World Premiere of "Pirate Play" This November at Carroll

October 26, 2009


Carroll Director of Improv Michael McNeilly's musical "The Pirate Play" will be making its world premiere on November 5 at the Carroll College Performing Arts Center in St. Charles Hall, Old North. McNeilly directs his own highly entertaining musical creation, starring good pirates, bad pirates, pirates in love and hijinks on the rolling seas. It takes aim at current and relevant issues personified in its characters, including the main villain Count Long Gone Madoff. The story follows crooked bankers and honorable pirates and their race for gold treasure. The performance of original music and orchestrations are an added delight for theater-goers of all ages.

When asked how this play got started, McNeilly replied, "This project began with one song I wrote for a gathering of friends for a pirate theme party a number of years ago, and just kept growing...more songs, more pirated ideas. And now with pirates back on the front page and someone like Madoff who is in existence, it just seemed like the time to put it all together."

The performance will feature local actress Lori Carey as the captain of the pirates and Carroll alumnus Randy Fuhrman as Madoff. Other cast members include: Carroll alumni Brian Browitt and Garrett Armstrong and Carroll students Kailey Portsmouth, Mary Holbrook, Nikki Baker, Michelle Metzger, Andrew Testerman and Caroline Schafer. Young Helena thespian Caelan Cummings, who played Tiny Tim in "A Christmas Carol" two years ago on the Carroll stage, returns for this production as the cabin boy.

"The Pirate Play" will be showing two weekends, the first weekend November 5-7 at 7 p.m., with a Sunday matinee November 8 at 3; the following weekend November 12-14 at 7 p.m., and Sunday matinee on November 15 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $11 general admission, $8 for seniors and students. Call 447-4304 and leave a message to reserve tickets.