Stereotypes in the mikado stir controversy in seattle. Gilbert and sullivan fans have been waiting years for. The film was made with full doyly carte cooperation and two doyly carte starsmartyn green and sydney granvillein leading roles. This allnew, critically acclaimed production of the mikado premiered in new york at the kaye playhouse in january of 2017. But, personally, i much prefer the 1982 version seen on television which has a stellar singing cast with the ambrosian opera chorus and the london symphony orchestra led by alexander faris. In a mythical japan, koko, a cheap tailor, has been appointed lord high executioner and must find someone to execute before the arrival of the ruling mikado.
The production represents a great deal of work between nygasp and the asianamerican theatrical community in new york. Eric idle, richard van allan, richard angas, bonaventura bottone, lesley garrett, felicity palmer. He has chosen titipu because a beautiful girl, yumyum, with whom he has fallen in love, lives in the town. Though it boasts an american director and star, this technicolor cinemadaptation of gilbert and sullivans comic operetta the mikado is a faithful record of what it must have been like to attend a.
With william conrad, clive revill, kate flowers, john stewart. Oct 12, 1986 if you think this mikado sounds more like a marx brothers movie than the doyly carte, mr. I just felt that at times he hammed it up too much. The mikado, or the town of titipu is a twoact operetta. His musical, the mikado at the hypocrites theatre in chicago, illinois was nominated for the 20 nonequity joseph jefferson award for musical production. Nankipoo has to contend with her guardian, koko, the lord high executioner, who has every intention of. Directed by musician and oscarnominated filmmaker victor schertzinger, it is a lavish cinematic retelling of the british political satire set in exotic. There are plenty of references to, and satire of, star wars, bo derek, and early 1980s popculture in general. The stratford festival mikado 1982 gilbert and sullivan. This is a fine mikado with modern attire instead of the japanese. With gidon saks, henry ingram, eric donkin, richard mcmillan.
Films media group the stratford shakespeare festivals stunning production of gilbert and sullivans classic comic opera was a blockbuster hit that went on to garner acclaim in toronto, london, and new york. Miller would applaud your perception, for that was precisely part of his inspiration for this production. As examples of the mikados huge influence in 1930s america, radio excerpts from two loose adaptations, the swing mikado and the hot mikado shades of the pirate movie. His parents, john william cann and ida mae upchurch cann, owned a movie theatre, and conrad grew up watching movies.
This 1982, bbcpbs, madefortv production is somewhat dated. He lights upon nankipoo, a strolling minstrel who loves the beautiful yumyum. Another beautiful operetta made by the ones and only gilbert and sullivan if you want me to upload another movie, please just simply ask for it in the c. The mikado is one of the most famous and bestloved of gilbert and sullivan s operettas. The mikado has declared flirting to be a capital crime. The first provincial production of the mikado opened on 27 july 1885 in brighton, with several members of that company leaving in august to present the first authorised american production in new york. Jul 17, 2014 stereotypes in the mikado stir controversy in seattle. A lavish 1982 production of the gilbert and sullivan opera in which nankipoo, the son of the mikado escaping a distasteful marriage, arrives in the town of titipu disguised as a musician. Richard mcmillan as poohbah, eric donkin as koko, alan stewartcoates as pishtush, berthold carriere conducts. The operetta premiered 14 march 1885 at the savoy theatre, london, with the doyly carte opera company.
The production, directed and choreographed by brian macdonald, was first staged at the stratford theater festival in 1982 and is having its new york premiere as part of a. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Mikado definition of mikado by the free dictionary. The mikado 1983 escaping from a distasteful marriage, nankipoo, the son of the mikado, arrives in the town of titipu disguised as a musician. Princess ida 1982 the mikado 1983 princess ida 1982 the mikado 1983. The mikado 1926 doyly carte opera company on allmusic. The release of the 1966 doyly carte opera production of the mikado on dvd in 20032004 was a capital idea. Shot in technicolor, the film stars martyn green as koko, sydney granville as poohbah, the american singer kenny baker as nankipoo and jean colin as yumyum. The mikado 1982 starring clive revill and anne collins on dvd and bluray. Nankipoo loves yumyum but shes betrothed to koko, the new lord high executioner.
