(front) Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Caroline Innerbichler, Gary Briggle and Brandon O'Neill with Cast

There is, to be sure, a cartoon-like quality to this production, directed by James Rocco, that would engage Gabe and Evan as much as those of us with several decades on the lads. The fanciful sets resemble pages from a well-drawn coloring book, and the costumes go well over the top in imagined extremes of pirates who are as much a band of dandies as they are cutthroats, and a gaggle of fair maidens in gowns so light and frilly, one expects them to rise up of the stage like so many butterflies.

The story is a cavalcade of silliness, premised on young and virtuous Frederic being sent to apprentice as a ship's pilot, but his nanny Ruth misheard the word and apprenticed him as a pirate, under the eye of the gregarious Pirate King. Now it is Frederic's birthday eve, when he will turn 21 and be freed from servitude to the pirates. Frederic, a slave to his sense of duty, has upheld the pirates' creed, but vows that as soon as he is freed of their domain, it will be his duty to exterminate them and their villainy from the earth.

The pirates leave Frederic and Ruth on a deserted shore (usually the coast of England, reset in the Ordway production to the coast of British Columbia) where a troupe of young maidens, daughters of Major-General Stanley, are on a rigorous nature outing. When they encounter Frederic and learn that, up until this day, he has been a pirate, they are scornful, even as they admire his handsome form—all but Mabel, who takes pity on him and his difficult life in the beautiful "Oh, Wandering One."

The pirates return to battle Frederic and claim the maidens, only to be quelled themselves by the arrival of Stanley, who states his dominion with the oft-parodied tongue-tripping patter, "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General." Yet, it is not by means of advanced military strategy, but by an act of deceit, that Major-General Stanley send the pirates packing.

Act two, set in a ruined family burial crypt, has the Major-General contrite over his deception, Ruth turned pirate, Frederic roiled back and forth between duty to piracy and to upright living, and a crowd of Northwest Mounted Police sent to rid the land of the dastardly pirates, leading to a finale that resolves the story in ways as unlikely as everything that came before. It makes for a giddy lark, its chief charm being its total preposterousness, gilded by clever word play, rollicking physical humor, and, most especially, Arthur Sullivan's sumptuous music.

Ah, the music! Steven Tyler leads a nineteen-piece orchestra that plays every one of Sullivan's melodies, from overture to finale, with fullness and heart. Their layered performance would make simply listening to the score a show in itself.

The cast, however, makes us glad to keep our eyes wide open. Brandon O'Neill is a wonderful Pirate King, with a powerful voice and sensuality as he proclaims "Oh, Better Far to Live and Die," with lustiness and daring-do that mask a soft heart and cluelessness. His bravado is a full-grown manifestation of my next door neighbor boys at play. As Frederic, Ryan Hunter Herdlicka perfectly creates the epitome of virtue, tripping over his overdeveloped sense of duty. He is unceasingly virtuous, handsome, innocent in the world beyond the pirate ship, and he sings beautifully.

Kersten Rodau is a hilarious and bawdy Ruth, with a clarion voice that assures us she will survive any indignity. Her comic timing elevates even small bits of stage business. Only Caroline Innerbichler's Mable seems a bit off. Ms. Innerbichler sings beautifully and looks lovely, but does not fully convey the spirit of redemption to find good in Frederic despite his pirating past, or an iron will to inspire the Mounties.

Gary Briggle has just the right balance of authority and effeteness as Major-General Stanley, and he patters with the best of them. Dieter Bierbrauer as the Sergeant of the Police, and Dane Stokinger as Lieutenant to the Pirate King infuse their respective characters with great physical humor and deadpan delivery of their gag line. Their final scene together is especially memorable. The entire ensemble performs admirably, pouring their hearts out as pirates, Mounties or virgin maidens.

James Rocco takes on choreography as well as direction chores. His dances tend to involve sequences of marching, jumping, moving in formation, raising and lowering arms, and other gestures that do not require great dancers, but form delightful stage pictures when delivered by great singers who move well. The fight choreography by Aaron Preusse is highly spirited, with swords flashing and duelists pivoting about the stage with grace and gusto.

The Pirates of Penzance is a beloved work. It premiered in New York in 1879 and was an immediate hit. Between 1900 and 1955, there were 23 productions of Pirates on Broadway, with untold thousands of mountings in regional, community, and school theaters. The last major New York revival was the acclaimed 1981 production that originated at Shakespeare in the Park and garnered a bevy of awards, ran almost two years on Broadway, and was released as a film. Given the timelessness of its story, the loveliness of its music, and the hearty cheers of the audience at the Ordway, it may be time for The Pirates of Penzance to again set sail for major ports of call. The Twin Cities should be grateful that this merriment has docked in our fair harbor this summer.

The Pirates of Penzance continues at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts through August 16, 2015. 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN. Tickets from $110.00 - $36.00, $33.00 Standing Room Only. For tickets call 651 224-4222 or go to Ordway.org.

Book and Lyrics: W.S. Gilbert; Music: Arthur Sullivan; Direction and Choreography: James A. Rocco; Scenic and Lighting Design: Tom Sturge; Costume Design: Lynda L. Salsbury; Sound Design: Alex Hawthorn; Hair and Make-Up Design: Robert A. Dunn; Props Design: Rick Polenek; Production Manager: Andy Luft; Technical Director: Jason Allyn-Schwerin; Music Director: Steve Tyler; Fight Choreographer: Aaron Preusse; Associate Director/Choreographer: Lisa Bartholomew-Given; Associate Musical Director: Raymond Berg; New Arrangements: Albert Evans; Orchestrations: Bruce Monroe; Casting: Reid Harmsen; Company Manger: Renee Prola; Stage Manager: Sharon Bach.

Cast: Libby Anderson (Edith), Dieter Bierbrauer (Sergeant of Police), Gary Briggle (Major-General Stanley), Jennifer Eckes (Isabel), Ann Eisendrath (Mabel), Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (Frederic, a Pirate Apprentice), Caroline Innerbichler (Rose), Suzie Juul (Kate), Brandon O'Neilll (Pirate King), Kersten Rodau (Ruth, a Pirate Maid), Dane Stokinger (Samuel,the Pirate Lieutenant)

Police and Pirates: Alex Gibson, Brandon Grimes, Reid Harmsen, Andre Hey, Erik Patrick Miller, Joey Miller, Pascal Pastrana, Matthew Rubbelke, Mandy Schmeling, Rudolph Searles III, Monte Riegel Wheeler

Major-General Stanley's Wards: Lisa Bartholomew Given, Marnie Buckner, Alice McGlave, Emily Rose Skinner, Alicia Renée Storkamp, Kirby Trymucha-Duresky

Photo: Molly Shields

- Arthur Dorman

Also see the season schedule for the Minneapolis - St. Paul region