Added: 3 years ago
From: rearvumirror
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  • as camp as a row o' tents, superb stuff!!

  • So, I've been wondering: This was recorded 12 years ago and Richard King wasn't exactly a young man back then. Does he still perform? Are there by any chance more videos of him then this and 'Never Mind the Why and Wherefore'? I think I just became a fan...

  • @gesamtszenario Richard is still very active in the theatre in Shreveport. He recently directed the incredibly funny "Lend Me A Tenor" and I think he also performed fairly recently with The Shreveport Opera. (He can easily hold his own with any opera singer!)

  • @rearvumirror Thanks for the info. He's amazing.

  • When i was a lad

    i served a term

    to back the clocks in a used car firm

    i covered up the rust with a coat of grey

    i bodgeyed up the steering

    on a chevrolette

    I bodgeyed up the steering so very hard

    soon they made me the owner of a used car yard

  • Bravi, proprio bravi.

  • @vulcanswork Grazie.

  • I remember when MAD Magazine did a piece on John F. Kennedy based on Pinafore, where JFK sang:

    "I bought Wisconsin with my dough you see, And now I'm the leader of the whole coun-try.."

  • @BenAliGtor  Are you serious? You are a master of very obscure information. I must remember this in case it ever comes up on Jeopardy!

  • The best perfomance of this I ever saw. Which isn't too hard, because it's the seond I ever saw. But still...

  • It is a great pity that Gilbert & Sullivan operas are practically ignored on the european continent. True, many jokes and puns are untranslatable; but some melodies like "take a pair of sparkling eyes" are very beautiful. After all, hardly any one, except the germans, understand a word of Wagner operas and he is not known for his humour. So why don't we give G & S a chance?

  • They are referring to W.H. Smith of book and newsagents fame who had never been to sea and was the first lord of the Admiralty.

  • @clearly Are you saying that this song was based on a real character?

  • @scotjack Yes indeed, it was a clear refererence to W H Smith who had never been to sea.

  • @scotjack W H Smith He was elected a Member of Parliament in 1868 and rose to the position of First Lord of the Admiralty less than ten years thereafter. Because of his lack of naval experience, he was perceived as a model for the character Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore.

  • @clearly Thank you for this information. When I watch the video again, it adds a whole new layer of humour to it for me, and I am sure to the audiences of the day. I wonder if G & S included similar political barbs in their other shows?

  • @scotjack I'm sure they did but that was the only one I know of.

  • @clearly That is very interesting. I wonder if he ever saw the show.  And if so, I wonder if he thought the song was merely poking fun, or malicious.

  • @scotjack Both Gilbert and Sullvan we're very sarcastic. They didnt even care for each other. Very clever stuff indeed. You might want to google "etiquette" by Arthur Sullivan, its hilarious.

  • @scotjack  I meant to say Mr Gilbert, see Babs Ballads. These passengers, by reason of their clinging to a mast,

    Upon a desert island

    They hunted for their meals, as ALEXANDER SELKIRK used,

    But they couldn't chat together--they had not been introduced.

  • god im a soloist for "in serving writs..." lol first time doing a solo... :(

  • @DaNinja19 Good luck -- I am sure you will do very well. Break a leg!

  • @DaNinja19 Sorry i pressed thumbs down by accident.... :( no way to change that... YouTube problem...

  • @jns02 Hakuna matata.

  • @jns02 Thats ok i clicked like for you.

  • We're doing this with Trial by Jury in July in New Zealand! It's gonna be mint!

  • @GDOBSSOR  Good luck!

  • @rearvumirror Thanks!

  • Fantastic. Total clarity, excellent acting and a good few belly-laughs!

  • @cdrphilistine Thank you for taking the time to comment.

  • Brilliant,

    perfect pronunciation resulting in total clarity.

    Thank you so much.

  • @brijmohun and @cdrphilistine. You are both so right - before anything else, it has to be understood! (I hope you understood and enjoyed the other clips too.)

  • @brijmohun I don't know. If his pronunciation was perfect I don't think he could have managed to make "mark" and "clerk" rhyme :)

  • @SaraTGinMD Thank you for you observation, which is however inaccurate.

    Richard King's pronunciation of "mark" and "clerk" is exactly correct. In English English (as opposed to US English) "mark" and "clerk" rhyme exactly. Richard, an American, is a very skilled actor and singer over the whole spectrum of performance art from comedy to Shakespeare. In all of his characters he is fastidious about both diction and accent.

