Gilbert & Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance
This is the opera with THE patter song-"I am the very model of a modern major general." It's been quoted, parodied, rewritten, and recycled now to the point where, even if you don't know where it came from, you'll recognize the tune. And there's another tune you might find familiar: the original version of the song "Hail, hail, the gang's all here." In fact, Sullivan's gift for coming up with instantly memorable melodies was matched only by Gilbert's witty way with the lyrics. It's ironic that the two men actually disliked each other, and regarded these immortal pieces as a sideline. The Victorians weren't big on humor, which is a pity because as these operettas show, they had a lot to laugh about.--David Hurwitz