The Pirates of Penzance

This Pirates of Penzance is primarily a historical document, part of the Broadway Theater Archive television series. It presents, with some inevitable, tiny technical shortcomings, a live 1980 performance in Central Park, not the 1983 movie of the same name that also starred Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline. Those who remember that film, which had the benefit of retakes and editing, a lavish production budget, and the spaciousness of a Hollywood studio, may find this video less polished. On its own terms, it is nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable.

Young Charlie begins to develop a case of cold feet as his upcoming wedding looms nearer. Desperate to throw the wedding plans off the track, Charlie tries a variety of tactics, including attempting to rekindle the relationship between his fiancée Josephine and her former boyfriend.