The Lofte Community Theatre of Manley, Nebraska oozes charm. The quaint red barn welcomes its guests inside, where they are greeted by staff members dressed in pirate costumes to set the mood for their rousing production of The Pirates of Penzance. As the shudders in the theatre were closed and the lights dimmed, the audience knew magic was about to happen.
The Pirates of Penzance follows the story of young Frederic (John Celesky) as he leaves his pirate cronies and joins the world. Upon stumbling to land, Frederic meets a group of beautiful maidens, and falls in love with the fairest maiden of all, Mabel (Piper Monson). Through a series of lies and misunderstandings, the audience is in for a comedic masterpiece.
The Pirates of Penzance was a joy to watch from start to finish, led by Celesky and Monson. The two were a perfect pair, and instantly stole the hearts of the audience. Monson’s voice was one to single out, as her magnificent soprano range captivated the audience. The riveting pirate ensemble was lead by the Pirate King (Wade Mumford), who gave a hysterically perfect performance. Kate (Natalie McGovern) elegantly lead the charming ensemble of daughters. For me, the highlight of the show was their father, the Major General (Erik Quam). Quam’s comedic timing was impeccable, and stole the spotlight whenever he stepped foot on stage. The climax of his performance was in the fast-paced number, “I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General.”
The cast was not the only thing that shined on stage. The stunningly detailed set was brought to life by Linda Dabbs and her dynamic team. Lindsay Pape’s striking costumes were the cherry on top of this production.
Directed by Kevin Colbert, with music direction by Betty Colbert and phenomenal choreography by Noelle Bohaty, The Pirates of Penzance is one you will not want to miss.
If you go: The Pirates of Penzance is being performed at the Lofte Community Theatre, located at 15841 Manley Road, in Manley, Nebraska. Remaining performances are July 21, July 28, and August 4 at 2:00pm, July 25-27 and August 1-3 at 7:00pm. Tickets are available online or by calling 402-234-2553.
Kaia Anderson is getting ready to start her freshman year at Nebraska Wesleyan University, where she will pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre. She has been involved in community theatre for almost 10 years, and absolutely loves encouraging people to support local theatre! This is Kaia‘s first review for Appearing Locally, but she has received praise on our pages before, for her turns in Hello, Dolly! and Pinkalicious, both at the Lincoln Community Playhouse.
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