Gilbert & Sullivan’s swashbuckling comic opera The Pirates of Penzance is coming to Lakeland next weekend, as presented by the Imperial Symphony Orchestra. (And college students go cheap!)

Frederic, a young man accidentally apprenticed to the (mostly harmless) pirates because of his nursemaid’s hearing difficulties, finds that through a technicality in his contract that he is due to be apprenticed to the pirates for much longer than he anticipated.

The play features the much-parodied Major General’s Song, which is one of the most difficult and tongue-twisting songs ever performed.

This was the only one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s  plays to premiere in America, in New York City.

They had gotten tired of not having copyright protection in America, which allowed anybody to steal their work.

So, The Pirates of Penzance was the pair’s plan to punish the plagiarizing pirates. I’d say it worked.

The play is put on by Polk County’s own Imperial Symphony Orchestra at Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College on Saturday, January 23rd, at 7pm. Student tickets are $50, $25, $15, and $10 for the varying seats in Branscomb. For tickets, call the ticket phone at: 863.688.3743

I plan on going in costume. I just need to find my cutlass and opera hat.

You can read the Ledger article here.