  • @rearvumirror Ah yes! Those bloody Brits! Thank you for the correction. Sometimes I forget we don't actually speak "English" here in the US. :-)

  • @rearvumirror

    Thank you. It is nice to see an authentic version.

  • Splendid.

  • Very good,very direct,very clear,and with the humour coming from Gilbert's lyrics,and not a lot of silly camp fussiness.

    This director should be congratulated.

    BTW I used to sing in the D'Oyly Carte chorus,so I do have a little experiencec! LOL

  • @MrSwifts31 Nothing more to be said then!

    (I will be sure to pass your comments on to Mr Matthews when I see him.)

  • Beautifully performed with clarity!

  • @marham18 Thank you! "Clarity" as you term it, was the most important objective of the director, John Matthews.

    There were no on-stage mics., and naturally none of the actors were using microphones. (Nowadays, so many productions use actor mics. as a substitute for the lost art of projection.) The camera used for this clip, was a simple video camera (a tripod would have helped!) with a built-in mono microphone. So the actual sound was much better than the clip suggests.

  • the chorus of sisters and cousins and aunts are fantastic!

  • @JDev82 Thank you for your comment. They worked very hard - in fact, G & S choruses often work harder than the principals.

  • What an excellent production!

    Who would have thought that G&S is so alive and well in Shreveport over one hundred years after the original?

    Superb.

  • @avril2

    Kept alive by a declining number of stalwarts. Thank you for your encouraging words.

  • One tiny issue with this video, the rest of it being very good and enjoyable to watch is that its Navy not navee.

  • @limetang Thank you for your comment.

    Actually, in Gilbert's original libretto he used the term Navee instead of Navy. I do not know why - perhaps some visiting G&S authority can enlighten us?

  • @rearvumirror

    Gilbert spells it "navee" because the last syllable is stressed in the song. One doesn't notice because the music is very catchy,, but "navy", if pronounced properly, that is to say with the "a" stressed (NAvy) especially back then, doesn't really rhyme with "sea" or "he" or any of the things Gilbert rhymes it with. It has to be mispronounced naVY, also spelled "navee". This is intentional, of course, and the "incorrect" spelling reflects the "incorrect" pronounciation.

  • @CaballeroCatalan  Thank you for your knowledgeable insight. It certainly makes sense.

  • @CaballeroCatalan Thank you for this explanation. It makes sense.

  • @rearvumirror

    Gilbert spells it "navee" because the last syllable is stressed in the song. One doesn't notice because the music is very catchy,, but "navy", if pronounced properly, that is to say with the "a" stressed (NAvy) especially back then, doesn't really rhyme with "sea" or "he" or any of the things Gilbert rhymes it with. It has to be mispronounced naVY, also spelled "navee". This is intentional, of course, and the "incorrect" spelling reflects the "incorrect" pronounciation.

  • @rearvumirror Huh that's rather odd, and I do appologise re-reading my comment it did come across as being quite rude.

  • @limetang I did not find your comment rude at all. In fact quite the contrary - I appreciate you took the time to express your opinion.

    I also appreciate that everyone who has viewed this little clip, have now made it the most viewed clip of these two G & S songs on YouTube.

    Thank you.

  • here are facts about that song :British playwright William Gilbert teamed with British composer Arthur Sullivan to produce a series of popular comic operas in the late 1800s. This audio clip is from their first major success, the opera H.M.S. Pinafore.

  • Great but what;s up with English sub-titles of English songs??

  • @bac097 Thanks for the comment.

    You have a point -- when one is familiar with the lyrics, the sub-titles are superfluous. However, the "patter" songs, in particular, are sung so quickly, I thought it would add something for those whose knowledge of G & S is somewhat less than yours. I hope it did not spoil it too much for you.

  • Great rendition! Richard King is my slightly-less-talented borhter!

  • @MyFabulousDisease

    Thanks for the comment. Are you really Richard's brother?

    Even if you are, I seriously doubt you are more talented.

    He can sing with perfect pitch, dance, do comedy, Shakespeare, and direct!

    If you can best that, you must be special!

  • @rearvumirror Don't believe me, eh? On Youtube, look up "It Gets Better King Brothers"  I can't post the link here, it isn't allowed.

