Blackbeard (musical)
Encyclopedia
Blackbeard, or officially, Blackbeard: The Musical or Blackbeard: A New Musical, is a musical created by Rob Gardner. The plot focuses on the notorious pirate Edward 'Blackbeard
' Teach, and his blockade of Charleston Harbour in South Carolina
in 1718. The musical portrays Blackbeard as a compassionate person, who's deeply in love with a woman on his ship
named Mary Ormond
. Blackbeard struggles to maintain his fierce façade, while at the same time trying to win the heart of the pacifistic Mary.
Blackbeard debuted at the Herberger Theatre Center in Phoenix, Arizona
on September 5, 2008, under the direction of Cambrian James
and the musical direction of Rob Gardner himself. Marketed as a 'pre-Broadway
event', the musical received mixed to positive reviews from critics, and won 9 AriZoni Awards from 15 nominations. On May 1, 2009, Blackbeard made its Australian premiere in Bunbury, Western Australia
.
legitimately. As Broadway World writes: "it was this multi-layered, paradoxical character that Gardner chose as the protagonist for his new musical".
Blackbeard had a successful workshop run in the summer of 2007 in Phoenix, for which it was nominated for all its AriZoni awards. After the show was subsequently 'reworked and re-imagined', the show premiered globally on September 5 at Herberger Theatre Center in Phoenix, running until September 27.
In November 2007, the director of the Bunbury production negotiated the rights for the Australian premiere of Blackbeard with Gardner. Blackbeard premiered in Bunbury on May 1, 2009, but only performed two shows.
Blackbeard
Edward Teach , better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies....
' Teach, and his blockade of Charleston Harbour in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
in 1718. The musical portrays Blackbeard as a compassionate person, who's deeply in love with a woman on his ship
Queen Anne's Revenge
Queen Anne's Revenge was the name of English pirate Blackbeard's flagship, used by him for less than a year, but an effective tool in his prize taking....
named Mary Ormond
Mary Ormond
Mary Ormond or Ormand was the wife of a notorious English pirate Blackbeard.She was notable for her marriage to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. She was married by Royal Governor Charles Eden in Bath, North Carolina, at about the age of sixteen years...
. Blackbeard struggles to maintain his fierce façade, while at the same time trying to win the heart of the pacifistic Mary.
Blackbeard debuted at the Herberger Theatre Center in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
on September 5, 2008, under the direction of Cambrian James
Cambrian James
Cambrian James is an American Actor, dancer, director and award-winning choreographer. As an actor and dancer, Cambrian has performed in theatres in southern California as well as in national tours...
and the musical direction of Rob Gardner himself. Marketed as a 'pre-Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
event', the musical received mixed to positive reviews from critics, and won 9 AriZoni Awards from 15 nominations. On May 1, 2009, Blackbeard made its Australian premiere in Bunbury, Western Australia
Bunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
.
Background
In an interview with Broadway World, Gardner said his inspiration for creating the musical was a documentary he saw on television about Blackbeard. Fascinated, he researched his life, and found that most of his apparent deeds were legend, rather than fact. He also found that Blackbeard had a notable fondness for women, marrying fourteen women, of whom he only married MaryMary Ormond
Mary Ormond or Ormand was the wife of a notorious English pirate Blackbeard.She was notable for her marriage to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. She was married by Royal Governor Charles Eden in Bath, North Carolina, at about the age of sixteen years...
legitimately. As Broadway World writes: "it was this multi-layered, paradoxical character that Gardner chose as the protagonist for his new musical".
Blackbeard had a successful workshop run in the summer of 2007 in Phoenix, for which it was nominated for all its AriZoni awards. After the show was subsequently 'reworked and re-imagined', the show premiered globally on September 5 at Herberger Theatre Center in Phoenix, running until September 27.
In November 2007, the director of the Bunbury production negotiated the rights for the Australian premiere of Blackbeard with Gardner. Blackbeard premiered in Bunbury on May 1, 2009, but only performed two shows.
Characters
- Edward 'Blackbeard' TeachBlackbeardEdward Teach , better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies....
: The notorious pirate who is more concerned about how he is perceived by his enemies and in legend than his deeds. - Mary OrmondMary OrmondMary Ormond or Ormand was the wife of a notorious English pirate Blackbeard.She was notable for her marriage to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. She was married by Royal Governor Charles Eden in Bath, North Carolina, at about the age of sixteen years...
: Blackbeard's love interest, she exhibits strong love for Blackbeard, but is conflicted by his sadistic, inhumane ways. - Lieutenant Robert MaynardRobert MaynardCaptain Robert Maynard RN was a lieutenant and later captain in the Royal Navy, First Lieutenant of HMS Pearl, most famous for defeating the infamous English pirate Blackbeard in battle.- Naval commands and battles :...
