I remember going to go see this in Wellington back in 95 i was only young then but i loved it. I remember going to see all 3 shows This HMS and Pirates I really wish they would come back as i just today showed a friend from Aussie this and she was really getting into it.
Well on the whole I found this production very entertaining and fun. I would have enjoyed seeing it live. It was not really G & S. Katisha and Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo were terrific. I loved the Mikado - though I found his Japanese accent gratuitous (it is about England afterall and not Japan). His song (My Object) was the high point for me. The low point was the lack of a women's chorus and the trio which replaced Pitti-Sing. G & S a la Lloyd Weber's "Jospeh." It was fun, thanks for posting
@vulpecula999 Thank god someone agree's :( i hate it, i looked it up for research and thought i'd came accross some pokémon musical becuase i hardly even noticed it was the same words as usual only . . . ''different'' :L
We have enjoyed the D'Oyly Carte and other productions for many years. Most companies, such as The LampLighters in San Francisco, update many of the topical references when they produce these shows. This Australian production is IMHO, absolutely fantastic! If this sort of thing keeps up, audiences will be enjoying G&S for Centuries or maybe Millennia to come.
Mit grell-bauschigen Petticoats und hochgetürmten Blondhaar-Frisetten rauschen die Fabulous Singlettes durch das englischsprachige Pop-Repertoire der Sixties, der Seventies und der Jetztzeit.
Die Fabulous Singlettes sind vom 13.1.-22.1.2009 wieder in Berlin im TIPI-Zelt am Kanzleramt!!!
I have had the honor to play Koko in two productions done very traditionally. Hence, I am a fuddy-duddy. Nonetheless, THIS IS GREAT. The energy is overwhelming. I think it proves the genius of G & S. In any context, their words and music are wonderful. And it gets a whole new generation infected with G&S-itis. Bravo!
Womderful, Queen Victoria asked for a command perfformance of Sir Arthur Sullivans Masterpiece, Sullivan considered Ivanhoe to be that masterpiece and arranged to play it as the command performance, just prior to the opening Queen Victoria was speaking to him and said" Sir Arthur, I have always loved your masterpiece, The Mikado" which must have shot Sullivan down somewhat.
ok. ive just read the first page of comments. a few things.
a) its not illegal to change anything in a play-people do it all the time. it is allowed, and unless something is copyrighted to another person, ideas from other plays can be used.
B) its not offensive to the japanese and it wasnt at the time. the japanese ambasador watched it, and loved it.
c) mikado has been 'updated' more than twice (hot/swing mikado) and this version is original, but with extra parts
Why? And before you reply, bear in mind this was written in 1885, by Gilbert and Sullivan. Of course what you're watching here is the finale of the 1995 tour by the Australian company EssGee productions. This was taped in New Zealand. If you're thinking "bad against japanese" or something, it was actually a parody against 1880's english high society. Perhaps you should see the rest of the operetta before commenting..
While I agree that it is a masterpiece and that Gilbert and Sullivan placed it in Japan so as to more easily critique their own English society, the play is still full of the racist preconceptions of the day. The problem only arises when people don't understand the play in context. Though, aside from archaic ethnic caricatures, its difficult to see how anyone can miss how brilliant and funny this play really is.
Well, I like it too. I did see the HS version this weekend, per my text-sation with the young fellow posted below. The kids were marvelous, but the show was more of a homage to Glen Garrison, Dean Martin and his Golddiggers than it was for G/S. Quite tacky imho. The young lady who played Katisha was superb!
I understand that a high school in Northern NJ copied the idea for their show from this video, but is changing the period from the 1970's disco era to the 1960's "Austin Powers" period. A complete ripoff of this marvoulous production. The HS director and the production staff should be ashamed of this.
How dare you call the Tenafly production of The Mikado a 'rip off' without even seeing it. Opening night isn't until tomorrow.
Just because an amateur high school cast attempted to emulate a well made production doesn't mean that they're ripping it off.
You should be ashamed of insulting the Tenafly director and staff. They put in weeks of hard work into this musical. Don't you have anything better to do than insult people that actually produce instead of sitting back and critiquing?
"Just because an amateur high school cast attempted to emulate a well made production doesn't mean that they're ripping it off."
