THE PIRATE QUEEN

'''The Pirate Queen''' is a musical based on the life and adventures of the 16th century Irish chieftain and pirate Grace O'Malley, who was one of the last Irish clan leaders to resist the English conquest of Gaelic Ireland. The musical is written by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, best known for their adaptation of ''Les Misérables''. John Dempsey is the co-lyricist. ''The Pirate Queen'' marks the first time Boublil and Schönberg have created a musical with American collaborators.
''The Pirate Queen'' debuted at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre on October 3, 2006, and ran through November 26, 2006. The Broadway run began in 2007. Previews began at the Hilton Theatre on March 6, with opening night on April 5. Tony Award winner Frank Galati directed. Moya Doherty and John McColgan, creators of ''Riverdance'', produced. Additionally, Edgar Dobie and Ronan Smith, of Doherty and McColgan's Riverdream production company, are listed as Executive Producers.
During rehearsals leading up to the Chicago production, and continuing through the Chicago closing, daily video clips including interviews with the cast, crew, creative team, and audience members were posted on the "Castcom" page of the official ''Pirate Queen'' site. ^[1]
The project was announced in Chicago on November 3, 2005. At that time, ''Playbill'' wrote that Colm Wilkinson was in talks about the project. ^[2] However, when principal casting was announced on May 12, 2006, Wilkinson was not among the announced cast. ^[3]
Towards the end of the Chicago run, ''Miss Saigon'' co-lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr. was brought on-board to work with Boublil on revisions to the book and lyrics in preparation for the Broadway opening. Additionally, Graciela Daniele worked on the musical staging. ^[4]
The Broadway production closed on June 17, 2007 after 85 performances and 32 previews.^[5] A studio recording of the original Broadway cast, produced by Masterworks Broadway, was released on July 3, 2007.
The creative team included Mark Dendy on choreography, Eugene Lee's set design, Martin Pakledinaz's costumes, Kenneth Posner's lighting design, and Jonathan Deans' sound design. Julian Kelly contributed orchestrations, and Tara Rubin acted as casting director. Anne Chambers, the author of the original publication "Granuaile: Ireland's Pirate Queen" is the consultant to the production. She also writes the background historical notes both for the Show’s official website and for the performance programme.

Contents

Cast

Plot

Act 1

Act 2

References

External links

Online Discussion

Cast

''Principals:''

Stephanie J. Block	Grania (Grace O'Malley)
Linda Balgord	Queen Elizabeth I
Hadley Fraser	Tiernan
Marcus Chait	Donal
Jeff McCarthy	Dubhdara
William Youmans	Bingham
Steven Barath	Eoin (on alternate performances)
Christopher Grey Misa	Eoin (on alternate performances)

Plot

The following text is based partly on the official synopsis included as a playbill insert during Chicago production. Changes are expected before the 2007 Broadway opening.

Act 1

The Prologue begins with a silhouette of a woman at the wheel of a ship. She is Grace O'Malley. When the curtain rises we see that she is a young woman, merely pretending. A young man enters, and Grace hides from him. He is Tiernan, her childhood friend. They begin to swordfight until they get too close. They begin to kiss passionately.
The musical opens in Clew Bay, on the launching of Clan O'Malley's newest ship, The Pirate Queen, captained by Chieftain Dubhdara O'Malley (''The Pirate Queen''). We see Grace, Chief Dubhdara's daughter, who begs to be allowed to be a sailor on the Pirate Queen's maiden voyage. When he denies her, she laments to Tiernan about the restraints of being a woman during this time (''Woman''). At a time when women on a ship are considered to bring bad luck, she decides to hide among the crew disguised as a boy. When disaster subsequently strikes on the high seas, she proves her mettle and earns her place as one of the ship's crew.
Ecstatic that she can stay on board, Grace and Tiernan promise each other that they will marry. (''Here on this Night''). Clan O'Malley goes about its business of pirating the seas and encounters the British War ship (''Battle at Sea''). During this battle Grace shows her bravery and leadership when she single-handedly saves her fathers life, and kills the English Captain. This action causes Dubhdara to decide to make her the captain of the Pirate Queen. He says, "You, Grace, are the Pirate Queen". Grania becomes famous and feared as a proud defender of her country. In England, Queen Elizabeth I and her confidante, Lord Richard Bingham, weigh the news of this formidable woman. Elizabeth considers herself Queen of Ireland and will have no rival, least of all a woman! She orders Grace O'Malley destroyed (''Rah-Rah, Tip-Top'').
Ireland finds itself in turmoil. As England's oppression grows, warring Irish clans are forced to unite. Clans O'Flaherty and O'Malley meet and decide to join together. Although Grace is still in love with Tiernan, she is to be married to Donal O'Flaherty, heir to Clan O'Flaherty, as a way to unite the clans. Tiernan is heartbroken at the news. Grace is equally devastated that she must give up everything she has fought for: Tiernan and the Sea. Nevertheless she accepts it as her duty to her country, and accepts the marriage union (''The Choice is Mine''). She and Donal are married (''The Wedding''). Tiernan soliloquizes on his continuing love for Grace, and vows to always be her protector (''I'll Be There'').
Donal proves himself to be a womanizing, cowardly scoundrel (''Boys'll Be Boys''), and his marriage to Grania is a stormy affair. About a year into their marriage, the English attack Rockfleet, where Grace and the rest of the Clan O'Flaherty reside, while the men were off fighting in Belclare (''Trouble at Rockfleet''). The women, led by Grace, defeat the English soldiers by seducing them and then killing them. However, we find out that the English also attacked Clew Bay and that Dubhdara was badly wounded by an English blade, and Grania, Donal, and the clan travel to see him (''A Day Beyond Belclare'') before his death.
Meanwhile, Bingham returns to England, defeated and in disgrace. However, when Queen Elizabeth suggests that she may marry the man who defeats Ireland, allowing him to produce an heir, Bingham becomes determined to bring down Grace O'Malley once and for all (''Go Serve Your Queen'').
On his deathbed, Dubhdara names Grace as his successor, despite the fact that she is a woman. As Dubdhara dies, Grace accepts her new role as Chieftain of the Clan O'Malley (''Dubhdara's Farewell''/''Sail to the Stars'').

