The Pirates of Penzance Vs West Side Story

1) The Pirates of Penzance

Composer: Arthur Sullivan

Librettist: William Schwenk Gilbert

First performed: December 1879

Genre: Comic Opera- Early form of musical

Plot:

In The Pirates of Penzance, the young pirate apprentice Frederic is about to be freed from his indentured period.

The honorable Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates by his partially deaf nursemaid Ruth, has decided to leave the pirate life.

Now a free man, Frederic leaves for the shore. Frederic, who has never seen a woman besides Ruth, instantly falls in love with Mabel, one of the daughters of Major-General Stanley. Soon though, the pirates arrive and want to marry the rest of Major-General Stanley's daughters. Major-General Stanley enlists the help of the police to stop the pirates.

Frederic desires to help Major-General Stanley and the police protect the ladies, but soon he discovers that due to a technicality, he is still bound by duty to remain an apprentice to the pirates. All is well in the end when it is discovered that the pirates have noble blood and would in fact be suitable husbands for Major-General Stanley's daughters

Reference: information above here

2) WEST SIDE STORY

Composer: Leonard Bernstein

Librettist: Stephen Sondheim

First performed: September 1957

Genre: Romantic musical

A musical Romeo and Juliet story.

The Sharks and Jets are two feuding street gangs in 1930's Los Angeles, the Jets being White and the Sharks being Puerto Rican.

At the school dance at a gym, Jet Tony falls in love with a Shark's sister, Maria.

They know they can't be together because of the gang's war, but that doesn't stop them.

Meanwhile, the two gangs prepare for a rumble, and Tony tries to stop it out of love for Maria.

In the process, his best friend and Jet leader Riff is killed by Maria's brother, Bernardo.

In anger, Tony kills Bernardo. He realizes his mistake (killing his love's brother) and begs for forgiveness, which, of course, Maria gives him.

They decide to leave the city, and the pointless hate, behind them. They plan the meet at Doc's Candy Store and take a bus to the country. Chino, the Shark Maria is supposed to marry, vows to kill Tony.

Maria asks Anita, Bernardo's fiancé, to tell Tony she will be a little late meet him at Doc's Candy Store, but when Anita is mauled by the Jets, she angrily tells them that Maria is dead, murdered by Chino, which is, of course, a lie.

Doc overhears this and reluctantly tells Tony. Tony is devastated and furious, and hunts Chino down so he can be killed too. Then Tony runs into Maria at the playground and is overjoyed.

As soon as they embrace, Chino runs in with a gun and shoots Tony. Tony tries to stay alive but is overcome by the bullet and dies. Maria bursts into tears, devastated, and when the police come, both Jets and Sharks help carry Tony away.

Baby John places Maria's head scarf on her head and Maria is the last to walk out.

Reference: information above here

Listen

"I am a Pirate King" here

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