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.

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.

When one of the ship's spars breaks in a storm, Grace climbs the rigging to cut the mainsail free.

In 1558, Henry VIII's successor, Mary Tudor, dies suddenly, and Elizabeth I ascends to the throne ("The Waking of the Queen").

Elizabeth summons her court, and shows her condescending ministers how forceful she intends to be as Queen ("Rah-Rah, Tip-Top").

The Queen names her royal advisor Sir Richard Bingham the Lord Governor of Ireland, with instructions to quell the Irish rebellion and kill Grace O'Malley.

Dubhdara dies, and the clan gives him a sailor's funeral, in a flaming boat set out to sea ("Sail to the Stars").

The Pirate Queen is attacked by the English and Grace, despite having just given birth, joins the fight ("Enemy at Port Side").

In 2005, Producers announced the show would premiere in Chicago the following autumn, and Playbill reported that Colm Wilkinson was in talks to star in the project.

[2] Near the end of the Chicago run, producers hired Richard Maltby Jr. to work with Boublil on revisions to the book and lyrics in preparation for the Broadway opening.

[3] The Pirate Queen debuted at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre in an out-of-town tryout on 3 October 2006, and ran through 26 November 2006.

Musical direction and orchestrations were by Julian Kelly, with sets by Eugene Lee, costumes by Martin Pakledinaz and lighting by Kenneth Posner.

Linda Balgord received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Queen Elizabeth I.

[9][10] A charity concert gala of the musical was held at the London Coliseum on Sunday 23 February 2020, with Rachel Tucker, Hannah Waddingham, Jai McDowall, Matt Pagan, Earl Carpenter and Daniel Boys leading a cast of over 70 performers.

Ben Brantley, reviewing in The New York Times, wrote that the show compares unfavorably with the composers' Les Misérables and that it registers as a relic of a long-gone era, but praised the performances of Block and Balgord.

[12] David Rooney of Variety wrote: "all-plot, no-heart new show is persuasively sung by a valiant cast, yet it never forges an emotional connection with the audience.

"[13] The show received no Tony Award nominations and faced steadily declining grosses and high weekly running costs.