- The Mikado B
- Nanki-Poo T
- Ko-Ko Bar
- Pooh-Bah (narrator) B
- Pish-Tush Bar
- Yum-Yum S
- Pitti-Sing MS
- Peep-Bo MS
- Katisha C
- 5M/4W principals.
- Choruses: Act 1: 1M/3M/5AM/6W/7W/8W/12F
Act 2: 1W/6/7/13F
- Setting: Act I Courtyard of KoKo's official residence.
Act II KoKo's garden.
- Two sets, but one costume, apart from some principals
The opera opens with the men's chorus telling about themselves, Enter
Nanki-Poo, with guitar and a sheaf of ballads to sing his song and
then to inquire the whereabouts of YumYum who is KoKo's ward. Now
NankiPoo is the disguised son of the Mikado, although we do not know
that yet. Whilst in the Titipu town band he saw YumYum and they fell
for each other right away. However, she was betrothed to KoKo, so he
left the town.
KoKo has been condemned to death for flirting, and so it is now the
question of finding YumYum. His high hopes are dashed when PishTush, a
nobleman appears and informs him that KoKo has been reprieved, and is
now the Lord High Executioner. PoohBah enters and we learn that he is
Lord High everything else.
They all exit with KoKo and PoohBah discussing the forthcoming
wedding.
Enter the girl's chorus with YumYum, PittiSing, and PeepBo. 3 little
maids from school etc....
The crowds depart and NankiPoo and YumYum are left together. He
confides in her that he is the Mikado's son, and having been ordered
by him to marry Katisha - the elderly contralto again - he fled to
join the town band.
They exit, and enter KoKo, PoohBah, and PishTush, bearing a letter
from the Mikado which states that no executions have taken place in
Titipu for over a year now, and unless some do, the town will be
reduced to the rank of a village. KoKo thinks he can remedy this on
spying NankiPoo, who, as YumYum cannot be his, has decided to end it
all. NankiPoo can be executed at public expense in a month's time, and
what is more, can marry YumYum for the remaining month he has left.
Time for the entry of Katisha, who recognises NankiPoo and as she
tries to tell us who he is, gets shouted down by the chorus. She
sweeps her way off, and Act one ends.
Act two opens in KoKo's garden, where YumYum, accompanied by all the
other girls, is doing her bridal toilette. However, her groom is to
die in a month's time, which dampens the situation.
Next, news that the Mikado is coming, so NankiPoo and YumYum will go
into hiding, and the rest will pretend to the Mikado that the
execution has taken place. Enter the Mikado and Katisha, and they are
gratified to learn that an execution has taken place, but have really
come on an entirely different matter - the disappearance of his son,
who he believes to be in the town. Katisha has meanwhile found the
death certificate with NankiPoo's name on it. PoohBah and the others
have to explain what has happened.
The only solution to the whole dilemma is that KoKo marries Katisha,
thus leaving YumYum and NankiPoo together, and the opera ends with
everybody singing 'For he's gone and married YumYum'.
This opera is always a popular choice, usually with people who do not
know G&S too well, probably because it is the only one they have heard
of, and consequently it can attract audiences the same way - it has
been on television twice in the fairly recent past, the theatre
production at christmas 1987 and the film (itself a repeat) over
Easter 1988. There have been films of this - 'The Black Mikado' done
in the 1930s, 'The Cool Mikado' with Frankie Howerd as would you
believe KoKo in the 1960s.
I think that it would be difficult to get away with not costuming this
properly, unless we have a director with a real flash of brilliance.
