I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General

[MrHer012345]

Wonderful

[pteroid11]

That ranks up there as one of the best renditions I've seen of this song. Especially the new bit he put in, really funny.

[joemanyeah666]

im singing this for solo and ensemble this year

[brigrove]

simply the best version of modern major general . This guy is brilliant and the rest of the cast work well too

[MWolfL]

I'll never figure out how he managed to sing that song.... XD

[paullavan2011]

Brilliant

[djinjekted]

I was sent here by the Geico commercial.

[canajaneh]

There's not nearly enough sisters for the women's chorus... and the ugly stepsisters kind of don't work for me but the major general is cool and mabel is terrific!

[canajaneh]

There's not nearly enough sisters for the women's chorus... and the ugly stepsisters kind of don't work for me but the major general is cool

[joemanyeah666]

when i have learned what progress has been made in modern gunnery....bang...gets me every time

[00guitarguy00]

Opera rap? Groovy =)

[MrCriticOfAll]

Now they just dont write music and songs like that anymore. extremely talented people and how funny is john english.i love thx 10 out of 10.

[ThegreatawesomeJason]

does anyone know where to find the full version of The Pirates of Penzance ( the Australia one)?



[catgirl1001a]

@ThegreatawesomeJason try the ABC shops thats who produced them and ask for the John English version with simon Gallier  they may need to order it though. :)

[ThegreatawesomeJason]

@catgirl1001a Thanks i will try that

[EmmaLouise03]

I saw my local Gilbert and Sullivan amateur group perform this back in March and it was good but nowhere near as funny as this version!

[Cthlhu4President]

THEY CHANGED THE ENDING!?!?!

[TheKokokiss]

@Cthlhu4President No it was the encore bit... :)

[mower2008]

@2:45 is he taking shots at political parties? I'm not sure but it sure sounds like it.

[Friendsheyho]

This guy's goo,d but I prefer George Rose.

[goombajoe715]

@Friendsheyho This was cute but no one did this song better than the late great George Rose.

[Friendsheyho]

@goombajoe715 That's you! He's the one I always watch!

[MrTrenchcoatguy]

There shall be no true beauty in the world until Kelsey Grammer sings this little ditty.

[goombajoe715]

@MrTrenchcoatguy Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce and guest star David Ogden Stiers sang a portion of this song in an episode of Frasier. It's on Youtube. Look up "Scary Hippopotamus", it's hilarious.

[MrTrenchcoatguy]

@goombajoe715

That's a portion. I've seen the episode. It is hilarious.

I was thinking, Kelsey Grammer, performing the entire Major-General Aria.

[goombajoe715]

@MrTrenchcoatguy I can't imagine anyone doing this better than George Rose, but Kelsey Grammer would come pretty close. As a matter of fact, he'd be excellent at it!

[oboewizard]

I like Metzger - he is great. Why does this particular director insist on using a trio to replace the women's chorus? I hate that - it ruins the show.

[NinjaxPrime]

@oboewizard lol maybe he thought it would strain suspension of disbelief if the major-general had 10+ daughters. lol idk

[oboewizard]

@NinjaxPrime It is an operetta - it was composed specifically for two choruses - a male chorus and a female chorus. Musically it requires both choruses. There is always an element of the suspension of disbelief in musical theater - afterall people don't normally sing to each other. And besides - one of the great innovations of G & S is making the choruses into their own characters. But the musical considerations I think dominate and the trio does not render Sullivan's choral writing well.

[MWolfL]

"Yes, witty...as in*half*-witty."

Gotta remember that one! XD

[asianaven]

Major General you are my f**king hero.

[teencomment]

I love how he just pops out of nowhere!

[miyabi121190]

I am the very model of a scientist Salarian, I study species Turian, Asari and Batarian, I'm quite good at genetics as a subset of biology, because I am an expert which I know is a tetology, my xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian, I am the very model of a scientist salariaaaaan~

[RevolutionaryRed11]

@miyabi121190 Seems I'm not the only one that mass effect lead here

[iskyftwroflcopterSoi]

i played the Major General in our 8th grade musical and i can say i got more applause that night than in my whole life =/ its a very hard role and i can thank this guy for some great ideas ;)

[vonnycav]

I hate the way they change "Then I can write a Washing Bill in Babylonic Cuneform/And tell you every detail of Caratacus's uniform" to "Then I can give protections on the Democrat and Greenie vote/And tell Lloyd Webber's music from originals Puccini wrote." The new one is 1. out of period and 2. according to genuine G&S fans, wrong.

