I recently went to see a production of H.M.S. Pinafore at the Guthrie in Minneapolis. I was pleasantly surprised by their adaptation of the show. The songs remained intact from the classic original, however, the orchestrations have been updated to include such instruments as electric guitars. Though the production is really well-done, I would not expect anything less from the Guthrie. In my opinion, the story leaves something to be desired and the music is very good, but can get a little...hmmm...repetitive, to say the least. So, why is it that I went to see the show on Wednesday and then was eager to see it again only four days later? Well, for two reasons:
1. My friend Tinia Moulder plays one of the sisters/cousins/aunts. I am so proud of what she has accomplished and I am so happy that I know her, so I want to support her in this show. She's the one in the blue dress (in case you do see the show) and in my opinion, the best sister/cousin/aunt (but, I'm a little biased).
2. The cast and the show make me so genuinely happy. The cast has really worked hard for this show and it is obvious. There is some magnificant choreography (which includes tap dancing!) and everyone does a really beautiful job. It is rare to see an entire cast that is so commited to their roles. Usually, there are a few actors (usually the leads) who are commited to their characters and then the majority of the cast is really just performing for the sake of performing. Even if the dancing and the singing are perfect, because the actors don't seem to care about the show (and therefore their characters do not care about the story), it's just not as fun to watch and it feels like an empty show. However, in Pinafore, every single person is commited to their part. You can feel the energy they bring to the show. This is even more impressive considering that this show has been running since June, as it's really easy to just fall into a pattern of performing and not be totally in the performances near the end of the run. And we are near the end. The show will close on August 28th.
There is still time to see this wonderful production. If you're like me and can't afford full-priced tickets, there's always the rush line if you come early. You have to pay $25 in cash per ticket.
For more information: http://www.guthrietheater.org/
And I might just be seeing it again this weekend...:)