THE MIKADO - plot
The opera opens in the garden of the official residence of KoKo, the
Lord High Executioner, where the town's noblemen have gathered, soon
to be joined by PoohBah, Lord High Everything else, and PishTush, a
nobleman. They introduce themselves in song. The sudden appearance of
NankiPoo, a threadbare young minstrel, startles them. He explains that
he fell in love with YumYum, one of KoKo's wards, when KoKo was a
cheap tailor. However, having heard that KoKo had been condemned to
death for flirting (the only capital offence in Japan), he decided to
return and chance his arm (and probably the rest oh him) with YumYum
again, now that KoKo was no longer free to oppose him. Now, KoKo is no
longer condemned to death; there was an outcry when the law was passed
- after all flirting is only natural - and nobody wished to be
beheaded, so this was solved by taking KoKo from his cell, and making
HIM the Lord High Executioner, reasoning that he cannot cut anybody
else's head off before he has cut his own off.... Confused ? You will
be.
All the other noblemen, having learnt that KoKo had such a lowly
upbringing, refused to do their civic duties and resigned in a body.
This caused a serious administrative problem in the town, so PoohBah
humbled himself and took ALL the jobs (and their respective salaries)
upon himself. NankiPoo gives him a bribe to tell about YumYum, and he
learns that she is to marry KoKo that very afternoon, and that he has
travelled to get here for a whole month just to miss the boat, as it
were. As you may imagine he is somewhat dischuffed.
Meanwhile, KoKo has come to PoohBah to discuss the arrangements for
the forthcoming nuptials. As PoohBah has all these different and
conflicting jobs, he must be handled carefully, by 'insulting him with
a considerable bribe' - another one - to keep him sweet. Exit KoKO and
PoohBah one way to avoid seeing YumYum as she and her friends enter
from the other direction to introduce themselves to us. KoKo returns
as he cannot keep himself away from her for too long. Etiquette
demands that he greet her with a kiss, but after that YumYum and her
friends notice NankiPoo standing like a spare part at one side. They
rush over to him to see him, but this joy is tempered by the impending
wedding. Tactfully everybody goes, leaving the two lovers together.
YumYum tells him that she is utterly miserable about marrying KoKo,
while NankiPoo tells her that he has had his card marked by one
Katisha, a most unattractive lady, and that he is actually the son of
the Mikado himself, and is only going about disguised to avoid
recognition. The two lovers move closer to each other carefully
(remember the law against flirting?), sing a duet and leave the stage.
Enter KoKo with a letter from the Mikado himself, stating his
intention to visit Titipu that afternoon, since he is concerned about
the lack of executions recently and wants one as soon as he arrives.
Poohbah points out that KoKo is already sentenced which will do for
the Mikado, but KoKo objects. He suggests that PoohBah, as he is Lord
High Everything, becomes Lord High Substitute, but PoohBah declines
the offer. Just by chance (Surprise, surprise) NankiPoo enters with a
rope around his neck, looking for somewhere to hang himself; He cannot
bear to see YumYum sacrificed to KoKo's new social position and so
intends to do away with himself. He and KoKo come to an arrangement;
NankiPoo will marry YumYum and keep her for one month after which time
he will be beheaded. Everything seems to work out well: The two lovers
have each other, KoKo will have his marriage later, and the Mikado
will get his execution. The fly in the ointment is the sudden entry of
Katisha who has discovered NankiPoo's true identity and tracked him
down. She tries to tell everybody but the chorus shouts her down and
the Act ends with Katisha by herself on stage as all the rest go off
to the wedding. I told you that it would get confusing.
Act two, and the curtain opens with YumYum at her toilette in KoKo's
courtyard, being made up, and having her hair dressed and listening to
the girls' chorus. She wonders how she came to be so exceedingly
beautiful and that she is a child of nature. Is this vanity? She could
do with having her legs smacked. All is perfect for except for the
fact that her new husband is scheduled for demolition in a month.
Enter KoKo, who has just discovered that if a man be beheaded, his
wife must be buried alive, so the marriage must be called off.
Consequently NankiPoo goes back to plan A whereby he commits suicide.
'No, No' says KoKo, 'I need you for the execution later' - or words to
that effect. NankiPoo is adamant and they reach an impasse. Pause.
KoKo then has a brilliant notion - get PoohBah, as the Lord High
Appropriateness to draw up a document stating that NankiPoo has
already been executed according to form, and show that to the Mikado.
