There are Swashbuckling Pirates at the Round Barn Theatre
By Jeri Seely
Editor In Chief
The Paper
We found swashbuckling pirates from the 1870s at the Round Barn Theatre, Nappanee, as the Amish Acres crew presents the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance.”
The plot follows Frederic, (Michael Misko) who has just reached his 21st birthday and is no longer an indentured pirate. What will he do? Marry his 47-year-old nurse. Is she beautiful? He has no idea because he has been at sea since he was 8 years old and has never seen another woman. Maybe he should marry a 17-year-old.
He has been a good pirate and wants to put an end to the other pirates’ activities, even though they are tenderhearted and cannot take anything from anyone who is an orphan.
He soon meets and falls in love with the major-general’s (David Goins) daughter, Mabel (Crystal Davidson), having come to the conclusion Ruth (Emily Baer) is too old for him.
Frederic and Mable live happily ever after. End of operetta!
Wrong. They haven’t even had a chance to marry when problems arise.
There are twists and turns that keep the audience in stitches as Frederic learns from the Pirate King (Neal Hunter Hyde) and his nurse, who has been with him all of his indentured years, Ruth, he was born Feb. 29, thus he is only 5 years old and won’t reach his 21st birthday for many years. He has a sense of duty and feels he has to return to the pirates, after getting Mable to agree to wait for him, even though he has plans to attack them with the local cops (Olin Davidson, Luke Bridges and Ryan Dawley). The trio would make great Keystone Cops! Their comedy routine is one of the hits of the show.
Meanwhile, the pirates find out when the major-general told them he was an orphan, he lied to them and make plans to attack the castle.
Misko and Davidson are the terrific as the young lovers. Their voices blend in perfect harmony. Misko quickly won the audience and Davidson has been a Round Barn favorite all season. Both show exceptional talent as they build their relationship around what seems to be a mountain of problems.
Hyde and Baer almost steal the show with their antics. Both are talented actors and know how to capture an audience. Facial expressions are super as they work as the Pirate King and nurse and then as a pirate duo.
Goins makes a wonderful major-general. After all, “I am the very model of a modern major-general.” When the pirates decided to marry his daughters, he declares he doesn’t want pirates for sons-in-laws. To which the Pirate King replies they object to a major-general as a father-in-law.
The pirates all seem to be having a good time on the stage. Don Hart is Samuel and Ryan Hazelbacker, Wesley Arkinson, Ian Conner Brumbaugh, Ryan Dawley, Luke Bridges, David Goins and Olin Davidson are the pirates. Hats off to this awe-inspiring bunch.
The major-general’s other daughters seem to have nothing to do but think about themselves. They are Edith (Katie McLain), Kate (Erin Wolford) and Isabel (Jackie Wolter) and they are a delight to watch and turn in superior performances.
From the opening act until the final curtain falls, the cast dances and sings its way into the hearts of the audience. Such songs as, “How beautifully blue the sky,” ”Hold, monsters!” “Away, away! My heart’s on fire,” and “A rollicking band of pirates we,” are among the many songs in this production, each telling part of the total story.
Davidson, Bridges and Dawley are first-rate as the scared, bumbling cops. They aren’t on the stage long but when they are they keep the audience laughing as they first make plans to fight the pirates and then engage in battle with them.
Amber Wines directs “The Pirates of Penzance”. She notes the show is marked by firsts, including the fact this is the first production she has directed at Amish Acres. She deserves a bouquet for a job well done.
If you enjoy having your funnybone tickled this is a must see. For tickets call (800) 800-4942 extension 2 or go online at www.AmishAcres.com.
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