  • @MyFabulousDisease

    OK, I concede you are brothers, but still doubt you are a better thespian.

    I have seen Dick perform in many roles over the years, and he shares that rare metamorphic quality, with the likes of Streep, Hoffman or Olivier, of becoming the character he his playing.

    R. King simply dissappears.

    In this '99 production of Pinafore, this carried right into the dressing room. As soon as circle was over, he WAS Sir Joseph Porter. We were having fun, he was plying his art.

  • the satire really was very cutting back then, and doesn't seem that out of place now either. And all with a jaunty tune too. Great!

  • @sussexpenguin How right you are!

  • As an English man (41) and a G&S fan, thought this REALLY good, and NO usual crap impersonations. Subtitles are nonsense though.

  • Superbly done- the "Englishness" is perfectly captured. Don't be fooled by G & S's light-hearted lyrics and bouncy tunes; this was the most biting satire of its day and it still has relevance now.

  • @marked54

    Thank you for your comments, which reflect exactly the philosophy of the director, John Matthews.

  • @marked54 Lol i hear you mate.Look at us poor Australians.We have a fuckwit for a prime minister of whom i'm sure started out by sucking farts out of bus seats.

  • @imyoursuperior2 I assume you are using "gay" in its original sense of "carefree" or "happy."

  • Comment removed

  • OMG What the PHUCK!!! THIS RULES!! I can't adequately articulate how awesome this is. I can't even attempt it. I'm mad drunk And This is MAD AWESOME. Pinafore Phucking OWENS HANDS THE FUCK DOWN. Not enough props in english, y'all. Me n; m'friends are gonna make a pomo FILM of HMS Pinafore this yerr, Stay abrizzest.

  • @DOCLOBOakaDOOMDREAM --

    Hmmm... thank you, I suppose, for your positive comments. No one has ever put it that way before -- no pun intended.

    I will be sure to pass your comments on, sort of, to Richard King. However, if you wish him to audition for the lead part in your production, you should perhaps contact him yourself. Whatever you have in mind, I am sure he would measure up -- again, no pun intended.

  • wow this an amazing performance by richard king

    i would love to see the whole performance

  • @jonc74 Thank you for your comment. Some day I will get round to making a DVD of the whole show. When I do, I'll send you a copy. In the meantime, there are a couple of extra clips from this show on YouTube. I hope you have time to watch them.

  • wow brilliant performance !!! he nailed the british aristocrat

    speaking as a limey myself i've got to say he deserves high accolade

  • wow brilliant performance !!! he nailed the british aristocrat

    speaking as a limey myself i've got to say he deserves high accolade

  • I saw this in Naperville. Unfortunately, the person who played Sir Joseph sang so quietly you could not hear him.

  • This is so much better than the "slapstick" versions on YouTube.

  • Ever hear Alan Sherman's thing "When I was a lad"?

  • Great performance video. Thank you! And thanks for the subtitles.

    We enjoy rediscovering this song every time we get a new boss (same as the old boss).

  • It is a delight to see this done so well. Applause and thank you Sir Porter, Sir you made my day.

  • how cool is this!? I wonder if there is one playing near me..

    I LOVE THIS SONG

  • @HopefulOTaKu I am really glad you enjoyed it. and thank you for taking the time to comment.

  • @rearvumirror no problem lol Honestly, I would see it in person If I could~

  • Very good, sound's very English.

    Five stars!

  • @Jrhynie Thanks for the comment, but I can assure you that apart from Dick Deadeye (a Scot) everyone else in this production was a Yank - mostly from the deep south.

    The director, John Matthews, spent many hours teaching them how to pronounce "Aunt" (with an "aw" instead of "Ent" or "Aant") But if you listen carefully, you can hear that by the end of the song quite a few had regressed.

  • @rearvumirror

    Thank's for the reply.

    It's hard enough trying to keep up an accent as an individual, a group of people must be near impossible. Sound's better the more I listen, fair play to you.

  • Today, May 25, is the anniversary of the world premier for H.M.S. Pinafore!

  • @Interlingua Thank you for that interesting tidbit.

  • He is the Cat's Meow at 03:15, but most older folk seek the seclusion of a cabin grand too...

