"And there were the pirates." Have you ever heard about the dreams of pirates that exist in legends? The Musical <THE PIRATES> emphasizes that pirates are not simply heading out to the sea to hunt for treasures. The vivid, wavy, massive, and void sea is where the pirates, who live on the sea, feel alive. And the serene sea is where the pirates' hearts belong with overflowing excitement; they even resist their fate, giving their very best. It is where they start and finish their lives. This musical showcases the friendship and romantic relationship among the pirates who travel around the sea dominated by Poseidon. Premiering in 2019, it has succeeded it continues for its 3^rd year in 2023. Let's track the deepened character relationships presented by the marvelous acting and exciting musical numbers with CAH!

 Characters

Lewis: A 17-year-old boy who started his life as a pirate following in his father's footsteps.

Anne: A pirate who skillfully deals with guns.

Jack: A friend of Caleb, also called "Captain Calico Jack," because he wears pants made of Calico cloth.

Mary: A pirate who is a master of fencing.

Howard: A boatswain of a pirate ship led by Jack, who constantly argues with the Captain.

Caleb: The father of Lewis, the friend of Jack.

Victoria the Second: A parrot raised by Lewis who understands and has a command of language.

Synopsis

Lewis is living in a village near a port where pirates frequently visit. His father was a pirate, and after his death, Captain Jack, who insists he was a friend of Lewis' father, comes and sees Lewis. Captain Jack asks him if there were any keepsakes from his father, and Lewis replies that nothing is left. Until one day, he realized his father had left him a map to Rose Island, where treasures are hidden. As Captain learns about the map, he asks Lewis to give him the map. Due to the dangerous voyage, Captain refuses until Lewis tells Captain Jack that unless he takes him along, he will not tell Jack about the location of the treasures. Jack took Lewis to Rose Island, joined by Anne and Howard, encountering Mary while sailing toward the island. However, the pirate ship is in a crisis due to the fight brought up by Howard and the pirate hunters who have an eye on Jack's boat. Would Jack and Lewis be able to find the hidden treasure?

Weigh Anchor, Boys – A True Story of Pirates

The musical <THE PIRATES>is inspired by tales of pirates from the 17~18 centuries in which merchant ships, battleships, smugglers, and pirates sailed the ocean, expressing tensions toward each other. From the sea, where the place itself always threatened their lives, to Jack's pirate ship, which seeks to make a fortune at a stroke by finding the hidden treasure, every moment is both chance and risk. Pirates write their last will before the sail, and they plant the fear in their families that this would be the final voyage of their lives. However, they do have to reach the sea, where they find themselves blindly in love. The musical numbers sung during the journey also give the audience a natural eagerness for the sea. As the number "the most handsome man in the village" implied, the musical shows that the pirates do not want something high-flown when they find the treasure, but they want to buy an empty island and would make the earthly paradise for pirates who kicked out of the land and lost at sea. Their heartwarming goal makes the viewers break their prejudice against pirates, commonly portrayed as selfish villains. Scenes depicting friendship formation in the scary, thrilling, fluttering, and beautiful sea are also the viewing points you should not miss.

Gender-free Casting, Fading the Barrier Between Actors and Actresses

The primary point that makes the musical special is that the actors play two roles each. More surprisingly, the actors are not suspended by the barrier of sex, but they play roles of both gender. The acting scenes showing the 17-year-old boy Lewis and Anne, a woman who is good at shooting guns, convince the audience to admit that there are no limitations to acting. Additionally, actors who simultaneously act as the male bluffer Captain Jack and the female fighter Mary perfectly show the opposite characters in terms of personalities, sexes, and narratives and make the audiences to be absorbed in the Musical. The lyrical descriptions and melody also function impressively for them. The actors, who express the different characters from the tone of voice to subtle movements, convey the loving emotions blooming between the female characters Anne and Mary. The moment when Anne, who challenges herself into thousands of fights in a boat, finally confronts Mary, they feel the tension and fate between them, and ending up falling in love with each other at first sight. Their destined ending was as if their tragedy was designated as they decided to become pirates. These subtle emotions, brought up by actors who showed romantic but blunt love, help us sympathize with them.

<THE PIRATES> develops the plot by focusing on the emotions of love and friendship tied up by the fights of the characters who assemble to find treasure. After the musical ends, the audience feels their long sailing in the pirate ship with Jack and Lewis has ended. Following the chronological flow of the logbook written by Lewis, heading towards Rose Island and witnessing the story and ending of each character, the audience rides on a pirate boat, starts an adventure, and finalizes it together with the actors. The story-like Musical, which receives boundaryless love from the audience, teaches them to trace their dreams. Are you ready to ride the pirate ship and travel to Rose Island with Jack, Lewis, Anne, and Mary? Now, let the sailing begin!

Date: 2023.03.07~2023.06.11

Running Time: 110 minutes, NO INTERMISSION

Price: Seat R—66,000 won Seat S—44,000 won

Place: Seokyeong University Performing Arts Center SKON1