HMS Pinafore - Never Mind the Why or Wherefore

[normancanter1]

Progressive abandon with more champagne.

[Randomguynames]

@normancanter1 I would love to see an amv or animash to this version.

[Elanchana]

Nevermind the why or wherefore, whoops, I think my underwear tore! XDD

[PhoenixBorealis]

We just studied Gilbert and Sullivan in Music Theater Appreciation. lol Comic Geniuses. :D

[Daveh01]

Fever Nights on Saturdays! - Laughed very much at that part, and the increasing way Josephine gets drunk.

[strauss12345]

"For the union with his lordship"

*humps the air*

4:32

[ulca01]

I couldn't help laughing when I saw Sir Joseph's facial expressions (especially in the few minutes of this clip) and the way he talks; very funny.

The play seems to have been updated a little bit, according to my research the line "and a tar who plows the daughter", wasn't in the original; instead that particular line was "and a tar who plows the water"

[eclecticdufus]

I saw D'Oyly Carte do this on tour in Seattle in the late 60s. The Bell encores with John Reed were far funnier than this. And a tad more faithful. 

[intercomsec]

Gilbert altered the words himself, frequently. He did it in order to keep the production fresh and topical. He even upset a few people, not the least being W. H. Smith (First Lord of the Admiralty - Joseph Porter). Throughout the Savoy Operas Gilbert attacks the pompous and the self-righteous "Yes, I am the Apostle of Simplicity. I am called Archibald the All-Right, for I am infallible." - "The House of Peers, thoughout the war, Did nothing in particular, And did it very well."

[tehblogger]

ok, if you are going to update G&S, this is certainly the way to do it. "I'll out-fox your trot, Lord Porter" is very clever, "won't see this at D'Oyly Carte" is a nice touch, and I almost fell off my chair laughing at "the tar who plows the daughter"...

[Vadergeek]

At about 4:33, the Captain seems to have invented Caramelldansen years early.

[Bob000070000]

Does it make the material accesible to a modern audience? Does it bring out the theatricality of the piece? Is it entertaining? Does it serve the spirit of Gilbert and Sullivan?

YES!!!

[MrSwifts31]

Why oh why must these modern productions mangle Sullivan's delightful orchestrations,alter Gilbert's words,and add such unecessary(crude) stage business.It is just too awful.

BTW I used to sing in the chorus of the D'Oyly Carte,so I do have some experience!

[eclecticdufus]

@MrSwifts31 That must have been a wonderful (if often grueling) experience. Of course, performers have been trying to add stage business ever since Barrington on the grounds that it gets a laugh. And Gilbert's unaswerable riposte was so would it if you sat down on a pork pie. OK, "tar that plows the daughter" is pretty funny. The real crime here is as you say--replacing Sullivan's great orchestration with cheap synthesized crap.

[gmorr12345]

these actor are good....yes but they should stick the original script

[bombalarka]

I started watching this thinking that it was from a traditional version, and I fell off my chair when I heard Josephine say "And a tar that plows the daughter!"

[borzoix4]

@bombalarka

Oh me too!! LOL

[alloallofan1]

what does Josephine say at @5:41 ?

[XlightassassenX]

@alloallofan1 I'll out fox your trot, lord porter.

Pun on the Dance the Fox Trot :)

[alloallofan1]

@XlightassassenX thanx

[thepantweaver]

@XlightassassenX I'll admit many of the new lyrics in this production are really just quite silly, but I really think "I'll out-fox your trot, Lord Porter" is awfully clever, and very fun.

[XlightassassenX]

@thepantweaver Isn't it just :) Well played on their part.

[Ilovefantacy]

I love this song. it has many double antandres though. (sorry don't know how you spell it)

[Stinson2196]

we did this at my school

[EternallyGodBless]

Sullivan doesn't approve! Gilbert does!

[zetabyte99]

@EternallyGodBless i don't think so, they added words! and changed them around

[emmablank1990]

i love this vid !

[Danielmutt]

"mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm MADAM"

[thedoeguy]

There's a wonderful tradition, that originated in D'Oyly Carte, to "embellish" this trio with spoof verses. This version is totally true to that tradition.

[thepantweaver]

This is an amazing adaptation of the song and show. It is wonderful, and the fun they're having is perfectly in line Gilbert and Sullivan.

[iluvcedricpony288]

i think sir joseph couldve been done MUCH better

[Tillyvalle]

Eek! This is awful! G & S will be turning in their graves!

[obiwanobiwan13]

@Tillyvalle Sullivan yes... Gilbert would've enjoyed the snarkiness, though, I think he'd be "nudging" Sullivan up there and saying, "Oh, lighten up, Arthur!" ;)

But both were great, geniuses... I think Gilbert as a storyteller is underrated, and sometimes thought just good with Sullivan- but the truthi is its Gilbert AND Sullivan... one alone is great, but BOTH TOGETHER...

[CharlesDickens99]

"and a tar who plows his daughter"

Can anyone tell me what was the original line?

I can't imagine that was the original line, not in Victorian Britain.

[superchick2connaught]

it is originally "And a tar who plows the water."

[FinalFreek]

@CharlesDickens99 "and the tar who plows the water"

[CharlesDickens99]

This all looks a bit dated nowdays.

Unless you are a big fan of Victorian Culture.

Which I am probably not.

[DarExc]

lol, I have always slipt that line in myself, I sung along with "and a tar who plows his daughter" by mistake once and always sung that afterwards ;p Cultural Filth you may believe it to be but most stuck up prudes said the same thing to their original performances...no offense.

