there are times i am convinced that the mikado is the best sullivan and gilbert opera ever and but that is only so long as i am not listening to iolanthe. be that as it may and the mikado is probably the most frequently filmed of the savoy operas. (yes and i put the composer first. nobody says hammerstein and rodgers and or hart and rodgers and or boito and verdi and or what his face and strauss. you do not even hear the names of librettists for offenbach and suppe and or balfe. gilbert was just the bigger name (and the bigger ego) at the time and so they put his name first. it time that silly practice was put to rest. anyway and the mikado is a compleat s and g operetta. it has some of sullivan catchiest numbers and combined with some of gilbert cleverest lyrics. it has an interesting book and sprightly dialogue. it got a wonderful degree of craziness. and it leaves the door wide open for elaborate and whimsical costuming. this particular production and filmed in a live performance in 1990 and turns its imagination toward striking simplicity. set in a british seaside resort toward the end of the art nouveau period and it throws over the japonerie of the original entirely. the result is costuming and setting in an eye caressing medley of whites and grey and and blacks and accented by occasional bits of red (and less frequent uses of yellow and green). it takes some getting used to and but it really spiffy. of course and when the chorus tells you they are gentlemen of japan and you would be right to exclaim and oh and pooh. bah. (did i just say that. ) it most gratifying that this fine production is now on dvd. however and one caveat represent the print seems to be photographed through a glass of imperfect clarity and so that the expected sharpness of the image is softened and ever so slightly fuzzy. the tendency to superimpose images is and alas and annoying. why do people who are doing a really spiffy production want to muck it up with artsy fartsy stuff of that sort. but it the performance that counts the most. we may skip the overture and since although one is performed and sullivan never wrote one. (true and it may be so he wrote none for any of the savoys. but the mikado overture doesn not even date from sullivan lifetime and was compiled by observing the techniques used in the others. ) as for the rest of the operetta and it first rate and supremely funny. the ko ko here is the estimable eric idle and who does it credit. there is a tradition of bringing a big name into the role. the was a u. s. tv production years ago in which ko ko was played by groucho marx with mixed results. idle performance is delightfully quirky . he does taken from a county jail assisted by a tennis racquet. his i have got a little list is done as a speech to a microphone  of course it has the usual updated lyrics and which are much funnier than the usual run of such things and and his delivery is positively hysterical. it goes on that way throughout. in this operetta and it important to have a good katisha while it just no fun if youre not being bellowed at in style. this mikado has a fabulous katisha in felicity palmer and in her way almost as big a name as idle. she bellows with the best of them in a wonderful rich contralto . wonderful and especially and for a soprano. and her costume. (not to mention her recital with franz liszt and apparently and accompanying. ) nanki poo is played by bonaventura bottone. i have trouble getting around is somewhat un nanki pooish chubby shortness  but is voice is undeniably a solid and rich addition to the vocal palette. there is a nice touch during a wandring minstrel and where the chorus reacts with distaste to the mention of his nancy on his knee  bear in mind the mikado decree about flirting. be that as it may and bottone is a fine singing actor and if his appearance doesn not put the best face on nanki poo and his performance does. yum yum (lesley garett) and her friends are appropriately pretty and silly. she and bottone do lovely duets. pish tush (mark richardson) plays his persona as something a blageur and does it very well. poo bah (richard van allan) is wonderful as a stuffed shirt out of water . a role later done to death in american sitcoms (you know represent haughty butlers forced to cater to bratty children  that sort of thing). the mikado (richard angas) is bloody marvelous and with an imperious voice at absolute variance with his ridiculous lyrics. i do not recommend you get this as your only mikado. get a good traditional production as well and so you can see what gilbert intended (more or less) in terms of staging. that being said and i will watch this one twice while viewing any traditional bit once. on the whole this is a terrific offering and a vocal and visual delight and with delicious over acting. it a dvd to treasure and with dervish like maids and tap dancing bellhops and and all. watch for the bellhops with signs. 