Well, JackBaur168, I thank you for you admission. Whether of not you don't think it is "ripping it off" is immaterial at this point. Any production that even vaguely resembles the Jon English production could be considered plagerism.
rkogeneral, you misunderstand me. By emulate, I mean use the idea of 'updating' the original work into a more modern period, a practice that is common in theater.
I maintain that the two productions are actually fairly distinct. If you'd seen the Tenafly production, you would know that it has an extremely different artistic style, costumes are suits and dresses (not Japanese garb) and its own humor and spirit.
Please become informed before criticizing the hard work of our director and cast.
JackBaur168, the term "emulate" means to try to strive to equal or excel; or imitate. "Updating" is not equating or imitating. Shakespeare can be "updated". Michael Kahn did it very successfully in 2006 in the Washington DC production of "Love Labor's Lost". Is it possible your director saw this show and decided to take liberties from it as well?
If you must "copy" a production, at least give the original company its crecit!
I am not sure if you are student, parent, administrator at the school, or the director him/herself, but do you think it is OK to copy or "emulate", as you state, a professional production and give it credit? As a teacher/student, do you think it is OK to copy an essay off the internet, re-write it, and present it as "your work"? Its OK to add a beat or two in a G/S show (I've worked on several), but maintain its original concept.
A final thought: Did your director receive permission from the publisher to make the changes that he/she did? Did your director make any inquiry with the Australian company that owns the visual rights to the 1995 show? If not, then it is considered plagiarism
General, have you seen the Tenafly show? If you haven't you cannot possibly make an informed claim that it copies the 1995 Australian production. You said that you 'understand that a high school in Northern NJ copied the idea for their show from this video" - what is your source for this claim? What parts are copied? Please describe them to me.
Emulate: "to rival with some degree of success" - Dictionary dot com
Tenafly's production of the Mikado is an update that rivals this one.
As New York Gay as it can get! :)) But in a fun colorful Broadway style! It is tacky but it is fun and funny. And someone should make fun of Gilbert & Sullivan too (not just their musicals). Some of their musicals appear culturally condescending and prejudiced with little sensitivity to what colonialism does to human psychology and culture. And may I say - bluntly (not in a bad way) that white women look awful in kimonos, kaftans and the sqeaky voice at the end was awful.
i LOOOOOVE these guys (david gould, and jon english *drool) anyway where was i lol.. really guys, if you dont like watching it.. change channels :P I like the originals as well, but these shows were the best nights entertainment id had out ever!!
I saw this on stage in Melbourne -it was fabulous - one of 3 G&S shows done by John English and Simon Gallaher. A lot of the comedy would be very suited to the audiences then as many of the player were very well known in other musical areas. David Gould was a find from a "red faces" talent quest
I like this version more than the strict traditional...they are actually being creative rather than doing what everyone else has already done. At the very least you should appreciate the effort.
I also have to stick up for this show. I like my G&S pure, but it can be modernized. I wouldn't recomend this to someone as their first exposure to 'The Mikado,' but if you're looking for a fresh angle on the opereta, I think this would be a good example.
I'm all for re-interpretation and think that contemporary recontextualization of The Mikado can work, but Mikado or not this show is an example of the kind of exessive and tacky glitz and glitter that makes figure-skating so awful. Go back to Bedazzling your bargain store sweatshirts with the kittens on them to wear to the bingo parlour. I was expecting David Hasslehoff, Morgan Fairchild, and Richard Simmons to make cameos.
it is called a encore, its suposed to be like that.
if you want tacky, go with the eric idle version, or any version of the hot mikado. atleast this one keeps some simbolence of the original music and japanese styling.
however to say the purist version is traditonal japenese is just ignorant, it was a actually a comicly unjapnese steryotype.
Having done musical theatre for 25 years, I am quite familiar with what an encore is, and it has nothing to do with my earlier comment, as I was commenting on the overall style of this production as a whole. I think that spandex, sequin, and glitter, used to such an extreme, make ANY show look tacky. I've never seen the Eric Idle version, but I doubt it could be tackier. Also, I never said the purist version is traditional japanese.