Cloaked in the guise of a japanese musical drama, the mikado is a spoof of victorian english society. Jonathan miller set his wellknown production of the mikado, staged for the english national opera, in a british seaside resort of the 1920s. Stratford festival 1982 the mikado a more humane mikado duration. When the mikado orders a beheading, nankipoo and koko try to come to an arrangement that doesnt involve anyone losing their head. Described by critics as scintillating, exquisite, and breathtaking, this version of the famous comic opera was a blockbuster hit at the worldrenowned stratford. Some are great like cox and box, patience and iolanthe, some are very good like the mikado, trial by jury and patienceruddigore was decent, if problematic, to me and some are very disappointing like hms pinaforewhich is by far the worst of the series, pirates of penzanze and yeomen. Although the company had disbanded in 1982, it was reformed briefly in 1989. Jan 15, 1987 the production, directed and choreographed by brian macdonald, was first staged at the stratford theater festival in 1982 and is having its new york premiere as part of a national tour that has.
In fact, i recall one episode where he mentions going away to film this movie for alexander korda. The legendary gilbert and sullivan troupe the doyly carte opera company joined forces with hollywood for this 1939 technicolor version of the beloved comic opera the mikado, the first work by the famed duo to be adapted for the screen. Gilbert libretto and sir arthur sullivan music that premiered at the savoy theatre in london on march 14, 1885. The mikado opera by gilbert and sullivan britannica.
In a mythical japan, koko, a cheap tailor, has been appointed. Sentenced to death for his amorous banter, koko idle subsequently experiences a strange twist of fate that finds him assuming the role of. The family moved to southern california when conrad was in high school. He has chosen titipu because a beautiful girl, yumyum, with. The son of the mikado of japan, a wandering minstrel, falls for a girl who is engaged to her guardian. The production, directed and choreographed by brian macdonald, was first staged at the stratford theater festival in 1982 and is having its. From 1885 until the companys closure in 1982, there was no year in which a doyly.
Jul 12, 2019 his threeyear tenure with the group, which produced shows for more than a century before folding in 1982, enabled donkin to seed this mikado with plenty of personally gleaned easter eggs. From then on, the mikado was a constant presence on tour. Song miya sama and a more humane mikado from the mikado voice. Stratford festival 1982 the mikado a more humane mikado. Escaping from a distasteful marriage, nankipoo, the son of the mikado, arrives in the town of titipu disguised as a musician.
The result, complete with a chorus of gentlemen of japan as cartoonlike british peers, emphatically underscores the englishness of the satire. A 1983 playbill from the mikado at stratford, ontarios avon theatre acorn media 2522 this video production is the first of three to emanate from canadas stratford festival. With donald adams, philip potter, john reed, kenneth sandford. Gidon saks as the mikado, christina james as katisha, berthold carriere conducts. Now that is not to say at all that he is bad, for example he does fare considerably better than the mikado in the 1982 doyly carte production. The mikado on dvdbluray 1982 broadway on video database. William conrad also known as john william conrad was born john william cann jr. Adapted by scriptwriter trevor farrant, the pirate movie 1982 is a postmodern updating of the musical, aimed squarely at the youth of the 1980s.
A staging of the mikado set in an english country hotel during the 1920s. Quotes to resolve the controversy over who wrote shakespeares works, simply have sir herbert beerbohm tree read from shakespeare over the top contenders and the true author will surely. The mikado 1939 trailer the criterion collection youtube. Watching the movie topsy turvy about the creation of the operetta made the decision even more difficult, because i liked the players in the movie so much that i despaired of finding a stage production on dvd that could make me love the mikado as much as did the actors in that movie. He does have a good voice and has an imposing and fierce presence. The seattle gilbert and sullivan society, seen here performing the mikado in 2008, is producing the play again this summer, for the 10th. Its initial production ran for 672 performances, and within a year some 150 other companies were. The mikado 1967 in this television adaptation of the beloved operetta, set in ancient japan, a poor tailor named koko john reed has been named lord high executioner. Video recordings of the mikado include a 1972 offering from gilbert and sullivan for all. The mikado simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The occasional non sequiturs, like a bunch of gentry dressed for ascot and singing in japanese, are loonily. Stratford festival 1982the mikado i am so proud youtube. Centered on koko eric donkin, a lowly tailor, it chronicles his transformation from prisoner in a country jail to the rank of lord executioner.