Ian Jackson

Super fans of The Pirates of Penzance show off their costumes with director Rob Herriot (centre).

The Pirates of Penzance
Directed by Rob Herriot, Jubilee Auditorium, Feb. 6, 9, 11
Tickets available at ticketmaster.com

If you give Hilda Schroeder an “R,”, she’ll say “Arrrr.”

That’s because she, and her group of 15 strong, are pirate super fans. Men and women who boldly go where no pirate has gone before (the Star Trek reference will be explained, wait for it) — to the opera. In costume.

And yes, Schroeder will be wearing her pirate garb at the Edmonton Opera’s latest venture, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, the comical, much-beloved story of Frederic and Mabel and of course, the Modern Major General, without whom, Cool Whip sales would have suffered for years (you do remember the Cool Whip ads from the ’80s and ’90s, don’t you?).

The Pirates of Penzance has leeched into the public consciousness to such a degree, that even if you’ve never seen the operetta, never heard of Gilbert and Sullivan, nay, been living under a rock for the last 130 years, chances are good you’ve heard at least one ear-wormish tune from this show.

Which is one of the reasons why Schroeder is excited about this production. The comic element is another. “I love that The Pirates of Penzance doesn’t take itself too seriously,” she says with a grin. “A lot of opera does take itself seriously, it tackles serious subject matter. But Pirates is a ton of fun.”

Many in Schroeder’s pirate gang are not particularly into the opera, but all do, as Schroder says, love the chance to be someone else for awhile. The group is well-acquainted with this idea, as their official title is crew of The United Starship Bonaventure. That’s right they’re also Star Trek super fans.

“There are a lot of Star Trek parallels to pirates,” says Schroeder. “Pirates are non-conformists. They take freedom very seriously. They follow their dreams, and don’t let society get in the way.” Which is a pretty great prime directive, if you ask me.

And if you ask Rob Herriot, director of Edmonton Opera’s The Pirates of Penzance, he’ll tell you that this take on Pirates is all about the wit: “The humour is very clever. Of course, it’s also sung very well, too, but the singers are wonderful actors. The humour is subtle and dry, and the character work is excellent.”

So why is The Pirates of Penzance the Rocky Horror Picture Show of the opera world? Why does it inspire regular folks to don tri-corn hats and eye patches, and why is it loved so much, over 130 years after it was first performed?  Robert Herriot says it’s the music: “The songs are so familiar and infectious, and they put a smile on everyone’s faces. It’s the perfect show for the end of January — it gets us smiling again.”

And for Hilda Schroeder: “It’s a chance to escape. It’s an outlet, a chance to chase a romantic dream of being someone else for an evening.”

And it’s about the hat. “I’m working on building the hat just now,” says Schroeder of her homemade costume. “Hats are tough to make.”