The Pirate Queen (2007)

[markypoo]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 8:06pm

Listening to the OCR during my cocktail hour.
Haven't listened to it in years.
I saw the show pre-B'way in Chicago in 2006, and remember relatively little about it.
Oh, yes; the heroine (Stephanie J. Block) giving birth while in the midst of fighting a duel.
"I'll Be There" was meant to be the big song.
Linda Balgord as an especially shrill Queen Elizabeth.
A mix of Riverdance and warmed over Les Miserables.
Have I forgotten anything else memorable?
Chime in.

[metropolis10111]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 8:23pm

That dreadful opening staging with the heave-ho choreography of the ship, the fab abs of the dancers and the truly boring staging 

Updated On: 12/11/19 at 08:23 PM

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 8:29pm

Mostly a misfire, but I thought “She Who Has All” worked.

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 8:48pm

"The Woman That I Was" - In Chicago Stephanie Block sang a 'Defying Gravity' style anthem midway through act one. It was too soon, and I believe the song was cut, but I still remember the lyric: "Where has it been writ, my life should turn to $hit?"

"Boys'll be Boys" - The villainous fiance sang a song that was a cross between "Gaston" and "Master of the House." The lyrics were dull but it had a different energy than the rest of the score.

"Woman to Woman" - The most important part of the story, the two queens negotiating the truce, was held offstage. The chorus listened at the door and gossiped. I felt this was quite cowardly of the writers to avoid writing about the one thing that the show seemed to be building to.

Riverdancing. The wedding procession had an endless, plot stopping, Irish step-dancing break.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 12/11/19 at 11:10pm

I like the music and wish a regional house might take a stab at it.

[lotiloti]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 5:59am

Concert in London 2020

https://www.londontheatre1.com/theatre-news/boublil-and-schonbergs-the-pirate-queen-charity-gala/

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 9:25pm

I like The Pirate Queen a lot and it certainly had a lot of the elements it needed to be a hit had it premiered in the late 80s or early 90s. The only thing it lacked was that classic 80s Cameron Mackintosh special effect sequence, which might have been achievable with the act one finale, though short of setting an actual boat ablaze on stage I'm not sure how else they could have achieved that effect to give it the same allure as the chandelier or helicopter effects.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 12/12/19 at 11:37pm

Agreed. It needed something special. But I think there’s some pretty music! Much like Martin Guerre

[SeanMartin2]

Posted: 12/13/19 at 12:12am

The boards here were flooded with messages about its tryout run in Chicago and how great it was and how it was gonna be the next Les Miz.

The first social-media production.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/13/19 at 12:20am

SouthernCakes said: "Agreed. It needed something special. But I think there’s some pretty music! Much like Martin Guerre"

I adore Martin Guerrre. I don’t understand all the revisions. I like the original London cast recording better than the revisal cast album. It’s practically unrecognizable save for a few melodies.

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 12/13/19 at 12:28am

Saw it too, Markypoo, in Chicago and god was it awful. Remains one of the worst ever shows I have taken in. Sumptuous for the eyes in spots, and painful knowing the actors were trapped there, unable to leave the tragedy.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/13/19 at 12:32pm

I also saw this in Chicago near the beginning of the run.  Almost half the score was really good (standouts being Woman, Here on This Night, I'll Be There, A Day Beyond Belclare and Sail to the Stars) but the rest was either banal or seemed completely out of place.  All of which included the stylized grab-bag of orchestrations running the gamut of musical theatre pop, ethereal Celtic Woman, Riverdance, baroque and rock (Boys Will Be Boys was the worst song I've ever heard from that writing team and should have been either replaced with a new number or cut from the show).  Poor Linda Balgord.  She performed well, but the music written for her was just deadly.  Other than the ship set near the top of the first act, the staging was trite and dull.  It was something of a shock to see a Boublil/Shoenberg show that was so misguided, hackneyed and flat-out boring.  Even the cast recording is something of a chore to get through the whole thing.  I will say however, I did return to see it again towards the end of the Chicago run just to hear Block and Fraser sing.  Hadley Fraser's performance of I'll Be There was sensational.  He has one of the most extraordinary tenor voices I've ever heard, though the effect of hearing his performance simply can't be captured on the cast recording.

One thing that really drove me nuts: During A Day Beyond Belclare, there was one ensemble actor who would conspicuously tap his foot and bob his head to the beat of the music like he was privately jamming out to a top 40 playlist on his headphones.  It was so wildly out of place, I thought for sure the director or stage manager would fix the problem, but when I saw the show the second time, he was still doing it.  This lack of detail, lack of occasion and lack of cohesion summed up everything that was wrong with this show.

Riverdancing. The wedding procession had an endless, plot stopping, Irish step-dancing break.

Honestly, I thought it was one of the highlights of the production.  Yes, it was jarringly out of place, but it was also one of the only moments in the show with any energy and drive.  

[markypoo]

Posted: 12/13/19 at 7:42pm

Of all the stagedooring experiences I've had, TPQ had to be one of the best.
The ensemble members - including a young Nick Adams - were great.
And those charming Irish brogues!

[AC126748]

Posted: 12/13/19 at 7:57pm

Linda Balgord in this might be the ugliest professional singing I’ve ever heard.

[South Florida]

Posted: 12/14/19 at 10:44am

Saw this in Chicago and NY, remember being so bummed that this was SJB's first big starring role.  

[cotous6]

Posted: 12/15/19 at 10:36pm

Does anyone happen to have a copy of the broadway book/script? I can only find an early script online. 

Updated On: 12/15/19 at 10:36 PM