Libretto: W.S. Gilbert; Score: Arthur Sullivan; Adaptation: Sean Graney. At: Den Theatre, 1329 N. Milwaukee Ave. Tickets: www.the-hypocrites.com; $36-$50. Runs through Feb. 7
The late Canadian-British comedian Anna Russell ( 1911-2006 ) was famous for spoofing the conventions of classical music, with "How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera" as one of her best sketches. In it she insightfully skewered how very similar all of the famous 19th-century Gilbert and Sullivan comic operettas were in relation to each other.
Now that The Hypocrites has revived its hit productions of The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado to play alongside its new take on H.M.S. Pinafore, the similarities that Russell joked about are very apparentespecially if you see all three productions in close succession.
But those similarities also help to make all three strong repertory choices for The Hypocrites to heat up the winter season with sunny silliness and fun. The same cast of extremely talented 10 actor/musicians amaze by taking on many roles and playing multiple instruments themselves to tell the strange stories of these comic operettas that themselves spoofed the conventions of 19th century grand opera and melodrama.
The big change now is that The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado are both now playing the much larger new main-floor space of The Den Theatre versus the more cramped basement of the Chopin Theatre where they first premiered ( and before they moved onto many impressive U.S. regional productions ).
So for those who previously saw Pirates and Mikado at the Chopin, some of the intimacy is lost, especially with more seating areas for audiences who choose not to be poked and prodded to move around in the creative promenade staging by co-directors Sean Graney and Thrisa Hodits. Also, some of the theatrical surprises might not feel so fresh you watch a band of roving musicians perform The Pirates of Penzance as a beach party or The Mikado as a balloon-filled circus spectacle.
But for those who previously missed both Pirates and Mikado, both production still work their wacky magic thanks to the playful and colorful atmospheres dreamed up by set designer Michael Smallwood and lighting designer Heather Gilbert. Kudos are also called for costumer Alison Siple and sound designer Kevin O'Donnell for helping to clearly delineate what and where each performer is portraying and saying.
The performances are very fun, especially when you consider the gender-bending work in The Mikado with Shawn Pfautsch playing both the hero Nanki Poo and the villainess Katisha and Emily Casey playing both the heroine Yum Yum and the title emperor.
So even if these returning Gilbert and Sullivan repertory pieces come off as remarkably similar, The Hypocrites still bring out the fun via their anarchic adaptations. And having these shows back for victory lap revivals is certainly warm and welcome for this chilly season.