what is the play Pirates of Penzance?

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It's an operetta which are light, usualy comic operas. They do require that you be able to sing in a somewhat classical style (head voice like in choir--not belted Broadway or pop style).
You would have to sing well as I'm not aware of any "Pirates of Penzance: School Version".
Colleges often perform operettas and occasional high schools with a strong music department also do credible performances of Gilbert and Sullivan and other similar works.

Here is a site where you can actually review the entire thing--http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/pirates/html/index.html

The site also has all the other Gilbert & Sullivan operettas on it so you can decide on any audition songs you might want to try. Don't be too surprised if your school does do some cuts for length or something.

You can actually get free sheet music for these operettas since they are in the public domain(meaning copyright--if there was one--has lapsed on older sheet music). Special editions of the score or libretto may be protected by the publishers, editors, etc.

http://imslp.org/wiki/The_Pirates_of_Penzance_(Sullivan,_Arthur)

Generally you don't pick songs from the actual production you are trying out for unless they specifically tell you to. In that case you need to pick something other than songs from "Pirates". Just pick something suitable for your voice from something another operetta, or from a musical that does not have pop or rock-style music in it ("Showboat", "West Side Story", "My Fair Lady", "Camelot" -things like that)...Show more

It's not a play - it's an operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan.

Google it - there's plenty of information on the internet....Show more

It's about a young pirate who wants to get married....Show more