[pixiedust7659]

@vonnycav The whole idea of this production was to make G&S more accessible to the masses, and really to poke a little fun...not a serious production!

[vonnycav]

@pixiedust7659 Overall this is a good production. How could it not be with Jon English (although I do prefer the old Jon English one).

[MWolfL]

I don't think I'll ever be able to sing this song, at least not without tying my tongue into a knot in the process. XD

[nickersonpower]

I was having an argument with a friend at work yesterday, he thinks this is rapping. He was also adamant the music was copied from Tom Lehrer's Elements Song, and was in another G&S opera entirely. [sigh]

[Whightwolf]

@nickersonpower Lol Tom Lehrer's hint that 'you might know this tune' didn't help him then?

[ExtinctReality]

When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunery.

[ThisIsCata]

I'm playing Major General in this musical in my school.

I am terrified of this song.

[loganator01]

@ThisIsCata Good luck

[Rohan2300]

@ThisIsCata I assume you've done it now....how'd it go?

[SamSkii14]

TOUNGUE TWISTERRR!!!!!!

[RosesNightengales]

YES YES I AM A MAJOR GENERAL *pirates scream* XDDD

[joshuamyler]

sooo funny

[animelover13579]

"and tell Lloyd Webber's music from originals Puccini wrote"

haha that's awesome

[TZEITEL10]

Derek Metzger turns in a legendary performance.

[ryttu3k]

Favourite version ever! I saw this production when it showed in Sydney when I was a kid, got the video, and proceeded to watch it several dozen times over my childhood. (I also saw this company do the Mikado, both live and on video, but I always liked this one better. Largely the same cast, though, so you had Jon English reading a scroll saying, "To the Mikado, I love your purple pants...")

[MagicalMissMirage]

can anyone figure out what he says at 6:25 ?

[LadyEvelynL]

@MagicalMissMirage Do you mean when he says 'expresso cappachino'?

[MagicalMissMirage]

They mustn't be the same ,at least not exactly.They could have different wigs , use of make-up , the octaves/notes , clothing ect. and I think that in the end of the production every actor has the right to take his/her stuff home...Costumes and all.There might be some contract about these or one of the rules of theatre...I don't know!

[MagicalMissMirage]

In any kind of singing you must use your diafragm.It's quite hard until you get used to it and you yawn a lot at the beginning.They could control it very well.I think that if it were faster or in higher notes it wouldn't be that funny and that understandable.The measure is controled and that's one of the things that a good song is consisted of.Ps sometimes the writers of a theatrical act are having agreements with the organisers of each production to have it's own feactures.

[MWolfL]

This is hilarious, no wonder Animaniacs spoofed this song! XD

The Animaniacs version is called "I Am the Very Model of a Cartoon Individual". It isn't as verbally funny as this, but it is more physically funny.

[512kapow]

22 people don't have interesting facts about the hypotenuse

[Xurcan]

His interaction with the other cast members while her was performing was great. Very talented. Their chatting with the conductor was great.

[Xurcan]

His interaction with the other cast members while her was performing was great. Very talented.

[ProdigyStepper]

oh its a good word! it mans, it means something witty! as in half witty. hahaha i love this guy

[DarthKreeg]

I know 22 people who should be made to walk the plank.

[OVERLORDMega2010]

bloody funny

[TomGeoffCraig]

watched loads of different versions now .. and this is my favourite :')

[legomaniac1128]

Australia's latest weapon: Invisible Apples.

[parkybob22]

Silly duffer ha ha

[KylieZDM]

"Or I'll be singing this song until Australia's a Republic"

Niiice :)

[DarthDunDun]

Those invisible apples pack a punch

[whatewer23]

Well in order to be invisible, they must create huge amounts of power, which means incredibly big generators installed to them, so mass must be rather great.

[re4and5master]

we did this play at gale i was in it iwas the major general it was awsome but hard

[darscomc]

One of the more creative versions I've sen of this great G&S aire.

[acashew10]

But still in maters of vaegitable, animal and mineral I am the very modle of a modern majore general

[1234Agen]

''Put thoes in some water will you. And then was your hands''.

[Clucky117]

Im the very model of a modern scientist salarian!

[CharlesHerschel]

Just too much and I don't mean that in a good way. The show must have been 4 hours long!

[Shezzi77]

@CharlesHerschel nah, it wasn't :) I've been watching this version since I was a kid, and it is frankly awesome. 3 hrs, tops, I reckon. The cast are simply brilliant!

