Greenwood children’s theater group to perform ‘Pirates of Penzance’

Swashbuckling rogues armed with cutlasses and a sense of humor are the heart of the musical “The Pirates of Penzance.”

Despite their crimes on the high seas, the free-wheeling bunch are armed with charm and guile, both of which come in handy as they ward off capture.

Their exploits are what makes “The Pirates of Penzance” such a joy to put together.

“It is very, very ridiculous and over-the-top kind of humor. Think Three Stooges kind of humor. It’s a show that doesn’t want to be taken seriously by itself, which makes it a hoot for the audience,” said Eli Robinson, a 19-year-old Center Grove-area resident who plays the Pirate King.

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Agape Performing Arts, a Greenwood-based children’s theater troupe, will stage the farcical musical in a series of eight performances this weekend and next. After staging the grandiose but thematically heavy musical “Les Miserables” in 2017, organizers opted for a lighter musical production this year.

“’Les Miz’ is so deep and in some places dark. I felt we deserved a good laugh,” said Kathy Phipps, founder of Agape Performing Arts. “It’s a silly premise that’s a lot of fun.”

The cast of 45 students have been working on the performance for weeks, and are ready for opening night at 7:30 p.m. Friday at McGowan Hall in Indianapolis.

Phipps, Robinson and student choreographer and cast member Faith Anthony shared their thoughts on the show as the rehearsal process:

Why did you want to do “The Pirates of Penzance” for Agape’s spring musical?

Phipps: “I think there’s two reasons. For one, our group has outstanding singers. We found in ‘Les Miz’ that we were able to attract some really top talent. We wanted another challenging show where the young people could grow with their vocal ability. The other reason is, it’s hilarious.”

What makes this such a fun show?

Phipps: “It’s about a bunch of guys who didn’t want to work, and after university, they’re just hanging around on a boat having beach parties and enjoying each other’s company. They sail up and down the coast, and it gets very silly when they meet some girls.”

What has it been like stepping into the role of a pirate?

Robinson: “I had previously done a lot of serious roles, so that’s more of my comfort zone as an actor. So it’s really fun to play a comic lead in a farce, because it allows me to use more physical comedy and grow my comedic timing a little bit, and it’s been fun to experience that.”

What does being a student choreographer entail?

Anthony: “It starts out with meeting with the directors, assistant directors and student staff, and go over what we envisioned. So we have to get on the same page and what we have for each number — it might be a little dance, or it might be the whole song. Then, we go off and bring out what I think will be funny or will go with it.”

What are some of the challenges of staging this play?

Phipps: “The music is very, very difficult. But we’ve had some really talented young people audition who are up to the challenge and are up doing a great job with it.”

What are the elements of this show like?

Anthony: “It’s a very funny show. So many parts of it are over-the-top that make you go, ‘huh?’ You get to be something that you don’t get to do every day. It’s been a great experience.”

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The Pirates of Penzance

What: A farcical musical performance focusing on a group of fun-loving pirates and their clashes with the law.

Who: Agape Performing Arts Company, a Greenwood-based youth theater troupe

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. April 27, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 28, and 3:30 p.m. April 29.

Where: McGowan Hall, 1305 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis

Tickets: $15 VIP, $10 adult, $5 children 11 years and under.

Information and to buy tickets: thelittleboxoffice.com/agape or agapeshows.org

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