''Pieces of Eight'' is a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by

Susan Birkenhead Susan Birkenhead is an American lyricist. Birkenhead made her Broadway debut as one of a team of songwriters contributing to '' Working'' (1978), for which she received her first Tony Award nomination. Her second was earned for ''Jelly's Last J ...

, and music by

Jule Styne Jule Styne ( ; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre, musicals, including several famous frequ ...

. It is based on the classic 1883 novel ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...

'' by

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

. The central characters are Jim Hawkins, a young man in possession of a treasure map, and the mutinous

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

Long John Silver Long John Silver is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1883 novel '' Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture. His missing leg ...

, who serves as a

mentor Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...

and father-figure to the boy. The world premiere opened on November 27, 1985 at the

Citadel Theatre The Citadel Theatre is the major venue for theatre arts in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, located in the city's downtown core on Churchill Square. It is the third largest regional theatre in Canada. History It began in a former Salvati ...

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

. Joe Layton was the director and choreographer, and the cast included

George Hearn George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and bass-baritone singer, primarily in Broadway musical theatre. Some of his Broadway credits include Albin in '' La Cage aux Folles'', the title role in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barb ...

(as Silver), Jonathan Ross, Graeme Campbell, George Lee Andrews, Robert Fitch, and Brian McKay. According to theatre critic/historian

Ken Mandelbaum Ken Mandelbaum is an American columnist, critic, and author whose primary field of expertise is musical theatre. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Mandelbaum was introduced to Broadway musical theatre by his parents and grandparents at an e ...

, ''Pieces of Eight'' never got beyond its Edmonton production.Q&A by Ken Mandelbaum at Broadway.com
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References

{{Treasure Island 1985 musicals Works based on Treasure Island Musicals based on works by Robert Louis Stevenson Musicals based on novels Musicals set on islands Musicals by Jule Styne Musicals by Michael Stewart (playwright) Canadian musicals