Just in time too, since the Mikado, with his entourage, has just
entered the gates of Titipu.
He comes on to the accompaniment of a Japanese Army march and then in
the following song explains his philosophy of crime control by making
every punishment appropriate to the crime committed. We could do with
a bit of that today. However it becomes obvious that all the Mikado
cares about is the punishment bit, as he is well into the S&M bit, and
to satisfy him quickly KoKo hands him the certificate, witnessed by
every Lord in office of the summary execution of a certain criminal.
Not content with that alone, the Mikado wants all the graphic details.
Temporarily satisfied, he remarks that there is another matter he
wants to discuss: His own son, the heir to the throne of Japan, and
engaged to the lady Katisha has gone AWOL. Does anybody know anything?
His name is NankiPoo... Oh calamity. KoKo has well and truly dropped
himself in it and starts to fabricate a story when Katisha being nosy
(as well as unattractive) reads the execution document and finds the
name at the bottom is..... NankiPoo! Oh how embarrassing. The Mikado
is not cross at all; after all the town officials were only doing
their duty. 'Don't worry', he says, 'there is a punishment to fit
every crime and there is one for killing the heir apparent'. The
execution is scheduled immediately after lunch - and off he sweeps for
the Sushi with his entourage, leaving KoKo and Katisha alone. The only
way for KoKo to save this situation is to offer himself to Katisha by
saying he will die of a broken heart if she refuse him. The crawler.
This has little effect, as Katisha tells him that no-one dies of a
broken heart. Oh yes they do, and KoKo proves it by singing to her the
song "Tit Willow". This does the trick and Katisha agrees to accept
the love of KoKo. Lunch over and the Mikado returns, looking forward
to the afternoon's entertainment, to be met by Katisha, who pleads for
the lives of the culprits - after all, KoKo will become her husband
instead of NankiPoo. As the Mikado ponders this, guess who makes an
entry? Yes it is NankiPoo, together with his new bride YumYum.
Explanations are definitely in order. In a move worthy of Ernie Bilko,
KoKo, thinking on his feet, is equal to the task: 'When you majesty
says "let a thing be done", practically it IS done, since your
majesty's word is law. So if your majesty says "Kill a man", a man is
told off to be killed. Consequently he is as good as dead, practically
he IS dead, so why not say so?' This unarguable logic satisfies the
Emperor of Japan, and so the opera ends happily with the appropriate
pairing off, but then don't they all?
Alternative plot synopsis
NankiPoo, a wandering minstrel, approaches a group of noblemen in the
town of Titipu in Japan and questions them about the whereabouts of
YumYum, one of the wards of the cheap tailor, KoKo. He has fallen in
love with her, but as she was engaged to KoKo he had left Titipu
brokenhearted. However, he has heard that KoKo has been condemned to
death for flirting, so he has returned to find YumYum. PishTush, a
noble lord, tells him that KoKo has since been releasedfrom jail and
raised to the position of Lord High Executioner. This is an attempt to
thwart the Mikado's new flirtation laws, since KoKo cannot cut off
anyone else's head until he has cut his own off.
PoohBah, the Lord High Everything else, tells NankiPoo that the
wedding preparations have commenced. Shortly after KoKo's arrival,
YumYum and her two sisters, PittiSing and PeepBo, return from school.
YumYum is less than enthusiastic when she sees KoKo but overjoyed to
meet NankiPoo again who confides to her that he is the son of the
Mikado but that he cannot reveal himself because his father has
ordered him to marry an elderly lady at court named Katisha. KoKo now
receives a letter from the Mikado demanding an execution within a
month. KoKo, PoohBah and PishTush decide that a victim must be found.
Conveniently. NankiPoo, distressed at losing YumYum, has decided to
hang himself. KoKo pleads with him to be executed instead and NankiPoo
agrees on condition that he is allowed to marry YumYum for one month.