[johnathonm]

Awesome ... where was this production?

[samplemike]

australia

[SheaLang]

Is that Kristen Chenoweth playing the female lead?

[fionaallan]

no helen something or other lol

[Garnetfire]

@SheaLang Helen Donaldson is playing the lead in this AUSTRALIAN production.

[clownrus]

Hahahah

[Dwslassls]

This guy is immensely talented. I love him!!

[DespairCriminal]

I adore this =D

[JosieThom]

I am the very bottle of a perrier that's mineral XD

[DoubleOhSammy]

LOL I like the Major General in this one!

[steelgear]

I was 13 when I saw this. Absolutely brilliant ^_^

[inetsupergrrl]

This is an excellent performance! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great job!

[Nevertoleave]

now that's acting. I was enthralled by his performance.

[ShinRhino]

I adore this version of PoP - if only the Mabel wasn't so weak, it'd be perfect. Jon English is a LEGEND.

[xiifallen]

Absolutely brilliant :D

[Yeylife]

How did he get there?

[jws1272]

This is a wonderful contrast to the video of George Rose from the 1983 production at Delacorte Theatre, but both are FANTASTIC!!!

[DMCRtheShadowFighter]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! "go put these in water will you? Then wash your hands!" ROFL!!!! CLASSIC!!!

[davidgoodman85]

i have this film on VHS

[jws1272]

1:11.....BIG BREATH!!!!

[fallenmidori]

eh...

they did too much.

that was a shit load of things that really wasn't necessary to do.

and i know those lines DURING the song aren't supposed to be there.

[Yeylife]

Well thats your opinion

[jws1272]

ABSOLUTELY, ABSURDLY HILARIOUS!!!

[Slashkamr]

Honestly this guy is far better than the return season guy. He's the guy who does those Queen Elizabeth & Sir Jo Impressions

[Equatimist]

That was the best play recording I have ever seen!

[TeenWerewolf]

I can actualy sing this song!

My friend and myself atually did yeserday..

Why?

BECAUSE WE CAN!! -_^

[jws1272]

It's a FUN song to learn to sing!!! I'm learning it for my next time at karaoke!!!

[Austinholdren]

hes kinda annoying...not chill like the MMG is supposed to be

[wealdlet]

Thats awesome! Haven't heard that song for a v long time :)

[Commentator732]

Great mouth control, and good stumbling over what's not there.

[Coloraturissimo]

cool!

[LordFancourt]

Too much fidgeting and clowning. Too animated for a major-general.

[4freedomcsa]

come on this is meant to be funny

[LordFancourt]

Don't get me wrong. He does a great job in the vocal dept. And it looks like a very good production. Just my opinion that he overdoes the physicality with his stomping around and slapstick approach.

[TeenWerewolf]

HE'S SUPPOSED TO!!

[PicoriPi]

well, your opinion is wrong.

[just2w4tch]

A great job in such a role.

[fireblade95]

miming

[Sclasspsycho]

I was in a production of this (as a police officer) and the guy who was General Stanley was really good at the part. This guy's pretty good, too.

[343studios]

lol at 5:05

[gaiuskaiser]

seen better

[ChivesTheTomato]

4 min 27 sec: bang!

[Mortoknredd]

Not the fastest versionI have seen, but one of the funniest!

[Maestrojosh87]

Do they really have to be that fast?

[showersinger34]

@Maestrojosh87 YES!

that's the fun part :)

[Maestrojosh87]

How fast does it have to be?

[showersinger34]

@Maestrojosh87

as fast as the cast can handle, really. it's supposed to be just ridiculous!

[Maestrojosh87]

And what if the cast can't handle it?

[showersinger34]

then they take it slower :)

[Maestrojosh87]

How do you know if the cast can handle it?

Would it be more fun if even if they can't handle it at that tempo (i.e. faster than just about anybody) to just do it anyway?

[showersinger34]

just see how fast they CAN take it. even if that's not super fast, play around with the acting and staging a lot like they do in this video, and then it'll be awesome

[Maestrojosh87]

Even if they can't do it, should they just do it anyway?

[showersinger34]

just have a good time with it :)

[Maestrojosh87]

Yeah. That's what I like about it. Have about as good a time with it as possible. And by the way, what is the maximum of encores one should do to a song?

[showersinger34]

i have no clue

[Maestrojosh87]

How many encores of "Never Mind the Why and Wherefore" from HMS Pinafore or "With Cat-Like Tread" from PIRATES can you take?

