# Happy 40th Birthday Frederic! (Pirates of Penzance) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 29, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539 "2016-02-29T18:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/1 "2016-02-29T18:36:50Z")
The Slave of Duty Frederic was finally out of his Piratical Indentures in 1940, but this Leap Day, he finally hits the Big Four Oh. We should all raise a glass of sherry in his honour! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/2 "2016-02-29T18:44:19Z")
_Here’s good luck to Frederic’s ventures! Frederic needs a set of dentures!_ ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/3 "2016-02-29T18:48:58Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > We should all raise a glass of sherry in his honour! [Pour o pour!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gbrEjj9i4E) This is the best best best production of Pirates ever. If you disagree, shut up. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/4 "2016-02-29T18:58:04Z")
A few years back, I shot a school production of Pirates. They had no budget for set or costumes, so the director had the brilliant idea of updating the 1880s of the original to the **19** 80s. [Thus all the Pirates were Punks and the Major General’s Daughters were Valley Girls.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FidQDShk_4E) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/5 "2016-03-01T05:45:28Z")
No more comments? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/6 "2016-03-01T05:56:38Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > [Pour o pour!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gbrEjj9i4E) > > This is the best best best production of Pirates ever. If you disagree, shut up. What production is it? Hard to judge wonderfulness from 2:14… ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/7 "2016-03-01T08:00:45Z")
Nitpick: if Frederic has his 40th birthday in 2016, then he was born in 1852 (Since he did not have a birthday in 1900, that not being a leap year). That would mean the action of Pirates takes place in 1873, 6 years before the first production in 1879. I think it’s more likely that he was bon in 1856 – but I suspect that W.S. Gilbert did’nt give the question much thought. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/8 "2016-03-01T08:03:43Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Nitpick: if Frederic has his 40th birthday in 2016, then he was born in 1852 (Since he did not have a birthday in 1900, that not being a leap year). That would mean the action of Pirates takes place in 1873, 6 years before the first production in 1879. I think it’s more likely that he was bon in 1856 – but I suspect that W.S. Gilbert did’nt give the question much thought. Isaac Asimov mused on that, actually. He points out that the Major-General mentions _HMS Pinafore_, which debuted in 1878, and posits that you are correct for that specific reason, on the assumption that it’s much more likely that the “airs” to _Pinafore_ were in whistle-able shape in 1877 than in 1873. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/9 "2016-03-01T09:30:33Z")
While we’re on the subject: why has the film with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith and Angela Lansbury effectively vanished? I can’t find a copy anywhere - some of the advertised versions actually contain an entirely different, stage performance. I really liked that one. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/10 "2016-03-01T12:58:52Z")
I love that movie, it’s so much fun! It got vilified when it was released but my husband and I both think it’s wonderful. We have it on VHS and, I think, laserdisc. It needs to be celebrated. Thanks for bringing it up. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/11 "2016-03-01T16:42:01Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > What production is it? Hard to judge wonderfulness from 2:14… It’s this [one](http://smile.amazon.com/Gilbert-Sullivan-Penzance-Gallaher-Donaldson/dp/B000G1ALGQ?sa-no-redirect=1). ---
**Author:** ![OHS201](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6de8d8/32.png) [@OHS201](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OHS201)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/12 "2016-03-01T17:33:36Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > While we’re on the subject: why has the film with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith and Angela Lansbury effectively vanished? I can’t find a copy anywhere - some of the advertised versions actually contain an entirely different, stage performance. I really liked that one. It seems to be available on Amazon, we have that and love it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/13 "2016-03-01T20:54:54Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > While we’re on the subject: why has the film with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith and Angela Lansbury effectively vanished? I can’t find a copy anywhere - some of the advertised versions actually contain an entirely different, stage performance. I really liked that one. I taped it off Bravo back when they actually were a fine arts network. I am not advocating it, but it is also bootleggable online in a DVD quality copy(not HD, though). ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/14 "2016-03-01T21:04:00Z")
We had a church production a few years ago where the Major General’s Mustache fell off in the middle of a song and much hilarity ensued. ([clip–funny part starts about halfway through](http://vimeopro.com/user19788264/pirates-of-penzance-erin-guinup-production/video/71160939)) (I did the set painting, which led to a job with Tacoma Opera, which has been awesome! 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/15 "2016-03-02T00:31:56Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > While we’re on the subject: why has the film with Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith and Angela Lansbury effectively vanished? I can’t find a copy anywhere - some of the advertised versions actually contain an entirely different, stage performance. I really liked that one. [It came out on DVD a couple of years back](http://www.amazon.com/The-Pirates-Penzance-Kevin-Kline/dp/B00005JM6A). It desperately needed to, as the original aspect ratio was 2.35:1 and used every bit of it, especially during “When you had left our pirate fold”. The pan and scan on the VHS was just awful. Sadly, it was one of the movies of that era with a dreadful, cheap synth score (along with The Princess Bride). I wish both could be re-scored with an orchestra, or at least a current, _better_ synth score. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-40th-birthday-frederic-pirates-of-penzance/747539/16 "2016-03-02T02:18:02Z")
From the great Ray Stevens: [I want to sing and dance, I want to sing and dance, I want to be a pirate in the Pirates of Penzance.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKakDOs7fOk)