KoKo accepts reluctantly. Katisha arrives and tries to expose NankiPoo
as the Mikado's son. She is thwarted but leaves threatening revenge.
Act 2: The wedding preparations of NankiPoo and YumYum are marred by
the reminder that, in a month, he is to die. But KoKo now brings worse
news: According to the law if a man is executed, then his wife must be
buried alive. The situation seems hopeless and NankiPoo threatens
suicide there and then. KoKo fears the repercussions if an execution
is not carried out but he is afraid to execute NankiPoo - never having
performed such a deed before - so he decides on a new plan. YumYum and
NankiPoo are tpo get married and go away quickly. KoKo will pretend
that he has killed NankiPoo and fake an execution certificate. These
arrangements are just completed when the Mikado and his court enter
the town. KoKo lies to him and explains that an execution has taken
place and, with PoohBah and PittiSing, he gives a graphic description
of the macabre event. The Mikado is impressed but explains that he has
arrived for an entirely different reason; he is searching for his son.
When he rrealises that the man who has been executed waqs his son and
heir, the Mikado explains that the punishment is death for killoing
the heir to the throne and so the executions of KK, PB and PS must
take place after lunch. There seems to be no answer to the problem
until NankiPoo promises to come back to life once Katisha is engaged
and cannot claim him. KoKo is forced to woo Katisha but much against
his will. He is successful and this allows NankiPoo to reappear with
his bride. Everyone is now satisfied except for KoKo who has to
contend with the force of Katisha'a anger at his deception.
Second alternative plot
The Mikado - the story.
Act one opens with a group of Japanese noblemen gathered in the garden
of KoKo's official residence in the town of Titipu. They tells us who
they are, but are interrupted by NankiPoo, a wandering minstrel who
approaches and questions them about the whereabouts of YumYum, one of
the wards of the cheap tailor, KoKo, because he had fallen in love
with her. As she was engaged to KoKo he had left Titipu brokenhearted,
but since has heard that KoKo has been condemned to death for flirting
(now one of the few capital offences), and so he has returned to
chance his arm (and probably the rest of him) again with YumYum.
PishTush, one of the noble lords, tells him that KoKo has since been
released from jail and raised to the position of Lord High
Executioner. This is an attempt to thwart the Mikado's new flirtation
laws, since KoKo cannot cut off anyone else's head until he has cut
his own off (?). Since KoKo was so lowly born, the noble lords are
very miffed, and have all resigned their positions and so PoohBah has
taken on them all, together with all their respective salaries, to
make him the Lord High Everything else. He tells NankiPoo that the
wedding preparations have already commenced. Confused ? You will be.
YumYum and her two sisters, PittiSing and PeepBo, with all the girls'
chorus return from school. YumYum is less than enthusiastic when she
sees KoKo but when she notices NankiPoo standing around like a spare
part she is overjoyed to meet him again Now he confides in her that he
is the son of the Mikado but that he cannot reveal himself because his
father has ordered him to marry an elderly, unattractive lady at court
named Katisha. He fancies the lamb, not the mutton.
KoKo now receives a letter from the Mikado demanding an execution
within a month, otherwise Titipu will be reduced to the rank of a
village. KoKo, PoohBah and PishTush decide that a victim must be
found. Conveniently. NankiPoo, distressed at losing YumYum, has
decided to hang himself. 'Don't DIY' says KoKo, remembering the
Mikado's letter, 'let me do it for you instead' and NankiPoo agrees -
on condition that he is allowed to marry YumYum for one month. KoKo
accepts reluctantly. Katisha arrives, clocks NankiPoo for who he is
and tries to expose him as the Mikado's son. The chorus will have none
of this and the Act ends happily enough but with Katisha thwarted and
threatening revenge.
Act 2 opens with YumYum at her toilette being made up and having her
hair done. She wonders why she is so beautiful and could it be vanity
? Silly girl - she wants her legs smacking. The wedding preparations
of NankiPoo and YumYum are marred by the reminder that, in a month, he
is scheduled for demolition. But KoKo now brings worse news: According
to the law if a man be executed, then his wife must be buried alive.
