Pirates eyeing Casino stage; hope to capture the hearts of audiences
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER

PHOTOS BY ROB BENCHLEY Andrew Cromartie, left, plays the Pirate King, Gillian Page plays the heroine, Mabel, and Seth Gerard portrays the hero Frederic in the Pirates of Penzance opening July 23 at the 'Sconset Casino.

As part of a roster of lively performances by On the Isle, a local nonprofit theater organization, "The Pirates of Penzance" will swarm the 'Sconset Casino stage beginning Wednesday, July 23 with a hilarious, updated rendition of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, along with several other entertaining events scheduled for "Center Stage," the On the Isle 2008 summer festival running through July 27.

The festival features "The Pirates of Penzance," a cabaret called "...well, that's show biz!" an original children's play, "The Mystery of the Lighthouse" and a gala benefit for the theater company entitled "The All-Star Comedy Night," which is a partial preview of the upcoming Nantucket Comedy Festival showing July 28 through August 2.

The events, all staged at the 'Sconset Casino with costumes furnished by a Springfield, Mass. theater outfitter, kick off on Wednesday, July 23 with a 7 p.m. performance of the children's play, then a 9 p.m. performance of "Pirates."

The police are brought in to stop the pirates believed to want to harm Major General Stanley's ward of female orphans. As it turns out, the pirates have only the best intentions.

The children's play was written by long-time islanders Suzanne DeHeart and Weedie Block and is directed by Spencer Gates, a professional actor and singer who plays the lead role in "Pirates."

The musical stars 24 children, who are summer 'Sconset residents, and five adults. It is a fanciful tale where Sankaty Lighthouse disappears during a nighttime storm and the children must search the island to find it. They discover the landmark in a shrunken version at the Whaling Museum and have to bring it back to Sankaty and pump it up to its normal height using their bicycle pumps. Songs include, "Coming Around the Mountain," "The Eddystone Light" and "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean."

For those uninitiated to Gilbert and Sullivan's works, "The Pirates of Penzance" is a looney tale of a young man named Frederic, whose father orders his partially deaf nursemaid, Ruth, to place him in apprenticeship with a pilot. Ruth thought he said "pirate," and the mayhem begins.

When Frederic is about to be freed from his indenture, he learns that because he was born on a Leap Year and should have been released from his servitude at 21, now it will last until he is 81.

Complicating matters more, Frederic has never seen a woman other than Ruth, who tries to convince him that she should be his wife. But Frederic falls for the lovely Mabel, one of a group of orphaned wards whose guardian is Major General Stanley. The pirates arrive, and with the best intentions, want to marry the ladies and proceed to kidnap them. The general, misunderstanding their goodwill, enlists the police to thwart this capture. Though Frederic wants to assist, he is still duty-bound to the pirate band. The story ends well with the discovery that the pirates have noble blood as well as kind spirits, making them quite suitable husbands for the orphaned wards.

"It's very witty and unbelievable," said Georgia Raysman, spokesperson for On the Isle and a nursemaid in the play.

The cabaret of songs and skits, "...well, that's show biz!" has seven performers. The three who are local folks are Andrew Cromartie, Gillian Page and Connie Thayer. Lauren MacDonald is in it, and is the daughter of Sandy MacDonald, who plays the hard-of-hearing nursemaid in "Pirates." Raysman said the group is still finalizing music selections, but they will be a mix of standard and show tunes as well as pop music.

The All-Star Comedy Night benefit will star Kevin Flynn, Bonnie Block Levison and Al Ducharme. It is the 'Sconset launch preview of the upcoming Nantucket Comedy Festival opening July 28.

"It's really using theater as a community device," said Raysman. "Carl is absolutely right, that to conduct theatrical performances and go through the agony of rehearsals and joy of performing is something you go through with people and form a bond. They are people who would never know each other, otherwise. It's lots of fun and you always look back on it. It's something we'll have as a memory all our lives."

On the Isle was founded in 1999 by Carl Schmehl, a summer visitor and New York City theatrical director and producer, and Linda Mackay, a summer 'Sconseter who is the company's executive producer.

Center Stage will hold two performances per night. "The Pirates of Penzance" will play July 23 at 9 p.m., July 25 and 26 at 7 p.m. and July 27 at 9 p.m. "...well, that's show biz!" plays at 7 p.m. on July 24 and 9 p.m. on July 25 and 26. "The Mystery of the Lighthouse" plays at 7 p.m. July 23 and 27. The comedy gala is at 9 p.m. on July 24.

Tickets are available at the Casino, payable by cash or check only. Attendees at "show biz!" and the gala must be 21 or older because alcohol will be served. Tickets for the children's play are $25 for the first run and $35 for the second show with the $10 difference to go to the 'Sconset Trust Sankaty Lighthouse Fund. Pirate tickets are $35; comedy night is $150 and the cabaret tickets are $50. I