St. Michael-Albertville High School’s theater buffs have been working tirelessly for two months on a show that director Joshua Mann said is the most challenging production he’s seen them attempt. The dress rehearsals are now in full swing and the actors and actresses are fine-tuning their performance in advance of next Thursday’s curtain call.
Mann said the Pirates of Penzance is not typically performed in high school theater programs, but he said the school’s rigorous choir program has gotten students up to the level where they can try something like Pirates of Penzance.
“We have some very amazing singers, and it’s because of the program that’s been training them for years, and I think it really does build,” Mann said. “You will not see many high schools pulling this show off.”
The show is an operetta comedy and was originally written in the 1870s, and it is also set during this time period. The show centers on a pirate apprentice, Frederic, who was apprenticed to a band of pirates until his 21st birthday. However, Frederic learns soon after gaining freedom that since his birthday is on Leap Year, he is actually bound to the pirates until he is in his 80s. The show involves a lot of action with fight scenes, clumsy policemen and singing.
Some of the show’s leading characters include Maddie Peterson as Mabel, with whom Frederic has fallen in love, Dylan Brown as the Pirate King, and Dominic Clemons as Frederic. All three are seniors and veterans on the stage at STMA High School, participating in musicals, one-act play and theater club.
“It’s a lot different from anything we’ve ever done because it’s so musically challenging,” Peterson said.
“It is so energetic and a really fun show,” Clemons said. “And we’re trying to make it fun for everyone else, too, not just for us. It’s tiring for us.”
“If they’re not sweating, they’re not doing their job,” Mann added with a laugh. “This is a hilarious show. It is a great show to see. Come ready to laugh.”
Showtimes are Thursday, Nov. 10-Saturday Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. All performances take place at the STMA High School’s Performing Arts Center. Tickets are on sale now at www.stmaknights.com $8 for adults, $6 for students.