[CaballeroCatalan]

Not really.

Gilbert and Sullivan are incredibly clean -the worst swear word in all the Savoy Operas is "damme", and there's a whole song about how bad that is-, and they always went to great lengths to stop their actors from clowning around. Their strength was that they were the family-friendly, intelligent British alternative to lowbrow farces and variety shows, and they were always praised for that.

[EternallyGodBless]

@CaballeroCatalan Why, d*mn me, it's too bad!

[obiwanobiwan13]

@EternallyGodBless Oh, you swore a Big Big D! ;)

[chica476]

irreverant counter-cultural filth.

[Dragonianfire]

Ok, best part: "for a tar who ploughs the daughter" Haha!

I do however think they changed the song too much, and... the extra lyrics... though admittedly funny in parts, i feel they were a bit much.

[thepantweaver]

Where do these alternate lyrics come from? I like the song so much better this way. And of course the performances are amazing.

[letsxxtango]

"And a tar that plows the daughter!"

Lol!

[RossiniSoprano]

@letsxxtango Har, har---NOT! Although the morons will laugh at anything, like that snort of Sir Joseph's...listen to them roar. And I'm so glad they got the trap set in there, so we can feel the rhythm, since Sullivan needed so much help in that area.

[zetabyte99]

@letsxxtango and a tar who plows the water!

[zetabyte99]

@letsxxtango i guess she's having some odd thoughts.....

[GalazanCat]

I laugh so much!

[Johnmartine63]

This is so funny! I love the old Sir Joseph. The lyrics are just so funny. Gosh, I wish I could have sen this. Is there a DVD???

[GalazanCat]

I'm interested too for a DVD

[Smudge3000]

there is a dvd, available through abc shops

[TzarinaMystra]

@Johnmartine63 Yes, there should be a dvd on the EssGee website.

[Wraithriel]

@Johnmartine63 I have it on VHS... I would LOVE to watch it again, I'll try and see about getting it transferred.

[kirafaye]

@Johnmartine63 Yes there is - I got mine from the ABC shop in Australia.

[TheGrumpy01]

@Johnmartine63 : yes; you can get DVDs of this, Pirates of Penzance & The Mikado. it was ESSGEE Productions. check on the web for where to get them.

[msfyn]

@Johnmartine63 yes there is. ABC shops have it - if a problem -yell

[ssxarcadia]

I have sufficiently corrupted 85% of my current Pinafore cast with this! So much fun!

[FinalFreek]

are you still working on the other 15%?

[ssxarcadia]

I tried. I think I made it to 90%...the show's over now, though. =X

[FinalFreek]

well at least you got 90% better than nothing.

[cuddlyable3]

Howler15 learn to spell YOU'RE because ignorantly substituting "your" makes nonsense of what you posted. You might also learn to spell VULGAR though I don't recommend using it to insult people. That kind of banter tends to characterise the speaker.

[Howler15]

wanker

[camarocico]

And furthermore, may the blessings of Olympus be upon them who have so bravely and fiercely butchered the verses that the muses hath enspired to the original authors!

[camarocico]

Oh, May all the Gods of Athens and Rome bless Gilbert and Sullivan! The muses have gifted these two gentlemen with such wit and rhythm that we poor ungifted mortals can only dream of...

"Never Mind the Why and Wherefore!"

[Ignauhak]

5:01, after all the funny antics Sir Joseph got up to before with his nervousness, I found it JUST TOO FUNNY!!! I swear I was just an INCH from death by laughter!

[cuddlyable3]

Indeed Sir, a gentleman would NEVER use a big D. No NEVER! No NEVER! well...hardly ever.

[FinalFreek]

here here sir this hoy paloy's comments needs to be removed by the author.

[beesinmyknees]

i like the stuff they added

[4freedomcsa]

what do you mean by saying "MIKADO"?

[cuddlyable3]

The Mikado is the other best known operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan, some will say it's the best. I just corrected Howler15's spelling.

Pirates of Penzance is my favourite G&S operetta. Happily we have songs from all 3 operettas HMSP, TM & POP on YouTube to enjoy.

[camarocico]

Some would say "The Pirates of Penzance" or "The Sorcerer" may be as famed as "HMS Pinafore" and "Mikado". But why would we argue, Gilbert and Sullivan could seem to do no wrong in my opinion! Exquisite!

[cuddlyable3]

Gilbert's libretto has only "a tar who ploughs the WATER". The "plough the DAUGHTER" is an ad-lib in this over-clownish production.

[sparkyisbonkers]

yeah i knew that; obviously audiences in G&S's original productions wouldnt find that funny, but i like this rework of the play (although, as you say, it is over-clownish)

[cuddlyable3]

"Josephine" is delightful and tipsy. Her father Capt. Corcoran is ok, a bit stiff. But I'm sorry Sir Joseph Porter, that kind of clowning jolly well won't do. He should be played as a pretentious buffoon, not a gibbering idiot.

[cuddlyable3]

What a travesty.

[177624601]

Ok, this has to be one of my favorite versions of this song. Maybe even #1.

[MaryMoebius]

Pretty durn funny!!

[SilentDiamonds]

Are there any more clips you can post?? Please do!

[borzoix4]

This was fantastic.. I want the dvd..

[craigabaybii07]

hahahaha this is brilliant can someone gt me the dvd???/

[0800Author]

I agree!!!!!

[FinalFreek]

"and the lord who rules the water and the tar who plowes the dauter (in discust) WHAT!" that's one of my favorate lines.