Production History
From the beginning, The Pirates of Penzance has been one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular comic operas. After its unique "triple opening" in 1879–80, it was revived in London in 1888, in 1900, and for the Savoy repertory season of 1908–09. In the British provinces, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company toured it almost continuously from 1880–1884, and again in 1888. It re-entered the touring repertory in 1893, and was never again absent through to the company's closure in 1982.
In America, after the New York opening on New Year's Eve, 1879, Richard D'Oyly Carte launched four companies that covered the United States on tours that lasted through the following summer. Gilbert and Sullivan themselves trained each of the touring companies through January and early February 1880, and each company's first performance – whether it was in Philadelphia, Newark, or Buffalo – was conducted by the composer. In Australia, its first authorised performance was on 19 March 1881 at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, produced by J. C. Williamson. There was still no international copyright law in 1880, and the first unauthorised New York production was given by the Boston Ideal Opera Company at Booth's Theatre in September of that year. The first non-D'Oyly Carte professional production in a country that had been subject to Gilbert's copyright (other than Williamsons' authorised productions) was in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, in September 1961. In 1979, the Torbay branch of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society presented a centenary tribute to the world premiere performance of Pirates in Paignton, with a production at the Palace Avenue Theatre (situated a few metres from the former Bijou Theatre).
New York has seen over forty major revivals since the premiere. As discussed below, Joseph Papp's 1980–83 Pirates on Broadway gave a boost to the opera's popularity. Professional and amateur productions of the opera continue with frequency. For example, the Chicago Lyric Opera and English National Opera staged the work in 2004, and in 2007, the New York City Opera and Opera Australia both mounted new productions.
The following table shows the history of the D'Oyly Carte productions in Gilbert's lifetime:
| Theatre | Opening Date | Closing Date | Perfs. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijou Theatre, Paignton | 30 December 1879 | 30 December 1879 | 1 | English copyright performance. |
| Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York | 31 December 1879 | 6 March 1880 | 100 | Original run in New York. The company toured the Eastern seaboard between 8 March and 15 May. Three other touring companies were launched in January and February 1880. |
| 17 May 1880 | 5 June 1880 | |||
| Opera Comique | 3 April 1880 | 2 April 1881 | 363 | Original London run. |
| Savoy Theatre | 23 December 1884 | 14 February 1885 | 37 | Children's Pirates – series of matinées with a juvenile cast. |
| Savoy Theatre | 17 March 1888 | 6 June 1888 | 80 | First professional revival. |
| Savoy Theatre | 30 June 1900 | 5 November 1900 | 127 | Second professional revival. |
| Savoy Theatre | 1 December 1908 | 27 March 1909 | 43 | Second Savoy repertory season; played with five other operas. (Closing date shown is of the entire season.) |
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