Theater Review: The Hypocrites, Pirates of Penzance

Playbill

I want The Hypocrites team to go through the entire Gilbert and Sullivan catalogue and transform all of the operettas as skillfully, and as playfully as they did Pirates of Penzance. What a joyful production! And now that I’m looking at their website I see they have done 19 years of productions, just not here in New York City. Well, aren’t we the lucky ducks to have them here this season.

 Part of The Hypocrites stated mission: “We hope to re-introduce communal connection into contemporary theater by embracing the desire of all people to bond with each other, especially while experiencing the same event.”

And this is exactly what they accomplished! 

The shows starts with being welcomed by the cast, as they explain the seating and what’s going to happen; that if you are sitting o the stage you will be moving a lot and that you can change seats at any time as well. Love free movement during theater! There were beach balls being tossed and bounced around and even for typically stoic and jaded New Yorkers everyone in the pit surrendered to a state of play with each other and with the cast before the show even started. What was created was a jubilant communal experience as we engaged with art and song (one woman sang along to every single song, I mean every word!)

They are playing in New York City through December 10, 2017  and then elsewhere in the country.

GO GO GO!