: A lieutenant of the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
stationed in South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Maynard is humble, compassionate, and deeply in love with his fiancée Anne. - Anne: Robert Maynard's fiancée. Anne is taken hostage by Blackbeard, and opposes his attempts to scare her.
- Stede BonnetStede BonnetStede Bonnet was an early 18th-century Barbadian pirate, sometimes called "the gentleman pirate" because he was a moderately wealthy landowner before turning to a life of crime. Bonnet was born into a wealthy English family on the island of Barbados, and inherited the family estate after his...
: A collaborator with Blackbeard who works as a piracy advisor for Governor Johnson. Bonnet is a fancy, overweight and camp character, who acts as comical relief in the musical. - Governor Robert JohnsonRobert Johnson (governor)Robert Johnson was the British colonial Governor of the Province of South Carolina in 1717-1719, and again from 1729-1735. Governor Johnson ordered Colonel William Rhett to engage the notorious pirate Stede Bonnet's sloops in the Battle of Cape Fear River near Charleston in 1718...
: The governor of South Carolina, who authorizes the plans to deal with Blackbeard. He doesn't trust Maynard entirely due to his sincere affection for Anne. - Mr. Israel HandsIsrael HandsIsrael Hands was an 18th century pirate, also known as Basilica Hands. Hands is best known for being second in command to Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard...
: Blackbeard's second-in-command. Mr. Hands is superstitious and intimidated by Blackbeard, but also encourages him to be evil. - Georgette: The barmaid at a tavern near Charleston.
Reception
Blackbeard has received mixed reviews, tending towards the positive, with almost universal acclaim for the music score. Pasha Yamotahari of The Pashavian Review, a reviewer of Arizonian theatre, wrote that the musical lacked "clarity in its structure and goal", but praising the music score as "magical". Paula Shulak of theatermaven.com also held the music score in high acclaim, but stressed that Blackeards major flaw was its script and its thin plot. Showup.com, a website that collates amateur reviews and ratings of musicals, gave Blackbeard an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.Factual inaccuracies
The director's notes of the Bunbury production of Blackbeard state that "though not completely historically accurate, the main storyline is based on truth". Though all of the main characters are based on real people, bar Anne and Georgette, their fates differed considerably from their interpretations in the musical, or are completely unaccounted for. The characters' actual fates include:- Blackbeard: Blackbeard's blockade of Charleston Harbour is mostly acurrate, however, Blackbeard did not die as a result of the blockade. He left Charleston Harbour, after receiving his ransom chest of medicine and releasing his hostages without their clothing and jewellery, and accepted a pardon from the North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
governor Charles EdenCharles EdenCharles Eden was the second Governor of the separate Colony of North Carolina.-Public service:Eden was appointed Governor of North Carolina on 13 July 1713. He is best known for his actions to end piracy in the area...
, who had previously conspired with Blackbeard to receive treasures in exchange for unofficial protection. Blackbeard returned to piracy shortly after his pardoning, attracting the attention of the Governor of VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Alexander SpotswoodAlexander SpotswoodAlexander Spotswood was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army and a noted Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He is noted in Virginia and American history for a number of his projects as Governor, including his exploring beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains, his establishing what was perhaps the first...
. Spotswood mobilised 60 soldiers, under the command of Lt. Maynard. Blackbeard's crew of 20 fought Maynard's forces at Ocracoke, North CarolinaOcracoke, North CarolinaOcracoke is a census-designated place and unincorporated town located at the southern end of Ocracoke Island, located entirely within Hyde County, North Carolina. The population was 769 as of the 2000 census...
. Blackbeard is reported to have suffered five bullet wounds and over twenty severe sword wounds before dying. Maynard decapitated his corpse and hung his head on the bowsprit of his ship. - Mary: Mary married Blackbeard at Bath, North CarolinaBath, North CarolinaBath is a town in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 268 at the 2008 census. Incorporated in 1705, Bath was North Carolina's first port of entry. Bath is North Carolina's oldest town, celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2005...
, at least several months before his death. Mary was just 16 years old at the time, and the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner. It's been claimed that Blackbeard forced Mary to prostitute herself to the other crew members, and it is probable that she bore at least one child. Her ultimate fate is unknown. - Stede Bonnet: Bonnet indeed collaborated with Blackbeard, but a fortnight before Blackbeard's death, he faced charges of piracy, and was hanged, eighteen days after Blackbeard's death.
- Israel Hands: Hands, according to Daniel DefoeDaniel DefoeDaniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
's A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious PyratesA General History of the PyratesA General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates is a 1724 book published in Britain, containing biographies of contemporary pirates. Influential in shaping popular conceptions of pirates, it is the prime source for the biographies of many well known pirates...
, is believed to have died a poor and homeless man in London.