I don't know where to begin. While I am no G&S purist I find this whole thing embarrasingly tacky. The fact that it was done in the mid 90s shows that the costume and set designers were about 10 years behind in their sense of "current" style, the canned drum beats are tedious, and the "fake japanese" sing-a-long was simply horrifying.
I feel the need to stick up for this preformance, esspecially since its being so terribly attacked. It's not anything like the strict opera version, but if you think about it, it opens a -taste- of the opera world to people who otherwise wouldn't be dare go to such a show. Its a broader audience, and a bigger chance that they may at one time see the original, or another opera.
This is so tacky- I didn't think that Jon English could butcher a Gilbert & Sullivan show more than he did Pirates of Penzance, but I stand corrected.
That UNBELIEVABLELY sucked. I was expecting Rosie O'Donnell to pop up singing a "me-is-japoneese-ching-chong" patter song to be followed by the "Keep it Gay" chorus from "The Producers". Unbelievable bad taste. Shame on anyone who likes this dreck-
no way! its an alternative idea. How boring if everyone only conforms to the original idea. Sure, this is not exactly "victorian social satire intended by Gilbert & Sullivan" as you put it. But it is satyrical in a modern sense. I saw this performance twice and it was UNBELIEVABLE. Besides, if you haven't seen the whole thing, you can't make an informed judgement.
The "Additional Lyrics" credit is at 8:31, for anyone who wants to know.
GeorgeTSLC 4 months ago
Oh gosh, Nanki-Poo was the Major-General in Essgee's The Pirates of Penzance. What a difference. I couldn't believe the transformation.
bahma810 10 months ago
I remember going to go see this in Wellington back in 95 i was only young then but i loved it. I remember going to see all 3 shows This HMS and Pirates I really wish they would come back as i just today showed a friend from Aussie this and she was really getting into it.
Reinate 11 months ago
Well on the whole I found this production very entertaining and fun. I would have enjoyed seeing it live. It was not really G & S. Katisha and Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo were terrific. I loved the Mikado - though I found his Japanese accent gratuitous (it is about England afterall and not Japan). His song (My Object) was the high point for me. The low point was the lack of a women's chorus and the trio which replaced Pitti-Sing. G & S a la Lloyd Weber's "Jospeh." It was fun, thanks for posting
oboewizard 11 months ago
Superb choreography and vocals in a risk-taking production! I'm sure Gilbert & Sullivan would have gotten a big kick out of this.
Well... Sullivan, anyway!
poirot63 1 year ago
@poirot63 No - I think Sullivan would've had apoplexy. Gilbert would've understood, though.
lomax343 1 year ago
this is nauseating
vulpecula999 1 year ago
@vulpecula999 Thank god someone agree's :( i hate it, i looked it up for research and thought i'd came accross some pokémon musical becuase i hardly even noticed it was the same words as usual only . . . ''different'' :L
BeKaFiEdX 7 months ago
pardon my ignorance but is this The Village People meet Golbert and Sullivan?
mystique0417 1 year ago
Try the ABC shop , it may well be found there !!!
symphynity 1 year ago
I think we can all agree that this is so very, very wrong, and so very, very right.
JoshShaps 1 year ago 2
I am a purist at heart, but that doesn't mean I don't like having fun with it, too. Is there a DVD available?
daisybtoes 1 year ago
We have enjoyed the D'Oyly Carte and other productions for many years. Most companies, such as The LampLighters in San Francisco, update many of the topical references when they produce these shows. This Australian production is IMHO, absolutely fantastic! If this sort of thing keeps up, audiences will be enjoying G&S for Centuries or maybe Millennia to come.
maestr0bec 2 years ago
Being a G&S purist I much prefer the original but will admit that this effort has merit.
captainfairfield 2 years ago 2
D'Oyly Carte production in 1992 is much better in my opinion
pedro18741922 2 years ago
I've watched my video of this to death since i was about 5. And i've always loved it...
And even now, i still get a bit of a tingle when david gould goes so low : )
hmtdih2dt 2 years ago 2
yes - thank you! I found it and bought it. It took 3 weeks to get here but I loved it!
borzoix4 2 years ago
Could you tell me how to buy it, please.
Thanks
billybob62 2 years ago
available on line and then by post from australia
look up essgee on your google (simon Gallagher ) - should get to th e order page then
londonbangkok 2 years ago
I'm agreeing with maxfagin here.