there are times i am convinced that the mikado is the best sullivan and gilbert opera ever and but that is only so long as i am not listening to iolanthe. be that as it may and the mikado is probably the most frequently filmed of the savoy operas. (yes and i put the composer first. nobody says hammerstein and rodgers and or hart and rodgers and or boito and verdi and or what his face and strauss. you do not even hear the names of librettists for offenbach and suppe and or balfe. gilbert was just the bigger name (and the bigger ego) at the time and so they put his name first. it time that silly practice was put to rest. anyway and the mikado is a compleat s and g operetta. it has some of sullivan catchiest numbers and combined with some of gilbert cleverest lyrics. it has an interesting book and sprightly dialogue. it got a wonderful degree of craziness. and it leaves the door wide open for elaborate and whimsical costuming. this particular production and filmed in a live performance in 1990 and turns its imagination toward striking simplicity. set in a british seaside resort toward the end of the art nouveau period and it throws over the japonerie of the original entirely. the result is costuming and setting in an eye caressing medley of whites and grey and and blacks and accented by occasional bits of red (and less frequent uses of yellow and green). it takes some getting used to and but it really spiffy. of course and when the chorus tells you they are gentlemen of japan and you would be right to exclaim and oh and pooh. bah. (did i just say that. ) it most gratifying that this fine production is now on dvd. however and one caveat represent the print seems to be photographed through a glass of imperfect clarity and so that the expected sharpness of the image is softened and ever so slightly fuzzy. the tendency to superimpose images is and alas and annoying. why do people who are doing a really spiffy production want to muck it up with artsy fartsy stuff of that sort. but it the performance that counts the most. we may skip the overture and since although one is performed and sullivan never wrote one. (true and it may be so he wrote none for any of the savoys. but the mikado overture doesn not even date from sullivan lifetime and was compiled by observing the techniques used in the others. ) as for the rest of the operetta and it first rate and supremely funny. the ko ko here is the estimable eric idle and who does it credit. there is a tradition of bringing a big name into the role. the was a u. s. tv production years ago in which ko ko was played by groucho marx with mixed results. idle performance is delightfully quirky . he does taken from a county jail assisted by a tennis racquet. his i have got a little list is done as a speech to a microphone  of course it has the usual updated lyrics and which are much funnier than the usual run of such things and and his delivery is positively hysterical. it goes on that way throughout. in this operetta and it important to have a good katisha while it just no fun if youre not being bellowed at in style. this mikado has a fabulous katisha in felicity palmer and in her way almost as big a name as idle. she bellows with the best of them in a wonderful rich contralto . wonderful and especially and for a soprano. and her costume. (not to mention her recital with franz liszt and apparently and accompanying. ) nanki poo is played by bonaventura bottone. i have trouble getting around is somewhat un nanki pooish chubby shortness  but is voice is undeniably a solid and rich addition to the vocal palette. there is a nice touch during a wandring minstrel and where the chorus reacts with distaste to the mention of his nancy on his knee  bear in mind the mikado decree about flirting. be that as it may and bottone is a fine singing actor and if his appearance doesn not put the best face on nanki poo and his performance does. yum yum (lesley garett) and her friends are appropriately pretty and silly. she and bottone do lovely duets. pish tush (mark richardson) plays his persona as something a blageur and does it very well. poo bah (richard van allan) is wonderful as a stuffed shirt out of water . a role later done to death in american sitcoms (you know represent haughty butlers forced to cater to bratty children  that sort of thing). the mikado (richard angas) is bloody marvelous and with an imperious voice at absolute variance with his ridiculous lyrics. i do not recommend you get this as your only mikado. get a good traditional production as well and so you can see what gilbert intended (more or less) in terms of staging. that being said and i will watch this one twice while viewing any traditional bit once. on the whole this is a terrific offering and a vocal and visual delight and with delicious over acting. it a dvd to treasure and with dervish like maids and tap dancing bellhops and and all. watch for the bellhops with signs. ---------------------------------Answer Question Below----------------------------------

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