Features Editor
What has over 30 cast members, dry English humor and two kings?
It is the Pirates of Penzance operetta coming up this weekend at Moss Performing Arts Center.
“It made perfect sense, actually,” Chris Wells said.
Wells is referring to the double casting of him and Chris Arroyo for the lead role of pirate king in the upcoming operetta.
“Chris [Arroyo] is a strong vocalist, and I’m known more for acting,” Wells said.
While not a rarity in many larger programs and on Broadway, double casting is a bit more of a scarcity here at CMU. It has been four years since a lead role has been double cast here.
“There isn’t the drama you might think there would be,” Chris Arroyo said. “The director was afraid of tension between us, but we already knew each other pretty well as we did a production of Cats together this summer.”
Double casting gives the chance for more than one student to have the learning experience of acting in a lead role and gives an opportunity for the audience to see two slightly different shows.
“Everyone in this cast is extremely talented,” Director Jack Delmore said.
As it is not only the leads that must be strong to perform well with a double casting, but also the entire ensemble. Each lead will play the role a bit differently, and the rest of the cast must act accordingly.
“It is unique watching two different individuals bring it to life,” Delmore said.
Delmore directed this same play 20 years ago, and he double cast the pirate king then as well.
Arroyo and Wells are from very different backgrounds theatrically, so they will each add a different component to the show.
“[Arroyo] brings an enormous operatically-trained voice that just rings through the house,” Music Director Jeremy Franklin said. Wells “brings great character/actor timing, understands comedic moments and has a great look for the king.”
Along with the role of the pirate king, they each play an ensemble pirate, which adds another degree of difficulty, but where there are challenges, there are advantages.
“It’s nice to be able to work with him [Wells] and be able to find similarities between our characters,” Arroyo said. “If there is something I want to change, it is nice to be able to watch what he is doing and get ideas about my own character, and I’m sure vice versa. There is, however, a certain line at which it has to stop because we don’t want our pirate kings to be too similar, otherwise one person might as well of just been cast.”
Beyond their difference in singing and acting ability, each of them bring a different dynamic to the character.
“Wells brings a lightness to the character,” Arroyo said. “He makes it more about the fun side of the pirate king. I like to take him a little bit darker.”
The king is the laughable leader of the band of pirates. He tries to be intelligent all the time, but it doesn’t work. He uses big words and tries to act superior, but in the end ,he just ends up looking like a fool.
Wells will be playing the king this Thursday for opening night, and they will switch roles from show to show, which leaves closing night for Arroyo.
“It’s going to be a good show no matter the king,” Wells said. “The ensemble is amazing.”
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