Personally I love G&S pure, as I think it stil stands alone, but I see nothing wrong with new interpretations of classics.
If nothing else it introduces younger audiences to the lovely melodies of Sir Arthur Sullivan.
ps - May I recommend the excellent film about the first production of The Mikado, 'Topsy-Turvy'?
It's not my cuppa, but at the same time I don't feel it's a bad thing to re-interpret the classics.
margondine 3 years ago
i love both traditional and kitshy productions.
Coryashire 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Mit grell-bauschigen Petticoats und hochgetürmten Blondhaar-Frisetten rauschen die Fabulous Singlettes durch das englischsprachige Pop-Repertoire der Sixties, der Seventies und der Jetztzeit.
Die Fabulous Singlettes sind vom 13.1.-22.1.2009 wieder in Berlin im TIPI-Zelt am Kanzleramt!!!
DasTIPIzelt 3 years ago
I have had the honor to play Koko in two productions done very traditionally. Hence, I am a fuddy-duddy. Nonetheless, THIS IS GREAT. The energy is overwhelming. I think it proves the genius of G & S. In any context, their words and music are wonderful. And it gets a whole new generation infected with G&S-itis. Bravo!
Manric0 3 years ago
I love this!
theystoleallmynames 3 years ago
How do I purchase a DVD of this production? I loved it!
borzoix4 3 years ago
Did you ever find out?
billybob62 2 years ago
Did you ever find out how to buy the dvd, that is?
Thanks
billybob62 2 years ago
Womderful, Queen Victoria asked for a command perfformance of Sir Arthur Sullivans Masterpiece, Sullivan considered Ivanhoe to be that masterpiece and arranged to play it as the command performance, just prior to the opening Queen Victoria was speaking to him and said" Sir Arthur, I have always loved your masterpiece, The Mikado" which must have shot Sullivan down somewhat.
Dhbrydon 3 years ago
Those that are jumping up and down about this Australian version are missing the humour and the point.
It's supposed to be tacky. That's what the producers strived for.
lifesavid 3 years ago
this show was a huge sell out back in 95.
It is about to tour again opening in Brisbane Australia on the 5th Aug 2008. I have my tickets front row center.
The updated version pulls in a differant crowd then all you fuddy duddys who cant stand change.
Well done essgee and look forward to the show when i see it in Aug
banjotails 3 years ago 2
ok. ive just read the first page of comments. a few things.
a) its not illegal to change anything in a play-people do it all the time. it is allowed, and unless something is copyrighted to another person, ideas from other plays can be used.
B) its not offensive to the japanese and it wasnt at the time. the japanese ambasador watched it, and loved it.
c) mikado has been 'updated' more than twice (hot/swing mikado) and this version is original, but with extra parts
Anniiee1 3 years ago
Is this supposed to be funny? Because if it not, is was conducted in horrifically poor taste. this is a complete and total abomination.
BecketAdams 3 years ago
Why? And before you reply, bear in mind this was written in 1885, by Gilbert and Sullivan. Of course what you're watching here is the finale of the 1995 tour by the Australian company EssGee productions. This was taped in New Zealand. If you're thinking "bad against japanese" or something, it was actually a parody against 1880's english high society. Perhaps you should see the rest of the operetta before commenting..
silarnon 3 years ago 2
While I agree that it is a masterpiece and that Gilbert and Sullivan placed it in Japan so as to more easily critique their own English society, the play is still full of the racist preconceptions of the day. The problem only arises when people don't understand the play in context. Though, aside from archaic ethnic caricatures, its difficult to see how anyone can miss how brilliant and funny this play really is.
nita2605 3 years ago
Well some people are closedminded.
I liked it a lot, and I am just this huge fan of the orchestral versions. It made it catchier and made it appeal to a wider audience, y'know?
or maybe that's because I listen to 80s music too...
ladysquier 3 years ago
Well, I like it too. I did see the HS version this weekend, per my text-sation with the young fellow posted below. The kids were marvelous, but the show was more of a homage to Glen Garrison, Dean Martin and his Golddiggers than it was for G/S. Quite tacky imho. The young lady who played Katisha was superb!
rkogeneral 3 years ago
I understand that a high school in Northern NJ copied the idea for their show from this video, but is changing the period from the 1970's disco era to the 1960's "Austin Powers" period. A complete ripoff of this marvoulous production. The HS director and the production staff should be ashamed of this.
rkogeneral 3 years ago
How dare you call the Tenafly production of The Mikado a 'rip off' without even seeing it. Opening night isn't until tomorrow.
