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kairos00
Reviews
The Pirates of Penzance (1980)
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I have this version of the DVD, and in spite of the warnings of the'technology of the day', if enough finances and talent were thrown at restoration, it would make a fantastic experience. Others have stated the short comings. I am distracted by the poor video and audio quality.
I have just finished watching the movie version, with Angela Lansbury. Again, others have noted the short comings of the movie VS the Central Park production. I must say, though that Ms. Lansbury did a very decent job.
So, which one is better, in MHO? This version, by far. For one thing, which has not been mentioned, in the movie version many songs were shortened or eliminated all together. This stage version is COMPLETE! You get all the wonderful words and music created by G & S. The movie also seems a little 'over the top'. Now I realize that this play is meant to be hammed up, but the actors mugged it up a lot more, and there were disturbing sound effects inserted when all you really needed was the actor's expressions. So, bottom line, in spite of the poor production, i'll keep my Central Park production, and forget the movie version.