Initially, I was pulled in by my hopes of adventure filled with swashbuckling pirates, a touch of romance, and humorous actors. Although my hopes were crushed by the lackluster storyline of the annual Spring Musical, “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert and Sullivan, our Brahma actors’ performances did not fail in entertaining me throughout the night.

This play is about a young pirate named Frederic, who swears to exterminate all pirates after he turns twenty one. After bantering and singing with his fellow pirates, he leaves the crew and meets Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley. Although he falls happily in love and is ready to begin his new life away from the pirates, his crew returns with numerous encounters and a big surprise.

The play contains a few humorous lines but lacks a strong storyline. The one hour and thirty minute play also seemed to be a bit short. Also, I was not able to fully enjoy the play because the dialogue and lyrics were difficult to understand at times, despite the microphones that the actors were wearing. The actors’ voices were also accompanied by scuffles from the microphone, creating minor distractions. However, the impressive voices of the actors surprised me and I was immediately enraptured by the evidently talented cast.

One actor who stood out was Brandon Wilson, who played the pirate king and seemed to constantly cause laughter within the audience. His facial expressions were especially convincing and his humorous presence on stage was perfect for any comedic relief. Emily Chang, who played Frederic’s nurse, was also very amusing to watch. Judging from her previous, very different role as Lorraine Sheldon in “The Man Who Came to Dinner,”she seems to have a notable acting range. I was pleased by many other performances in the play as well, such as the policemen, whose dance and dialogue poked fun at the officers’ courage. The choreography was also impressive because of the incorporation of sword fighting.

Tickets are still on sale for May 1 and 2 at 7 pm. Tickets are $18 or $15, depending on the seating location, and $15 or $12 for students.

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