Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Pirates of Penzance Composition Site

<i>Pirates of Penzance</i> Composition Site Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 3, 2016

1. Pirates of Penzance Composition Site Marker

Inscription.
On this site
Sir Arthur Sullivan
composed
"The Pirates of Penzance"
during 1879

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music.

Location. 40° 44.325′ N, 73° 59.308′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in the Flatiron District. Marker is on East 20th Street east of Broadway, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 45 East 20th Street, New York NY 10003, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace (within shouting distance of this marker); Theodore Roosevelt (within shouting distance of this marker); Horace Greeley (within shouting distance of this marker); Gorham Apartments (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Robert Henri (about 500 feet away); James Harper (about 500 feet away); 105 East 19th Street (about 500 feet away); Gramercy Park (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.

More about this marker. The marker is located relatively high up, perhaps 15 feet up, on the left side of the 45 East 20th St. building.

Also see . . .
1. The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert and Sullivan Archive)

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. After the sensational success of H.M.S. Pinafore, many American performing companies presented unauthorized versions of that opera. Gilbert, Sullivan and Carte decided to prevent that from happening again by presenting official versions of their next opera, The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty simultaneously in England and America. The opera premiered on December 31, 1879 at the Fifth Avenue Theater in New York with Sullivan conducting, but a single performance had been given on the previous day at the Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, England, to secure the British copyright. Finally, the opera opened on April 3, 1880, at the Opéra Comique in London, where it ran for 363 performances, having already been playing successfully for over three months in New York....On December 10, 1879, Sullivan had written a letter to his mother about the new opera, upon which he was hard at work in New York. "I think it will be a great success, for it is exquisitely funny, and the music is strikingly tuneful and catching." True enough! The Pirates of Penzance was an immediate hit and takes its place today as one of the most popular and enduring works of musical theatre. (Submitted on October 20, 2016.)

2. Biography of Arthur Sullivan. The Sir Arthur Sullivan Society entry (Submitted on October 20, 2016.)

3. I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General (Youtube.com, 5 mins.)

<i>Pirates of Penzance</i> Composition Site Marker - Wide View image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, October 3, 2016

2. Pirates of Penzance Composition Site Marker - Wide View

The marker is visible here high up on the left side of the building.

. Gilbert and Sullivan's raucous operatic tale is captured in all its fun and glory in this production, recorded live at Central Park's Delacorte Theater. Kevin Kline sparkles as the swashbuckling and libidinous Pirate King while Linda Ronstadt makes her theatrical debut as the lovely and virginal Mabel. When Mabel and Frederic, a young pirate bound to serve the Pirate King, fall in love, complications arise and high spirited antics ensue.... (Submitted on October 20, 2016.)

Additional keywords. opera Pirates of Penzance Composition Site

<i>Pirates of Penzance</i> Theater Poster - "I am an orphan boy" image. Click for full size.

Photographed By A.S. Seer, 1880

3. Pirates of Penzance Theater Poster - "I am an orphan boy"

Poster image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 20, 2016, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 329 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 20, 2016, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.