The musical The Pirate Queen (book by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Richard Maltby, Jr., music by Claude-Michel Schonberg, lyrics by Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby, Jr. and John Dempsey) came storming onto Broadway with high expectations. But the show flounders almost immediately and, despite some game attempts, is not all that stage-worthy.
The work tells the story of 16th-century Irish pirate Grace O'Malley (Stephanie J. Block), a woman who fought against her country's English oppressors, embodied here by Queen Elizabeth I (Linda Balgord) and her representative Sir Richard Bingham (William Youmans).
Raised by a stern by loving but father (Jeff McCarthy), Grace stows away on his ship after he forbids her to follow in his pirate footsteps and soon proves herself in battle. But in a political move, her father pledges her to the son of the leader of a warring clan to cement a union between the two groups. Grace goes along even though it means giving up the man she secretly loves (Hadley Fraser).
What follows is tragedy, betrayal, and the unrelenting power of the human spirit. Brimming with possibilities, the musical is undone with plot gaps, characters which are little more than stick figures and caricatures, and twists one can see coming long before they actually happen. (The show also has a strong Disney feel, with one half-expecting to see talking and/or singing animals at various points.)
Block, playing the role of O'Malley, is terrific. An independent spirit, the character becomes caught up in the political realities of a world ruled mostly by men. McCarthy as her father and Youmans as the man whose mission it is to capture O'Malley are both good, though neither has much character depth.
The same is true for Fraser, who is a good love interest but is given little to do other than pine for Grace. The character of Queen Elizabeth also doesn't get enough stage time. And while the eventual meeting between Elizabeth and O'Malley is interesting, not enough time is devoted to it or to the repercussions which result.
The dancing is quite enjoyable and one wishes more of that would have been included. However, the score is bland and forgettable. Sets by Eugene Lee and costumes by Martin Pakledinaz are okay and the lighting by Kenneth Posner works well.
Also in the cast are Aine Ui Chellaigh, Marcus Chait, Joseph Mahowald, Brooke Elliott, Christopher Grey Misa, Steve Barath, Nick Adams, Richard Todd Adams, Caitlin Allen, Sean Beglan, Jerad Bortz, Troy Edward Bowles, Grady McLeod Bowman, Alexis Ann Carra, Noelle Curran, Bobbie Ann Dunn, Chrstin J. Hubbard, David Koch, Timothy Kochka, Jamie Laverdiere, Tokiko Masuda, Padraic Moyles, Brian O'Brien, Kyle James O'Connor, Michael James Scott, Greg Stone, Katie Erin Tomlinson, Daniel Torres, Jennifer Waiser, and Briana Yacavone.
The Pirate Queen
Hilton Theatre
213 West 42nd Street
Tickets: 212-307-4100, 800-755-4000 or www.ticketmaster.com
Open Run
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication THE STAGE.
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