Hollywood Pinafore

Hollywood Pinafore is George S. Kaufman’s 1945 transplant of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore” from the world of British maritime to a Hollywood movie studio. Arthur Sullivan’s sparkling score is wed with Kaufman’s canny, hilarious lyrics, making for a merry trip through the glamour and absurdity of Hollywood. Kaufman translates the original story of a naval captain’s daughter, in love with a lowly sailor while promised to “The ruler of the Queen’s na-vee”, to that of a director’s self-involved movie star daughter, in love with a lowly writer, while promised to theclueless studio head. The action plays amidst a swirl of Hollywood types, including a daffy gossip columnist, a bundleofsunshine publicist, and a devious, sharp-as-a-tack agent–who is, naturally, the villain of the piece. Kaufman’s wit is on full display in this delightful satire, complete with a surprising Hollywood ending.