London.
- 'The Pirates of Penzance' was performed by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company for over a century, making it one of the longest-running performances by the company.
Production Facts
- Julia Roberts' character Vivian Ward in 'Pretty Woman' makes a humorous reference to enjoying the opera 'La traviata' so much that she almost 'peed her pants,' comparing it favorably to 'The Pirates of Penzance'.
- 'The Pirates of Penzance' features prominently in a climactic battle scene in the 2004 Disney cartoon 'Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers', with characters singing songs from the opera.
- Angela Lansbury replaced Estelle Parsons as Ruth in the 1983 film adaptation of the Papp production, which featured the original Broadway principal cast.
- A parody of the Major-General's song from 'The Pirates of Penzance' appears in 'Despicable Me 3' (2017), performed by Minions, and the singalong version on YouTube has amassed over 19 million views as of 2023.
- The official premiere of 'The Pirates of Penzance' was on December 31, 1879, at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City.
- Aaron Sorkin's TV shows 'The West Wing' and 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' include references to 'The Pirates of Penzance', highlighting his appreciation for Gilbert and Sullivan's operas.
- The 1980-83 Broadway run of 'Pirates,' produced by Joseph Papp, became the longest-running Gilbert and Sullivan production in history with 787 regular performances.
- Notably, New York has hosted over forty major revivals of the opera since its premiere.
- The opera 'The Pirates of Penzance' premiered on New Year's Eve of 1879 in New York and quickly became one of the most beloved works of Gilbert and Sullivan.
- The character Major-General Stanley was believed to be a caricature of Sir Garnet Wolseley, though Gilbert reportedly based it on another military figure he disliked.
- The title of 'The Pirates of Penzance' served as a humorous jab at both the unexpected location of pirates and the theatrical pirates who staged unlicensed productions.
- Gilbert and Sullivan often cast talented but relatively unknown actors in their operas, which allowed them to shape the roles around the unique abilities of the performers.
- Gilbert and Sullivan's motivation to premiere the opera in the U.S. was to prevent unauthorized and royalty-free reproductions of their work, which had been a significant issue with their previous opera 'H.M.S. Pinafore.'
- Joseph Papp's Broadway production of 'The Pirates of Penzance' in 1981 ran for 787 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Revival.
- The plot of 'The Pirates of Penzance' revolves around Frederic who is bound to a band of pirates until his 21st birthday, which humorously extends to 63 more years due to his leap day birthdate.