The situation seems hopeless and NankiPoo threatens to revert to plan
A - the DIY death there and then. KoKo fears the repercussions if an
execution is not carried out but he is afraid to execute NankiPoo -
never having performed such a deed before - so he decides on a new
plan.
YumYum and NankiPoo are to get married and go away quickly. KoKo will
pretend that he has killed NankiPoo and fake an execution certificate,
which will be verified by PoohBah, the Lord High Appropriateness.
These arrangements are just completed when the Mikado and his court
enter the town. KoKo lies to him and explains that an execution has
taken place and, with PoohBah and PittiSing, he gives a graphic
description of the macabre event. As the Mikado is well in the the S&M
bit he wants all the details; He is impressed but explains that he has
arrived for an entirely different reason; he is searching for his son
who has gone AWOL, and has anyone seen him. Before he gets a reply,
Katisha, who has been reading the fake death certificate comes across
the name at the bottom - NankiPoo! Oh dear, KoKo, PoohBah and
PittiSing are dropped right in it. The Mikado says that he is not
angry, but there is a mandatory punishment for killing the heir
apparent: The executions are to take place after lunch, so, as the
Mikado goes off for his Sushi, the three try to find a reason why they
should not be executed. There seems to be no answer to the problem
until NankiPoo promises to come back to life once Katisha is engaged
and cannot claim him. KoKo is forced much against his will to creep to
Katisha.After some persuasion he is successful and this allows
NankiPoo to reappear with his bride. Everyone is now satisfied except
for KoKo who has to contend with the force of Katisha'a anger at his
deception.
In a move worthy of Ernie Bilko, KoKo explains to the Mikado that if
his majesty says 'kill a man' then that must be done - as the Mikado's
word is law, and the man is as good as dead. Practically he is dead so
why not say so. This unarguable logic satisfies the Mikado, and so the
opera ends happily with the appropriate pairings off, but then don't
they all?
895 words.
Mikado programme notes
The Mikado is without much doubt, the most popular of the Gilbert &
Sullivan operas, and has been performed more times than any of the
others. Its original production ran from its premiÖre on 22nd March
1885 for more than two years without interruption for 672
performances. This record (established in the 1880s) was not broken
until 1922). However, it might never have been written at all: When
Princess Ida closed in September 1884, there was nothing new ready to
take its place, as both Gilbert and Sullivan could not agree on a
plot, and Sullivan refused to consider yet another 'lozenge' plot -
one where characters were supposed to transform themselves by
swallowing lozenges. Sullivan had in fact given formal notice not to
compose any more comic opera and to concentrate on his 'serious'
music, but he had no choice: He and Gilbert had signed a contract with
Carte some years previously to produce a new work whenever the Savoy
needed it.
It also became popular in Germany and Scandinavia, as well as at home
and in America - contrary to the opinion that Gilbert's essentially
'English' humour did not travel. It was the favourite of Sullivan's
friend, the Prince Wilhelm, later to become the Kaiser - presumably in
time for the carnage of World War One. The ultimate accolade was a
Royal command at Balmoral in 1891 before Queen Victoria. The opera was
so popular, especially in the States, that on one evening in 1886
there were no fewer than 170 separate performances across the states,
no doubt at least one in the city of Mikado in Michigan, which was so
named in that year. At one stage Richard D'Oyly Carte had five
companies touring the states, four in Britain and one in Europe.
However he didn't send one to Japan - despite the fact that the music
was well known enough to be in the repertoire of the bands of the
Imperial Army and Navy by 1907 - just as it was being banned in
Britain for fear of giving offence: That year, when the Japanese
Prince Fushimi was on a state visit, the Mikado was banned for 'fear
of upsetting the Japanese', despite the fact that the Japanese
themselves liked the opera and were playing it. Even selections of the
music were banned. D'Oyly Carte protested in vain but the ban stood.