[showersinger34]

i really don't know. i've only seen each of them once, and they were both before i was 8 years old

[lijluvr356]

@Maestrojosh87 if the cast can't handle it, the audience feels uncomfortable and wonders, "is this song always this bad?"

[belindaw]

Saw this live when I was 11 or 12. Even better live than on film!! I seriously thought that Jon English in his purple pants was David Bowie from Labyrinth!! lol

[BreadGuy01]

I remember going and seeing this performance! Oh, the memories! Oh the hilarity! Oh the brain going a million k's an hour trying to translate the Major General for my young mind XD

[rogerthat0704]

WELL DONE so glad to see that this director has kept humor in the show. Many productions of GandS are not done in the spirit in wich they were meant. WELL DONE!!

[FireofSekhmet]

How can you possibly perform Pirates of Penzance as anything but a comedy? =P

[TelcontartheFirst]

The added lyrics are great. "I am the very bottle of a perrier that's mineral."

Pure genius.

[LerouxFan]

Hilarious. I love it, even the extra at the end.

[nap2187]

i'm doing this play it my school this is my favorite part and this man is so fun

[Vincentsdream]

This was very very well done, second favorite version of this show.

[joemanyeah666]

lmao he says bang at 4.27 its funny as hell

[iluvtwilightlol]

that major general is really goood! the guy at my school playing that character is really well suited to the part, but not as good as this major general!!! SO FUNNY!! roflmao

[Jettox]

I usually don't like it when actors in a musical add extra acting into the songs, but this was extremely well-done and worked amazingly well with the character.

[movi3srock]

awesome!

[XDXDXD12345678]

UMmm bye!! :D

heybby NG

[EdmDude]

lol.

Anyone can tell the diff between a K98 and an AT missle system. :)

[chevalierbrigad]

What a great actor, and singer!

[ser132]

So let's conclude this Larry King commercial monograbic quick or I'll be singing this song til Australia's a republic, but with a dash of bitters or some tonic in your general I am the very bottle of a Perrier that's mineral.

[Maestrojosh87]

I think that's "moneygrubber" not "monograbic."

[ser132]

I think it's something like this...I am the very model of a modern major general. I've information seminal & cultural & federal & regional & functional & fictional & texual abominable, terrible, scriptural, conseptual & sexual. impeccable, improbable, deplorable, debatable, unpleasant, undemanding, unimportant, untranslatable, imponderable, mystical, blissful & germinal, in fact so bloody boring that it's positively terminal.

[fegibbard95]

To ser132 2 weeks ago, very second -hand witty. Did you mean texTual by the way. Your point is exactly?

[bulgerpsn]

Does anyone know what the first and last verse of his encore are? I tried figuring it out, but it's sorta difficult.

[chocokat11]

FANTASTIC miming with ther ear picking thing.

[crimsonlung]

incredibly well done, I am very impressed

[math9023]

what do his extra lines say?

[math9023]

dear put those in some water and then wash your hands GENIUS!!

[iZacLess]

I love this version!!

[maxedout1956]

BRAVO!

[WyllTheThryll]

I think this entire production is brilliant.

[bvc3369]

I love how he added lyrics...especialy about Lloyd Webber...(especially knowing that this operetta was composed back in the late 19th century, and lloyd is a mid 20th century composer)this is great!

[shauninfl28]

Derek Metzger is wonderful here! Contrast this to George Rose's legendary performance in the same role. I'm so used to Rose's that this one stuck me as odd at first. But the more I watch it, the more I see its genius. Bravo.

[hyeamyes]

hey, does anyone know where to find the sheet music for this piece?

many thankx

[Coffeeeggsbacon]

google it, genius.

[lizarddavid]

you can find almost any song at musicnotes.com, but it costs

[dreforreal]

ladies and gentlemen, where can i find this DVD!? i need it very URGENTLY!!!! Please, HELP!!!!

[caylem00]

its on amazon >_>

[horseluva113]

"something silly for the fellow in the purple pants" LOL

[BlueEyesOfWinter]

"In modern gunnery bang hehe" lol weirdest one yet also the "silly govenor...what?...oh not u the fello with the apple in his head"

[FinalFreek]

i agree i'll never get tired of this becuase it's so daft

[ChioGaru]

Derek Metzger's awesome!

[MattWillNotDie2]

This is a great version of this song hilarious lines:

"Put them in a vase would you dear. Then wash your hands."

LOL

[sprigelf2000]

funniest version I have seen and heard.