Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Performances!
Review: I have this Kevin Kline, Rex Smith, Linda Rondstadt stage performance of The Pirates of Penzance on DVD and despite the flaws of the not so good camera work and it being filmed on a tiny stage and the visibility not being what it could have been because it was filmed outside at night when it was pretty dark out and it probably would have been better filmed on a bigger stage inside a well lit theater but I still enjoyed watching it and I'm happy that I have the DVD because you can still see how great it is and the pure magic and energy of the performances really shines through that any minor flaw can be easily over looked. I just wish I could have been a part of the audience in Central Park when this was performed but watching it on DVD is the next best thing. I haven't seen the movie version of this but I think I will like it too so whenever it becomes available on DVD I will definitely buy it but I wouldn't get rid of this version for it, I would definitely keep both versions. Despite the minor flaws I still think the excellent performances merit a 5 star rating! BTW: From carefully reading the Amazon discription I knew that this was a film of a live performance and not the movie and certainly think that it was very worth buying for my DVD collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Pirates in the fog
Review: The performance shown on this DVD is wonderful as one would expect, given the cast. However, the video quality of the DVD is so poor that it is hardly worth the effort. The audio is better but still substandard. Unless you are into historical performances, it would be better to buy the movie version, especially now that it is going to DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Classic broadway hit
Review: For those who are into theater and would like to direct your own version, I recommend watching this DVD because it gives a good idea of how to do the set, and the lines that each actor/actress come out clear and easy to understand versus the one made for a movie.
Rating:
Summary: Pirates in the Park--finally!
Review: Ordinarily, I wouldn't be writing this, because I was a part of this production, the Broadway show and the movie version--but I'm THRILLED that this live performance, made as an archival tape, and not intended for commercial release, is finally available. Maybe you'll see why it was such a mega-hit (hundreds were turned away every night for the entire summer it played under the stars at the Delacorte in Central Park) that it HAD to go to Broadway! (It's also a better record of the show than the movie version)I won't comment on the performances other than to note that Patricia Routledge was a wonderful Ruth, with the best legit singing voice of anyone who played her (Estelle Parsons and Kaye Ballard on Broadway, Angela Lansbury in the film). She got big laughs every night, and was the only Ruth to end up with Kevin Kline's Pirate King (much funnier that way). If you've only seen her singing off-key as Hyacinth in "Keeping Up Appearances," you'll be surprised--the "My love without reflecting/Don't beloved master" section of Ruth & Frederic's "O False One" was changed from a duet to a solo because of her beautiful performance. Actually, TWO songs were interpolated. "My Eyes Are Fully Open" (aka "It Really Doesn't Matter") was a trio from "Ruddigore." "Sorry Her Lot" was added to take advantage of Linda Ronstadt's ability with a ballad. She was an ensemble player from the first sing-thru and never asked for any special treatment. It was very brave of her to take the risk of singing an operatic part (reaching an E-flat above high C) 8 times a week--who knew she could do it? By the way, Linda got a well-deserved Tony nomination for her efforts! So if you're interested in live theater, give this "Pirates" a chance.
Rating:
Summary: It's Not The Movie Version But It's Still Worth Watching!
Review: Wow I can't believe all of the people who have mistaken this for the movie version when it very clearly says that it's the Routledge, Delacorte Theater version from the Broadway Theatre Archives, I think they just got so excited when they saw it was on DVD which the movie version isn't and they just ordered it without clearly seeing what it says and sorry if this seems rude but they acted in haste should have read more carefully and only have themselves to blame. I watched this and I liked it a lot and thought it was a lot of fun and it was very good despite the limitations of the small stage and it's being filmed at night with moths flying around etc but I think it's so worth watching just too see where the movie got it's start because if it wasn't for this version of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta there would be no movie and it's so great to see Kevin Cline and Rex Smith singing, dancing and looking so sexy in their Pirate costumes and what woman could resist that? I highly recommend this version of The Pirates of Penzance and hopefully the movie version will come out on DVD soon!
Rating: 
Summary: Be very careful.....
Review: If you expect the movie, then don't get this. This is the stage show three years earlier and suffers from extremely poor technical quality, looks like original are fro U-Matic (not far off VHS) and has poor sound (Quality and balance, sometimes wows). Poor direction and camerawork Additionally meant I was unable to fully enjoy. Though, it was fun to see "Hyacinth Bucket - Bouquet" (Patricia Routledge) perform!
