Two very leaky boats. Photo shown is not one.

Recently PBS announced they were going to present the new Tyrone Guthrie theater production of H.M.S Pinafore: a great event to a Savoyard like me. Unfortunately my enthusiasm was short-lived once I saw this dreadful travesty. In their arrogance the creators badly reinterpreted Arthur Sullivan’s music, gave short shrift to Sir William Gilbert's brilliant lyrics and book and created a production slightly less gay than Le Cage Aux Folless. Despite some good reviews, I cannot believe the audience was pleased with this musical mishmash distinguished only by a highly polished staging, and I literally mean the wood. The excessively fruity dance numbers weren't even original and nothing suggested the British Navy in 1800. The sisters and the cousins and the aunts were particular cringe-worthy with their mugging and overacting in general. I can’t honestly say I saw the entire show as it would have been too painful to see something I have always enjoy so badly done. And when I say it was bad, I mean it was worse than any of the many productions I have seen, including high school efforts. In 1878-79, after its introduction in London, H.M.S. Pinafore was so popular there were over there were over 150 unauthorized productions in the United States. I am sure the majority of them were far better than this absurdity. Shortly after being exposes to this trash, I went to Boston and to remove the bad taste I went to see a production of HMS Pinafore at Harvard’s Agassiz Theater. Once again, the director and producers seem to feel they know best and while they stayed true to the music and lyrics they presented the ship’s crew in U.S. Navy middy blouses and the sisters/cousins and aunts were— after first appearing illogically in trench coats—were all wearing cheap house dresses and carrying purses a la Mother Harper. Another costume "inspiration" was to have the long-legged heroine Josephine, except for the last scene, wear slacks. To make matters worse they were not miked so Gilbert’s lyrics were barely audible. It was still more entertaining than the Guthrie version. Why do so many theater people feel they know better than the brilliant creators of the material? H.M.S Pinafore should be done as was it originally conceived by its two geniuses. Pinafore is witty enough that it doesn't need to be camped up by some dizzy director. One of the joys of the show is the costumes, notably those of the female cast members. If the directors and producers of these classical operettas don’t appreciate the material then do something else. But don’t take a masterpiece and degrade it with the mediocrity of your ego.

Note: I was going to include a photo from either of the drab productions which I mentioned, but decided I would rather show you a cast dressed as they should be. When the H.M.S. Pinafore is done correctly as written, it looks like the photo above, making it a joy to the eye as well as the ear.