Show “Pirates or Penzance” Our College Opera Company in the ever popular “Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert and Sullivan will be the theatrical and musical event of this year The opera is written in Gilbert's happy and interesting manner and is replete with many of the bright catchy musical themes and airs for which Sullivan is noted It was first produced at London in 18S0 and is as fresh and bright as in the days of its first presentation The plot deals with the love of Frederic (a pirate apprentice and a slave of duty) for Mabel the daughter of Gen’l Stanley an English army officer The first curtain is raised to a rollicking drinking song by the Pirates who are grouped in picturesque costume and attitude befitting the occasion of Frederic’s completing his apprenticeship to the pirate trade The scene is supposed to represent a part of the rocky coast of Cornwall England The pirates are soon surprised to learn that Frederic was apprenticed to their band by mistake and that it is his intention to return to civilization now that he is freed from his indentures The entrance of General Stanley’s daughters about twenty in number gives him his first sight of a “hew of beautiful young ladies” lie at once falls in love with Mabel who sympathizes with him at first because of his handsome and manly appearance and later loves him because of his “romantic” calling In the midst of their love making the pirates steal in and each seizes a prospective bride The General follows soon after and upon his representing himself to be an orphan the pirates are moved to pitv and allow him and his daughters to leave “Giving up the felicity of unbounded domesticity tho’ a doctor of divinity resides in their vicinity” The net is brought to an end with a lively chorus by the entire company on the theme just quoted The curtain falls on a tableau by the General and daughters and a wild dance by the pirates Act II presents to view a beautiful scene of an old chapel in the evening half' light and opens with General Stanley and daughters in a recitative and chorus He is borne down by a remorse over the falsehood he told the pirate crew in order to escape them Frederic is informed by Mabel of the condition of her father and the reason for his grief and since Frederic is not entirely free from the pirate crew he is obliged to tell them The King and his followers swear vengence on the General for so vile a deception Meanwhile a plan has been |