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, Fun ----But Horrible Video Quality
Review: The official description of the Delacorte DVD admits to "tiny" technical shortcomings. Tiny, what a lie! This DVD has probably the worst video quality of any commercial DVD ever made; it's fuzzy and so washed out that it's nearly colorless. It looks like it was recorded with security cameras. Nevertheless, nevertheless, it's fun to watch. It is a live
recording of a great stage production sung and acted by a great cast. This is the cast that did excerpts from the show on Saturday Night Live. The biggest surprise to me in the DVD was to see a younger (age 51) Patricia Routledge of Keeping up Appearances who could really could move and sing.
Rating:
Summary: Also sucked into buying what I thought was the movie
Review: I'm usually a pretty careful reader, but was making a quick Christmas order of musicals for my little daughter. I saw the cast list, and remembered that Rex Smith and Linda Ronstadt were the principals, so I bought this DVD. Big disappointment when I found out it was a 2nd rate video of a live performance. I really liked the 1983 film version, and hope its owners release to DVD soon. I'll certainly be more careful before ordering from Amazon again.
Rating:
Summary: One of two imperfect videos - buy both!
Review: I previously rated the VHS version of this Joe Papp production (which I fortunately have on Laserdisc). It's one of my favorites, but the VHS version was recorded later for cable broadcast and it suffers from it. Although it has excellent picture and sound (at least on my Laserdisc), it frustratingly falls short of the original cast CD. To fit its time slot, some verses or even whole numbers were omitted, while more visual business was added - some of it over-the-top silly. This DVD is from a taping of a live performance in Central Park. It suffers from wind noise in the microphones, bugs flying around, and all sorts of other hazards of a live taping. Not that it's bad, but simply don't expect the same audio and video quality of the slick later soundstage production. Having said all that, I wouldn't give up either of them! This version was made some 3 years years before the other and it shows on the actors who all are obviously younger. Better yet, it has all the verses and all the numbers that are on the CD - even the ones "borrowed" from other G&S works. The same sense of fun prevails. Patricia Routledge actually fits the part of Ruth better than Angela Lansbury did in the later production (both are *far* better than Estelle Parsons who's on the CD!) One minor disappointment is that the camera never pays enough attention to Tony Azito, who pretty much stole every scene he was in in the later production. Possibly just as well - wearing stage makeup and without the moustache he sported in the later version, he looks a little goofy here. So take your choice... A great, but incomplete production on VHS or this technically inferior, yet intact production on DVD. I'm just glad to have both. UPDATE:
Since this is a favorite in my family, I've now watched it several additional times with various family members. Imperfect as it may be, it's easily become my favorite of the two. The infectious sense of fun, the audience interaction, Routledge's superior performance - all set it apart. Will I still buy the soundstage production if it's released on DVD? Yes, if only for The better presentation of "When the Foeman Bares His Steel". But if I could have only one, I'm afraid this would be it.
Rating:
Summary: Far better than the movie version!
Review: Thank goodness this version of Joseph Papp's "Pirates" has been unearthed and released to the public! For as lavish as the 1983 film version is, I always felt that it was lacking something....a live audience. With the exception of Kevin Kline's performance, this live recording of the Central Park production is very charming and well worth the watch. Mr. Kline is wonderful as The Pirate King, but his performance in the 1983 version is far better. After 3 years of performing the role, he perfected it, and truly made it his own. Reviews back in 1980 complained about Linda Ronstadt's performance as Mabel, noting her lack of acting training. I found her to be perfectly charming and quite adorable. She's a cross between Snow White and Lilian Gish...the perfect mix! She handles the vocal difficulty of the role with ease and clarity. Her upper voice is slightly improved by the time the big screen version was shot, but this early attempt is wonderful! And Mabel really doesn't have a lot of acting depth to her anyway....G & S wrote her as a parody of grand opera sopranos. Player her "straight", as Ronstadt does, and she's fabulous. The late George Rose and the late Tony Azito are almost exact on both versions...which to me a sign of a great performer. I always heard the Rose did the entire movie version with no retakes, and I can now understand why...he's flawless. Azito could have given Ray Bolger a run for his money back in the day...the man was like rubber.! I would have loved to have seen him play the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz! Sadly both Rose and Azito were taken from us before their time. It's a great loss. Patricia Routledge leaves Angela Lansbury in the dust in the battle for the better Ruth. Routledge actually had a character unlike Lansbury who simply played Jessica Fletcher as Ruth....serious miscasting there folks! If you are a fan of Patricia Routledge in "Keeping Up Appearances", this is a must see for you! The video used for the DVD and VHS versions of this show is very rough. It's been digitally cleaned up a much as possible, but it is 23 years old! Only so much can be done! But it's worth the watch anyway! I LOVED IT!!!!
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