  • So many of us love G&S, and so few of us can pull it off well. This is excellent! Costumes, sets, choreography - and a marvelous lead. Thanks for posting!

  • @Pinefinch Your comments indicate you may have some experience in amateur theatre. Thank you for sharing them. (Although, I hasten to add, all comments from anyone are welcome.)

    I will certainly pass you observations on to Richard and John when next I see them.

  • this is Stewie from family guy

  • Not only does he have a great voice- his accent is convincing. Take it from a Londoner.

  • @MadFranandfriends @NanKingLee Thank you for your kind comments. I will be sure to pass them on when I next see them.

  • fantastic

  • what an amazing singing voice! The best I've seen on youtube yet!

  • @EternallyGodBless

    Thank you so much for your kind comment. I will be sure to pass your complement on to Mr King next time I see him.

  • @rearvumirror Tell him it came all the way from Saudi Arabia!

  • At 3.11 for a bit, there's a cat chipping in. How nice.

  • Thank you for watching.

    What you hear is a baby starting to cry in the audience. I tried to cover it by splicing in a few seconds of the soundtrack from an earlier rehearsal.

  • at 1:28 what the heck did he say?

  • @ArnasonFamily: it ends with "at ease", I think.

  • Well spotted!

    With each performance it became more and more unintelligible - but orders from bo'suns (and drill-sergeants) rarely are.

  • Since the sailors assume an approximation of the position of parade rest, he should be ordering "Parade rest!"

    I enjoyed the video... wish I could have attended the production! Looks like you all had a great time.

  • I enjoyed that, good work on the subtitles.

  • Thank you. If you have time, you will also find subtitles on my other G & S clips.

    The actors sing so quickly during a live performance, that it is very difficult to hear all the words. Yet often subtle elements of Gilbert's plots are only fully appreciated when the lyrics are understood.

    Having read what I just wrote, I am not sure if "subtle" and "Gilbert" belong in the same sentence - but you get my drift. Thanks again for commenting - please come back - more clips soon.

  • Did someone yell 'Boo!' at 3:17?

  • No, it was a baby starting to cry in the audience.

    I tried to cover it by splicing in a few seconds of the soundtrack from an earlier rehearsal.

  • it's supposed to be a ship's sirene

  • Sound effects, eh?

  • A truly delightful production! Thanks.

  • Thank you for your kind comment.

  • whats the meaning of this song

  • I think it was a satirical comment on how senior positions in the Government were awarded for reasons other than merit.

    Perhaps some one reading this who is an authority on G & S can provide a fuller answer.

  • "were" awarded ?

  • I did not understand your comment when I first read it, but now do!

    Surely you do not think this still happens?

  • every five minutes

  • I have the 1958 Gilbert and Sullivan recording of this. It is just too funny.

    gotta say tho, the guy on the front of my record is waaaay cuter than the guy singing here lol :P

  • this song appeals to me because it is so true. I worked for a government agency with lots of political hires as related this. "Stick close to your desk and never go to sea..." No kidding, whatever you do don't know anything about that which you intend to lead :)

  • @someonespadre Good comment. Politicians, for the most part, are only looking after one person.

  • the simpsons.....sideshow bob

  • I do not understand this comment. Can anyone explain?

  • On an episode of the simpsons sideshow bob, a character voiced by Kelsey Grammer, sings a piece of For he is a English Man.

  • XD yeah, I remember that.

  • how did i end up here??? crazy place youtibe is

  • Nothing but good clean Victorian-era fun here. I hope you enjoyed the visit!

  • Oh man, he missed a beat at 3:47... at least he made a quick recovery before it could have blown up.

  • It's probably a deliberate mistake, in the mediaeval tradition, to show that Sir Joseph is not, after all, God.

  • This must be my favourite Sir Joseph: very well sung, good costume and wisely restrained acting (the comedy of his tale comes across so much better when told with a straight face). Professional quality. Is there a DVD of this production?

  • so good I can understand every word!

    Now if American audiances could just learn when and how to applaud. We went to a thing, they kept standing-O, holy heck, everything even when the stagehands came out (OK I exaggerate but it was close).

  • Thank you for your kind comment.

    However, I should point out that this was an "American audience" watching American amateur actors (except my husband) in an American production of a British comic opera.

    We always have really appreciative audiences in Shreveport -- they are just not big enough!

  • The best version I've listened ever! Regards from Catalonia!

