The Perfection of the Pirates

"When you say orphan...."

The Pirates of Penzance was running through my turntable speaker one day this week, getting me through the emails and the people work, with pauses for chuckles and some guffaws. Its multi-melody stanzas kept my brain from focusing to the zero point and the rest of me from sinking into the doldrums of details.

"...we propose to marry your daughters."

"Here's a first-rate opportunity
to get married with impunity"

Is there anything funnier?!? Or more perfect?

the words, the music, the ironies 

Give it a listen! With the libretto, or a summary.

My dad took me to see Pirates of Penzance in San Diego in the 80's. The dark house, the lights up, the overture starting in, my dad trying to control his laughter and his tenderness at the ridiculous, the witty, the brilliant, and the sweet.

Just the opening notes can bring it all back.

the lessons:

take it all lightly

take advantage of serendipitous encounters, roguishly

live your values

[MAJOR-GENERAL]
But wait a bit. I object to pirates as sons-in-law

[PIRATE KING]
We object to Major-Generals as fathers-in-law. But we waive that point. We do not press it. We look over it

Nothing better.