Act 2

Amidst continued war with the English, Grace gives birth to a son, Eoin (''It's a Boy''). Donal's cowardice in one crucial battle proves the breaking point for Grace. In the tradition of the Brehon Law, she "dismisses" him publicly, officially dissolving their marriage (''I Dismiss You''). Tiernan and Grace privately reflect on their feelings for each other (''If I Said I Loved You''), and in the end kiss and reunite. Emasculated and shamed, Donal colludes with Lord Bingham, betraying the Clan O'Malley and Ireland itself. Clew Bay is invaded. Grace is arrested. In the melee, Tiernan kills Donal and escapes with Eoin (''The Christening'').
Seven years pass. Grace is jailed, and all of the other Irish Chieftains surrender their crowns to England. Tiernan, whose feelings for Grace have never changed, offers the English a trade -- his freedom for Grace's (''Surrender''). Elizabeth finds herself affected by this turn of events and she grants Tiernan's request. She reflects on her own life as a woman in power, as Grace, locked in prison, reflects on her life in shambles. They both conclude that it is a woman in love who has all. (''She, Who Has All''). Grace is freed to care for her child, and Tiernan is imprisoned in her place. Reunited with her child, Grace's joy is tempered by the realization of how Ireland has changed during her imprisonment. The country has grown desolate, her lands are ravaged, her people are hungry, and injustice reigns (''Lament'').
Grace takes fate into her own hands (''The Sea of Life'') and returns to England to confront Queen Elizabeth. Granted an audience, these two powerful women -- one reigning queen and another without a crown -- find themselves face to face (''Woman to Woman''), in a private conversation unheard by eager courtiers (''Behind the Screen''). The most unexpected truce is hammered out between them, freeing Clew Bay from the worst of English rule. Tiernan is granted his freedom and Lord Bingham falls into disgrace (''Grace's Exit'').
Grace and Tiernan find themselves reunited at last. Unencumbered now by war and previous alliances, they can finally pledge themselves to each other and pray for extended peace in Ireland (''Finale'').

References

1. The Pirate Queen Castcom Goes Live September 12
2. Frank Galati Will Stage 2006 World Premiere of ''The Pirate Queen'', by ''Les Miz'' Writers Kenneth Jones
3. Stephanie J. Block Is ''The Pirate Queen''; New Show By ''Les Miz'' Writers Sets Sail in Fall Kenneth Jones
4. Maltby and Daniele Will Swab ''The Pirate Queen''’s Decks Kenneth Jones
5. New Broadway Musical The Pirate Queen Sails Away June 17 Kenneth Jones

External links

★ The Author of GRANUAILE: Ireland's Pirate Queen (Grace O'Malley) 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers Official Site

★ Official site

★ Fan site

★ Story of Grace O'Malley

★ ''The Pirate Queen'' Broadway production credits

Online Discussion

★ PirateQueenMusical.com discussion forum