To get around this Helen D'Oyly Carte (his wife) arranged for an out
of town performance and invited a prominent Japanese crit6ic who
enjoyed it very much - and said so publicly. It was absurd of course
to ban the Mikado on the grounds that it might offend the Japanese.
Despite the setting, the opera is clearly about Britain, with its
satire directed at domestic, not foreign targets.
Gilbert, who always loved the latest gadgets had a telephone installed
at the Savoy - backstage - so he could keep an ear if not an eye on
rehearsals from home. The Mikado also set another precedent, being the
first opera to be recorded in 1917, although this was long after the
deaths of both Gilbert and Sullivan.
In Gilbert's study there was a ceremonial Japanese sword - the sort
for beheadings and the like - and legend has it that this fell off the
wall one day to give Gilbert the germ of an idea. At that time, around
Knightsbridge, near Hyde Park, there was a Japanese Exposition,
complete with exhibitions of pottery, costumes, paintings etc with
geisha girls serving tea; London had gone oriental, Japanese fans
whirred everywhere and many a Japanese jar adorned an English
mantelpiece. In short, London adored any and everything Japanese. So
Gilbert thought up his plot; the Mikado took dramatic shape in his
mind. When he showed it to Sullivan, the musician immediately agreed
to collaborate. The lozenge plot was forgotten.
It was not ready to replace 'Princess Ida' so a stopgap revival of
'The Sorcerer' and 'Trial by Jury' was put on for the six months or so
'The Mikado' took to write.
Every detail of the actual production was authentically Japanese,
apart from the plot of course which was typically English. To help the
cast and chorus, genuine Japanese geisha girls were hired to teach
them how to walk with little steps, bow, nod the head and wield a fan.
Katisha's costume was reputed to be 200 years old and KoKo carried the
sword from Gilbert's study that had started the whole thing.
As with all first nights, it was a glittering occasion, with the Duke
and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Louise and Prince Louis of
Battenberg present as well as most of London society. Sullivan
conducted and Gilbert left the theatre to walk the streets as was his
custom; as 'The Figaro' printed "Mr Gilbert was not in the house till
shortly before the fall of the curtain, when he came to the
footlights, hand in hand with Sir Arthur Sullivan".
Like all the other operas, with the exception of 'Yeomen of the Guard'
and 'Iolanthe', the overture was not written by Sullivan but by his
assistant, Hamilton Clarke, based of course on Sullivan's melodies.
The opera has changed little since its first night, the main changes
being moving KoKo's 'little list' song to earlier in the opera and
YumYum's 'The sun whose rays' from Act one to Act two. It was
originally in Act one immediately after the quartet 'So pardon us' and
the first YumYum, Leonora Braham, was so out of breath after the
dancing in the Quartet that she persuaded Gilbert to move it to the
beginning of Act two where it remains today. As printing was not as
fast as it is today, libretti took time to cross the Atlantic and
there existed several copies of a hybrid version with the song in both
Acts, so that is what some American companies did - sang it in both
Acts. The first verse to NankiPoo and YumYum's duet 'Were you not to
KoKo plighted' was also cut.
In 1908 Gilbert did rewrite KoKo's 'little list' song to include
suffragettes, socialists etc, but unless modern day producers rewrite
the whole song, they have generally stuck to the original words. As
with all the G&S operas, there were numerous odd lines that were cut
or altered in some way, but the substance of the show is as it was on
that Saturday night in 1885.
There have been numerous adaptations of the Mikado, starting with a
jazz version in Berlin of all places in 1927 with NankiPoo doing the
Charleston in Oxford bags and a double breasted blazer, and YumYum
singing 'The sun whose rays' naked in her bath, to Jonathan Miller's
'black and white' production with Eric Idle as KoKo. In between there
was an all black 'The Swing Mikado', 'The Hot Mikado', 'The Black
Mikado' and even 'The Cool Mikado', a 1962 film with would you believe
Frankie Howerd as KoKo (No, don't titter, Mrs).