Just because an amateur high school cast attempted to emulate a well made production doesn't mean that they're ripping it off.
You should be ashamed of insulting the Tenafly director and staff. They put in weeks of hard work into this musical. Don't you have anything better to do than insult people that actually produce instead of sitting back and critiquing?
JackBaur168 3 years ago
"Just because an amateur high school cast attempted to emulate a well made production doesn't mean that they're ripping it off."
Well, JackBaur168, I thank you for you admission. Whether of not you don't think it is "ripping it off" is immaterial at this point. Any production that even vaguely resembles the Jon English production could be considered plagerism.
rkogeneral 3 years ago
rkogeneral, you misunderstand me. By emulate, I mean use the idea of 'updating' the original work into a more modern period, a practice that is common in theater.
I maintain that the two productions are actually fairly distinct. If you'd seen the Tenafly production, you would know that it has an extremely different artistic style, costumes are suits and dresses (not Japanese garb) and its own humor and spirit.
Please become informed before criticizing the hard work of our director and cast.
JackBaur168 3 years ago
JackBaur168, the term "emulate" means to try to strive to equal or excel; or imitate. "Updating" is not equating or imitating. Shakespeare can be "updated". Michael Kahn did it very successfully in 2006 in the Washington DC production of "Love Labor's Lost". Is it possible your director saw this show and decided to take liberties from it as well?
If you must "copy" a production, at least give the original company its crecit!
rkogeneral 3 years ago
I am not sure if you are student, parent, administrator at the school, or the director him/herself, but do you think it is OK to copy or "emulate", as you state, a professional production and give it credit? As a teacher/student, do you think it is OK to copy an essay off the internet, re-write it, and present it as "your work"? Its OK to add a beat or two in a G/S show (I've worked on several), but maintain its original concept.
rkogeneral 3 years ago
A final thought: Did your director receive permission from the publisher to make the changes that he/she did? Did your director make any inquiry with the Australian company that owns the visual rights to the 1995 show? If not, then it is considered plagiarism
rkogeneral 3 years ago
General, have you seen the Tenafly show? If you haven't you cannot possibly make an informed claim that it copies the 1995 Australian production. You said that you 'understand that a high school in Northern NJ copied the idea for their show from this video" - what is your source for this claim? What parts are copied? Please describe them to me.
Emulate: "to rival with some degree of success" - Dictionary dot com
Tenafly's production of the Mikado is an update that rivals this one.
JackBaur168 3 years ago
This is a crime.
How dare they contort Gilbert and Sullivan's brilliant work into this amalgamation of faggotry and 80s music.
Awful.
grudebusch 4 years ago
I totally agree!!!
hillevifan 3 years ago
This is the Vegas/Solid Gold/Dance Fever Mikado and it's hot. Nothing wrong with reimagining an old standard, in fact, everything right.
freestuffffff 4 years ago
As New York Gay as it can get! :)) But in a fun colorful Broadway style! It is tacky but it is fun and funny. And someone should make fun of Gilbert & Sullivan too (not just their musicals). Some of their musicals appear culturally condescending and prejudiced with little sensitivity to what colonialism does to human psychology and culture. And may I say - bluntly (not in a bad way) that white women look awful in kimonos, kaftans and the sqeaky voice at the end was awful.
curiousquestions 4 years ago
iTS GAY but BRILLIANT
WHOEVER DID THIS
THESE ARE WONDERFULLY CREATIVE PEOPLE
writerdirect 4 years ago
i LOOOOOVE these guys (david gould, and jon english *drool) anyway where was i lol.. really guys, if you dont like watching it.. change channels :P I like the originals as well, but these shows were the best nights entertainment id had out ever!!
