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Who Played The Pirate King in Pirates! The Penzance Musical

The Pirate King is a role in Pirates! The Penzance Musical, a musical that opened Broadway in 2025.

A new kind of pirate is docking on Broadway. Roundabout Theatre Company will bring a new version of the Gilbert & Sullivan classic, The Pirates of Penzance, back to Broadway in 2025. Pirates! The Penzance Musical is a reimagined version of the 1879 operetta.  The Pirates of Penzance was last seen on Broadway in 1981- a production that won three Tony Awards. The classic story epitomizes the Victorian-era operetta and explores themes of duty, love, and honor, coupled with parody of class structures and authority. As a cornerstone of light opera, The Pirates of Penzance has solidified its place as a timeless work that bridges the gap between classical and contemporary musical theater. What makes this Pirates! different? In this version, the pirate ship docks in New Orleans in this jazzy-bluesy vision of the crowd-pleasing classic, in an outrageously clever romp sizzling with Caribbean rhythms and French Quarter flair. With the tongue-twisting Major-General, the rabble-rousing Pirate King, newly-imagined young lovers, daring daughters, footloose pirates and fleet-footed police, there's a shipload of musical comedy delights on board to dazzle first-timers and G&S aficionados alike.  The classic tale is brought to life by director Scott Ellis and Warren Carlyle choreographs with a hilarious new adaptation by Rupert Holmes. It is led by Ramin Karimloo, Jinkx Monsoon, David Hyde Pierce, Nicholas Barasch, Preston Truman Boyd and Samantha Williams.

23 actors have played The Pirate King in Pirates! The Penzance Musical.

View full cast of Pirates! The Penzance Musical

Performer Production Opened
Frederick Federici Regional (UK) The Pirates of Penzance 1879
Signor Brocolini Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1879
Richard Temple West End The Pirates of Penzance 1880
Darrell Fancourt Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1934
Darrell Fancourt Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1936
Darrell Fancourt Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1939
Walter Tibbetts Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1940
Bertram Peacock Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1942
Robert Eckles Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1944
Gean Greenwell Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1946
James Pease Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1946
Darrell Fancourt Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1948
Darrell Fancourt Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1951
Donald Adams Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1955
John Ayldon Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1976
Richard McKee Off-Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1977
Gary Sandy Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1981
James Belushi Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1981
Kevin Kline Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1981
Michael Scott Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1981
Ray Gill Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1981
Treat Williams Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1981
Wally Kurth Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1981
Walter Niehenke Broadway The Pirates of Penzance 1981
Andrew Varela Milburn, NJ (Regional) Pirates! 2007
Ashley Riches West End The Pirates of Penzance 2017
Ramin Karimloo Broadway Pirates! The Penzance Musical 2025

Other Roles in Pirates! The Penzance Musical

Role Production Opened
Ensemble Broadway Pirates! The Penzance Musical 2025
Frederic Broadway Pirates! The Penzance Musical 2025
Mabel Stanley Broadway Pirates! The Penzance Musical 2025
Ruth Broadway Pirates! The Penzance Musical 2025
Sullivan/Police Sergeant Broadway Pirates! The Penzance Musical 2025
The Pirate King Broadway Pirates! The Penzance Musical 2025
W.S. Gilbert/Major General Stanley Broadway Pirates! The Penzance Musical 2025

Photos from Pirates! The Penzance Musical

View all 6 photos from Pirates! The Penzance Musical

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