`PIRATES' HAS PIZZAZZ AS A PRODUCTION BY STUDENTS AT CENTRAL

HUZZAH! HUZZAH! TA-RAN-TA-RA! The Pirates have landed in Cape Girardeau, sailing ships full of music and merriment, laughter and lyricism. Central High School's Drama and Music Departments are presenting Gilbert and Sullivan's delightful operetta "The Pirates of Penzance" tonight and Saturday night at 7:30 in the Central High Auditorium. And this is a landing of raiders that should not be resisted.

When you think of "operetta," you often think of stuffy, stilted, unintelligible, unending music. Not so with this show. Stage Director Cynthia Wyatt and Music Director Judith Williams have infused this "Pirates" with comic chaos, musical madness and some of the finest young voices in this area.

"Pirates" allows these fine young actors and singers the opportunity to have fun telling the story of Frederic (wonderfully acted and sung by Brandon Hahs) as he confusedly adheres to his "duty," much to the dismay of his love Mabel (Jeni Kafka, a young lady whose height belies the depth and range of a beautiful soprano voice). Having been apprenticed to the pirates due to the mistake of a hard-of-hearing nursemaid (Kelly Russell, as Ruth, in a performance which is possibly the best composite of talent on the stage), Frederic is reaching his 21st birthday (or is it year?), and it is time for him to throw off his indentured status and rejoin the world of the civilized and the sensitive (although it is hard to imagine the pirates as insensitive when the mere mention of the word "orphan" is guaranteed to bring "priva-tears"). Of course, complications arise (as explained in the wonderfully sung trio, "When You Had Left Our Pirate Fold"). The hysterical resolution of this complication provides "Pirates" with the typical (though not "stereo-so") happy ending, and the glorious finale allows the entire cast to revel in recapping their "greatest hits," with as many as five different melodies joyously interwoven as only Gilbert and Sullivan could do.

Of particular note are the performances of ~Brent~~~~~ Felker as the Pirate King and Chris Redfearn as the Major-General. Each brings a comic talent onto the stage, and they enliven every scene in which they appear (Act I's "often" and "orphan" dialogue is every bit as funny as any Abbott and Costello routine you have seen). Beau McCarthy (as the Pirate Lieutenant), Jeff Steffens (as the Sergeant of Police), and Gwenda Bennett, Amber Hopkins, and Janie Probst (as daughters Edith, Isabel, and Kate) round out a group of principals who fully complement each other theatrically and musically (please listen to Probst's all too infrequent solos, sung in a rich, lyrical alto voice).

Filling the stage with comic antics, graceful (and sometimes purposely "un-") movements, and lovely harmonies are the three choruses: Pirates, Police, and Daughters. Drawn from the student body, including the athletic department (let us destroy two myths, quickly and once and for all: #l - "dumb jocks" they ain't; these are multi-talented young people; #2 - it is definitely NOT "unmanly" to appear on stage), these three choruses beautifully support the leads. Wyatt's deft direction moves these young actors/dancers/singers around the stage with precision choreography, and Williams' superb vocal coaching delights the ears with the wonderful blends of true choral unity.

Kudos to: Steve Lukens and his set and lighting crews (captained by Brandon Nielson and Matt Hoffman) for creating scenes which enhance, not overwhelm, the stage action; Pat Johnson and Pam Richmond (and their chair Carrie Patterson) for their eye-pleasing costumes; and Steve Schaffner and his orchestra, especially the impressive strings (check out the playing of young concert mistress Maja Ahuja). These "backstage" crews all too often do not receive the credit they deserve, and they certainly deserve recognition for a job well done.

Although "Pirates of Penzance" is a risk for high school performers, Directors Wyatt and Williams took the chance and delightfully succeeded in creating a "Pirates" with pizzazz.