KymMaree1972 4 years ago
OMG! What have they done to it?
tmarkgrundy 4 years ago
I saw this on stage in Melbourne -it was fabulous - one of 3 G&S shows done by John English and Simon Gallaher. A lot of the comedy would be very suited to the audiences then as many of the player were very well known in other musical areas. David Gould was a find from a "red faces" talent quest
kazmak01 4 years ago 2
This is indeed about as tacky as tacky could be! What is with the synthesizer?
singspieler 4 years ago
I like this version more than the strict traditional...they are actually being creative rather than doing what everyone else has already done. At the very least you should appreciate the effort.
ChioGaru 4 years ago
Dave Gould is the BEST ^^
ChioGaru 4 years ago
I also have to stick up for this show. I like my G&S pure, but it can be modernized. I wouldn't recomend this to someone as their first exposure to 'The Mikado,' but if you're looking for a fresh angle on the opereta, I think this would be a good example.
maxfagin 4 years ago
I'm all for re-interpretation and think that contemporary recontextualization of The Mikado can work, but Mikado or not this show is an example of the kind of exessive and tacky glitz and glitter that makes figure-skating so awful. Go back to Bedazzling your bargain store sweatshirts with the kittens on them to wear to the bingo parlour. I was expecting David Hasslehoff, Morgan Fairchild, and Richard Simmons to make cameos.
cquence23 4 years ago
it is called a encore, its suposed to be like that.
if you want tacky, go with the eric idle version, or any version of the hot mikado. atleast this one keeps some simbolence of the original music and japanese styling.
however to say the purist version is traditonal japenese is just ignorant, it was a actually a comicly unjapnese steryotype.
Coryashire 4 years ago
Having done musical theatre for 25 years, I am quite familiar with what an encore is, and it has nothing to do with my earlier comment, as I was commenting on the overall style of this production as a whole. I think that spandex, sequin, and glitter, used to such an extreme, make ANY show look tacky. I've never seen the Eric Idle version, but I doubt it could be tackier. Also, I never said the purist version is traditional japanese.
cquence23 4 years ago
Agreed. Unless you're one of the Bee Gees, why try to disco up a classic?
martel732 4 years ago
I don't know where to begin. While I am no G&S purist I find this whole thing embarrasingly tacky. The fact that it was done in the mid 90s shows that the costume and set designers were about 10 years behind in their sense of "current" style, the canned drum beats are tedious, and the "fake japanese" sing-a-long was simply horrifying.
cquence23 4 years ago
David Gould is impressive - I've never heard anybody sing that low, ever.
Milosrdenstvi 4 years ago
Disgusting. It's like the Pokemon version of The Mikado, which is — in case anyone's forgotten — AN OPERETTA. Not a Saturday morning cartoon.
justice139 4 years ago
I feel the need to stick up for this preformance, esspecially since its being so terribly attacked. It's not anything like the strict opera version, but if you think about it, it opens a -taste- of the opera world to people who otherwise wouldn't be dare go to such a show. Its a broader audience, and a bigger chance that they may at one time see the original, or another opera.
pluckygirl 4 years ago 2
This is so tacky- I didn't think that Jon English could butcher a Gilbert & Sullivan show more than he did Pirates of Penzance, but I stand corrected.
jyoung78 4 years ago
That UNBELIEVABLELY sucked. I was expecting Rosie O'Donnell to pop up singing a "me-is-japoneese-ching-chong" patter song to be followed by the "Keep it Gay" chorus from "The Producers". Unbelievable bad taste. Shame on anyone who likes this dreck-
urbild 5 years ago
GHASTLY. Apart from abandoning the opera format the victorian social satire intended by Gilbert & Sullivan is lost.
cuddlyable3 5 years ago
no way! its an alternative idea. How boring if everyone only conforms to the original idea. Sure, this is not exactly "victorian social satire intended by Gilbert & Sullivan" as you put it. But it is satyrical in a modern sense. I saw this performance twice and it was UNBELIEVABLE. Besides, if you haven't seen the whole thing, you can't make an informed judgement.
enigmaticandelusive 5 years ago
What are the lyrics Jon English is singing: "Here's a slippery slope"?
Maestrojosh87 5 years ago
Here's a slippery slope, if you both elope. Chippy-Chop or tomb that's clammy, either way it's a double whamy, couldn't really cope etc.
maxfagin 5 years ago