| The Mikado (BONUS CONCERT for new members) - Thursday, May 5, 2011 7:00 p.m. SPECIAL TIME |
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with The Mikado. The Mikado is the most popular Gilbert
and Sullivan opera, and arguably the most popular opera ever written. This opera
has delighted audiences for more than a century, and spawned a number of
imitations. But none were nearly as good as the original, which represented both
Gilbert and Sullivan at the height of their creative geniuses.
Pre-Concert Music will be performed by Curran Middle School students presenting West African Drum and Dance selections under the direction of Mr. Richard Rodriguez. Nigeria was part of the British Empire.
View a video and montage of The Mikado at nygasp.org. The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu," was produced at the Savoy Theatre on 14 March, 1885 and proved to be one of the most famous of all the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas, running, as it did, for 672 nights. The Mikado will
be presented by the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players. Now in its fourth decade of operation, New York
Gilbert & Sullivan Players (NYGASP) is America’s preeminent professional Gilbert & Sullivan repertory ensemble.
Under the dynamic leadership of Artistic Director Albert Bergeret, who has been hailed as “the leading
custodian of the G&S classics” by New York magazine, NYGASP has created its own special niche in
the cultural mosaic of New York City and the nation. Since its founding in 1974, the company has
presented over 2,000 performances of the G&S masterpieces throughout the eastern United States and
Canada, captivating audiences of all ages. Enjoy a slide show of The Mikado
.
Mikado cast member James Mills Interview: The Mikado- Lyrics that Fit the Times Describing the Mikado: The Mikado Plot: Set in mythical Japan, Gilbert and Sullivan's most beloved operetta tells the story of Ko-Ko, a cheap tailor, has been appointed Lord High Executioner and must find someone to execute before the arrival of the ruling Mikado. He lights upon Nanki-Poo, a strolling minstrel who loves the beautiful Yum-Yum. But Yum-Yum is also loved by Ko-Ko, and Nanki-Poo, seeing no hope for his love, considers suicide. Ko-Ko offers to solve both their problems by executing Nanki-Poo, and an agreement is reached whereby Ko-Ko will allow Nanki-Poo to marry Yum-Yum for one month, at the end of which Nanki-Poo will be executed, in time for the arrival of the Mikado. But what Ko-Ko doesn't know is that Nanki-Poo is the son of the Mikado and has run away to avoid a betrothal to an old harridan named Katisha. The arrival of the Mikado brings all the threads of the tale together. In The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, the location is a fictitious Japanese town full of colorful characters - 3 little maids from school, a wandering minstrel, a hilariously corrupt public official, and a Lord High Executioner who may have a list of potential victims but is too tenderhearted to actually perform his duties. Beautiful school girl Yum-Yum loves the romantic minstrel Nanki-Poo but is engaged to Ko-Ko the executioner. This romantic triangle takes the usual course of thwarted romance, until the arrival first of the fearsome Katisha, claiming Nanki-Poo as her "perjured lover," and later of the emperor, or Mikado, himself - with his own list of punishments to fit the crime. In order to resolve the ensuing complications, Ko-Ko must use his wits to convince the most unattractive Katisha to marry him - in record time. That done, all other potentially dangerous circumstances are settled by the Mikado's all encompassing pronouncement "nothing could possibly be more satisfactory."
Welcome to the Rabobank Theater The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players and The Mikado for a delightful evening of Gilbert and Sullivan Opera music on Cinco de Mayo.
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