| The Pirate Queen | |
|---|---|
 2006 Chicago Logo for The Pirate Queen | |
| Music | Claude-Michel Schönberg |
| Lyrics | Alain Boublil (French lyrics) Richard Maltby Jr. (English lyric adaptations) John Dempsey (English lyric adaptations) |
| Book | Alain Boublil (French book) Claude-Michel Schönberg (French book) Richard Maltby Jr. (English book adaptations) |
| Basis | Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas by Morgan Llywelyn |
| Premiere | October 3, 2006: Cadillac Palace Theatre, Chicago |
| Productions | 2006 Chicago 2007 Broadway 2009 Japan 2020 London |
The Pirate Queen is a musical with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, French lyrics by Alain Boublil and English lyric adaptations by Richard Maltby Jr. and John Dempsey. The French book was written by Boublil and Schönberg and the English book adaptation was by Maltby Jr.
Based on the 1986 book Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas by Morgan Llywelyn, The Pirate Queen marks the first time Boublil and Schönberg have created a musical with American collaborators. It is based on the life and adventures of the 16th century Irish chieftain and pirate Gráinne O'Malley, who was one of the last Irish clan leaders to resist the English conquest of Gaelic Ireland.
After a Chicago tryout in 2006, the musical opened on Broadway on 5 April 2007 and closed on 17 June 2007 after only 85 regular performances and 32 previews.
The cast featured Stephanie J. Block as Grace O'Malley, Hadley Fraser as Tiernan and Linda Balgord, who was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I. The show received harsh appraisals from the critics and had weak sales.