  • Thank you sir - that is indeed very kind of you to say so.

  • Great rendition! I love G&S. I live in Scotland where it's rarely performed- it's considered too "English". Flying a union flag also has very different connotations here! Shame but thanks for the posting!

  • This is my favourite opera ever n_n

  • But tell me, are you in the video playing the role?

  • Thank you for the enquiry. Unfortunately I cannot sing as well as Richard Kinq - in fact I cannot sing at all!

    I had the minor role of Dick Deadeye. (The rating with the beard.) If you really want to spoil your evening, you can see me growling (almost in tune) in the HMS Pinafore Finale Act One - Shreveport 1999 and after the trio sings in "Never Mind the Why and Wherefore"

  • Delightful. I think Richard King has a wonderful quality in his work, especially for this role. Thanks for sharing!

  • You are very welcome - I appreciate the comment and will pass along your kudos to Dick King. However, I am sure he would be the first to acknowledge the genius of the director, John Matthews, who can transform a motley crew into a coherent company.

  • Delightful indeed! I am even considering to be ruler of the Queen´ navee

  • Is your real name Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor?

  • No, actually is Henry Charles Albert David Mountbatten-Windsor ! Hahaha :p

  • Well, as your Great, great, great grandmother is reputed to have said, "We are not amused."

  • Indeed! hahaha [:p]

  • Yoshark777 - Thanks for taking the time to comment. Youre right of course but my wife did the best she could with what she had.

    Since I forgot to pack the tripod, she had to hand-hold an old heavy analogue camcorder for the whole show - not easy, I can assure you. I now have a newer, sexier lightweight one -- camera that is, not wife - unfortunately. (OUCH!! Sorry dear, just kidding.)

    Just try to think of the camera movement as the rolling of the ship at anchor - and its not too bad!

  • I was a little harsh. Sorry about that. The filming seems to be as good as you can do without a tripod.

    I have filming experience with larger cameras but I don't know why I was so rude in that comment. Anyway, great performance!

  • Thanks

  • I dont kno what your complaing about, the camera is fine, and with such an excellent performance how can you be bothered about the camera

    Well done sir!

  • Thank you for your comment sir. (Actually the "sir" to whom you refer is a madam - see answer to Yoshark.)

    I was onstage as Dick Deadeye - about the only one she didn't capture in this clip.

  • You gets what you pays for.

  • Excellent play. Rubbish filming. :)

  • Great performance, this!

  • g&s rules

  • Stop waffling and get to the point!

  • This is definitely one of the best HMS Pinafore performances I have ever seen on Youtube, and therefore ever seen at all. Also, the singing is much better than on the recording I own. Excellent job!

  • Thank you for your kind comments. The sound was actually MUCH better than what my wife captured with our old Canon camcorder with built in mic. I listened to it again after reading your comment, and it is pretty good for a bunch of amateurs. But it was hard work!

  • I wholeheartedly agree with the comments of "monsterfurby" For an amateur company, this is a very professional performance. It has several nice touches that I have not seen before, such as the counter-swaying "when the breezes blow." Made me feel quite seasick!!

    Well done.

  • See my answer to "puckf17" The "counter-swaying" as you aptly described it , was thought of by the director. It was actually quite difficult to get everyone swaying in unison -- took us many days to get it right.

  • i like then song is this gilvert and silivan

  • Yes this is one of Gilbert and Sullivan's better known comic operas.

  • I love the fact this has subtitles ... musical Karaoke!!

  • Thanks for the comment - I hope you were singing along!

    I will try to post more clips soon, so please visit again.

  • Great stuff. Thanks for sharing this (and the other clips) with us.

    I've had a soft spot for G&S since appearing in a production of this at school in 1973.

    Best wishes to you and the rest of the cast

  • Thirty-six years ago and you still remember it!

    But that is not unusual - G&S memories and the fun you have doing it, seem to last forever. Thank you for your comment -- I will try to post more soon but it is very time consuming, and time is the one thing I need more of!

  • wonderful

  • Thank you, you are very kind.

  • The chorus is a lot better than the baritone.

  • This is amazing. We did this at a summer camp and this is sorta like what we did. This is truly great.

  • I am glad you liked it, and am encouraged that you are keeping the G & S tradition alive. I will be posting more clips soon, so please check this site again.