I was asked to comment on the comic opera “Pirates of Penzance” by a friend whose name for his own protection shall not be mentioned. Granted, this is community theater, but I do believe one should still strive for perfection, which sad to say this show missed by a mile.

Costuming was strange. A pirate wearing a World War I pilot cap? And the policemen uniforms appeared to be Air Force military jackets, but okay, give it a pass. Also, the first rule of stage is to lose your watches, rings, and glasses unless they add to the costume – albeit one pair of glasses could have worked in an audition for the Buddy Holly role. And the derby bowler hats? On pirates? And motorcycle rider chains and belts? A simple bandana doo-rag, a loose shirt, cut off pants and barefoot would have been so simple. How about an oversized earing or two on the pirates?

Choreography was wanting, just not much to evaluate.

The pirate king entertained well moving from sinister, to sorrow, to comic bravado, very enjoyable.

The wonderful Major General set a fun change of pace and the ensemble doubled the fun by challenging him and keeping up with him.

This was not a concert, but all too often the very beautifully sung arias, rather than being show stoppers, simply stopped the show. The mood or flow of the story was repeatedly stalled with self-referentiality.

Bjorn Ericksson knows the difference between singing to the audience and singing for the audience. He made it an enjoyable and successful night at the opera. He never left character keeping the flow of the show moving while singing about his sorrowful-life-of-duty, flirting with the girls, and waving his sword.

I do hope the theater continues to produce positive family-oriented shows.