Been there, seen all that?

It is no secret that Lex and I are big fans of musical theatre but I think she is quite possibly the most avid fan I’ve ever known. She has seen the major plays at least 3 times each, if not more. She knows the score, the lyrics, even the actors and their Broadway pedigree. She is definitely someone you want on your table a Quiz Night (especially the boozy ones I like to go to!).

So last night we scored some free tickets to the world premiere of The Pirate Queen, a new musical by the same guys that brought us Miss Saigon and something else, I can’t remember which one now. But in any case the talent was obvious and the buzz around the musical was electric. For months now the cast has been rehearsing in Chicago, mindful of the fact that last night’s public performance would be the first ever. The media hadn’t seen it, New York hadn’t seen it – Chicago was the guinea pig.

I had high hopes for the musical, I really did. But whether it was the weather (?!) or if it was just the end of a generally silly day, Lex and I were in the mood to speculate about what the musical would include. We didn’t know the story – perhaps the Pirate Queen of the title was in fact a campy transvestite seaman (ahem). In fact the title character was an independent and feisty Irish woman who leads an army against the British forces to liberate Ireland in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Dare I suggest I liked our version better?

Anyway all the elements that Lex and I talked about were there:

• Large, dark sets and ominous boom-boom music at the beginning? Check.
• The actors in triangle formation marching down-stage? Check.
• A soppy romantic number where the leads sing cheek-to-cheek? Check.
• A heart-wrenching number by the female lead about lost love and futility? Check.
• A rousing all-hands-on-proverbial-deck number to close Act 1? Check.
• A ‘why-God-why’ number by the male lead? Check.
• A happy ending? Check.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed “The Pirate Queen”. I’m taking nothing away from the obvious talent of all of the performers; they had wonderfully strong voices and really great energy. But it was all just a little too familiar, you know? It’s like watching an episode of “Law & Order” and knowing who killed the victim before the first commercial break.

The most exciting part about the night was wondering why some Chicagoans came to the theatre dressed as pirates, when it was eminently clear that they were not in the least going to take the stage. Arrrrrrgh, me hearties.