Susan Granger’s review of “The Pirate Queen” (2006-2007 season)
Opening on Broadway in serious need of a course correction, “The Pirate Queen” regally sails on, seemingly unperturbed by early negative reviews.
Based on legends surrounding the real-life Irish clan leader Grace O’Malley, who faced down the British Navy and Queen Elizabeth I back in the 16th century, it’s got one swashbuckling heroine, one regal heroine, two dastardly villains, boisterous Irish music and eye-popping Riverdancing.
Created by songwriters Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schonberg (“Les Miserables,” “Miss Saigon”) with some doctoring by Richard Maltby Jr. and John Dempsey; directed by Frank Galati, musically staged by Graciela Daniele; with gigantic, ornate sets designed by Eugene Lee (“Wicked”), opulent costumes by Martin Pakledinaz, lush lighting by Kenneth Posner and authentic Hibernian choreography (albeit with thumping oars) by Carol Leavy Joyce, it’s awesome and impressive. What it isn’t is dramatic or even emotionally engaging – and the Celtic-flavored music is, at best, banal.
But that’s not the fault of Stephanie J. Block, as headstrong Grace O’Malley, or Linda Balgord, as imperial Queen Elizabeth I. Problem is: they don’t come face-to-face until Act II. Before that, buccaneer Grace faces a lot of male-dominated dithering with her father (Jeff McCarthy), her devoted childhood sweetheart (Hadley Fraser) and nasty, chauvinistic husband (Marcus Chait), while Her shrill, empire-building Highness copes with a conniving, ambitious suitor, ruthless Lord Richard Bingham (William Youmans).
The bottom line is: bigger isn’t always better. Erin go blarney!