Dueling Productions Do Justice to ‘Pirates’

The long-promised battle of the “Pirates of Penzance” productions is now on, and the winner is--the audience.

In August, the Moorpark Melodrama announced it would break from the regular routine of parodies to mount a relatively straight version of the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operetta.

Several months later, Comedy Tonight Productions--which presented a fine “Mikado” last year--announced their own “Pirates,” to run not only more or less concurrently, but in Simi Valley, about 10 miles from the Melodrama.

Initial speculation, even from the producers, was that the Comedy Tonight version would be more traditional, with the Melodrama’s comedy broader. The Melodrama is not noted for its singers’ virtuosity (nor is it needed in most shows); Comedy Tonight’s singing has been consistently good.

Well, both “Pirates” feature fine singing and a lot of physical comedy. In the Melodrama production, directed by Kevin P. Kern with musical direction by Richard Berent, Sheldon Craig encores the already sprightly “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” at furious speed.

The Simi Valley production, directed by Rebecca Hanes with Zachary Spencer as musical director, leaves the Major-General (Lloyd Allen) alone, but applies the double-time stunt to a song featuring the Pirate King (Damian Gravino), Frederic (Gary Saxer) and Ruth (Peggy Walsh alternating with Linda Smith).

While both productions stick reasonably close to Sir Arthur Sullivan’s original score, it’s the Simi Valley production that interjects a bit of the “Mission: Impossible” theme at one point.

At the Melodrama, the Major-General has five daughters, which at times seems too small a number; at Simi Valley, he has nine, which at times seems too many.

Simi Valley audiences may be distracted by children in some roles (others, of course, will find them cute; they certainly perform well enough). And both Frederics (it’s Ashton Wolf in Moorpark), while quite good, seem a bit old for their character.

Mabel, Frederic’s love interest, is played by Lorraine MacDonald in Moorpark and Patricia Lathrop-McPherson in Simi Valley; the Pirate King by Will Shupe in Moorpark; and the Sergeant of Police by Jason Rasmussen in Moorpark and Gabriel Vega in Simi Valley.

Both productions are tuneful, amusing and capably performed in their own way. One could take a chance on either, or see both--it can be done in one day.

* “The Pirates of Penzance” continues through Jan. 25 at Simi Valley Cultural Center, 3050 E. Los Angeles Ave. in Simi Valley. Performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets to all shows are $12, adults; $10, seniors and students; and $5, children under 12. On Wednesday nights only, the senior/student admission is reduced to $5. For reservations or information, call 581-9940.

* “The Pirates of Penzance” continues through Feb. 9 at the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama & Vaudeville Company, 45 E. High St., in Moorpark. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with some Thursday performances on unspecified dates. Admission to all shows is $12. For reservations or information, call 529-1212 or (800) 597-1210.

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‘Love Letters’: This weekend’s production of “Love Letters” at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza’s Forum Theatre brings together Barry Van Dyke and Anne Lockhart.

Both are area residents, and the two-character play is being produced by Lockhart as a benefit for St. Jude the Apostle School in Westlake Village, where both actors have children enrolled. The two share something else in common: Both come from show business families.

Lockhart’s performing career includes touring with her mother, June Lockhart, in plays including “40 Carats” and “Butterflies Are Free” as well as co-starring in a Hollywood production of “P.S. Your Cat is Dead” with Andrew Stevens and Ron Palillo. (She has also appeared in several TV series and starred in a string of commercials for Alpha Beta Markets, her contract stipulating that she shop for groceries nowhere else).

Van Dyke’s performing experience has been limited to numerous television movies and series (currently “Diagnosis: Murder,” co-starring with his father, Dick Van Dyke), so this will be a rare opportunity to see him work in front of a live audience.

“The major fund-raising event for the school was an Oktoberfest, which my wife, Mary, and I had run for 13 years,” Van Dyke remarked recently. “When the monsignor said yes to Anne’s suggestion that we perform ‘Love Letters,’ she and I both had the same thought.”

“Yes,” Lockhart continued with a giggle. “From now on, we’ll be doing every two-character play from ‘The Four-Poster’ and ‘Same Time, Next Year’--until we’re old enough for ‘The Gin Game.’ ”

* “Love Letters” plays at 8 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza’s Forum Theatre, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Tickets are $65 (including a post-show reception with the cast) and $45, and are tax-deductible. For reservations or further information, call 449-2787.