The Mikado Introduction THE MIKADO Introduction Adapted from the book "Tit-Willow or Notes and Jottings on Gilbert and Sullivan Operas" by Guy H. and Claude A. Walmisley (Privately Printed, Undated) �THE MIKADO, or The Town of Titipu," was produced at the Savoy Theatre on 14 March, 1885 and proved to be one of the most famous of all the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas, running, as it did, for 672 nights. The plot of "The Mikado", as Mr. Adair Fitzgerald mentions in his book "The Story of the Savoy Opera", came to Gilbert through a Japanese sword, which hung on the walls of his study, suddenly falling down. Act I opens with a scene of Japanese nobles, richly dressed in flowing silks and each carrying a fan, standing or sitting in the court-yard of Ko-Ko's Palace in Titipu..

Ko-Ko, formerly a cheap tailor, under sentence of death for flirting, was reprieved at the last moment and, on being "taken from the county jail by a set of curious chances", was raised to the exalted rank of Lord High Executioner. Nanki-Poo, in reality the Mikado's son and in love with Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko's ward, enters disguised as a Second Trombone and sings his beautiful song, "A wand'ring minstrel Ia thing of shreds and patches", and then explains to the assembled nobles that he had hurried back to claim Yum-Yum, who was betrothed to her guardian Ko-Ko, as she would now be free since he understood that Ko-Ko was to be beheaded. However Pooh-Bah (Lord High Everything Else) and Pish-Tush (a noble lord) point out to Nanki-Poo that not only has Ko-Ko been reprieved but on "this very day from school Yum-Yum will wend her way and homeward come ...

to wed the Lord High Executioner!" Ko-Ko then enters and tells in song how he obtained his exalted position, and in case he should ever be called upon to act professionally he has "got a little list of society offenders who might well be underground". Soon the beautiful Yum-Yum appears with her two sisters, Peep-Bo and Pitti-Sing, who are also wards of Ko-Ko, and together they sing an enchanting Trio, "Three little maids from school are we", which received a treble encore on the first night and thunderous acclamations ever since. Naturally Yum-Yum is delighted to see Nanki-Poo, who discloses his identity to her and explains that he fled in disguise from his father's Court in order to avoid the misfortune of having to marry Katisha, an elderly lady who claimed him in marriage. Later Ko-Ko receives a letter from the Mikado, who is struck by the fact that no executions have taken place in Titipu for a year and decrees that unless somebody is beheaded within one month, the post of Lord High Executioner shall be abolished, and the city reduced to the rank of a village. Consternation reigns!

but after various schemes and victims have been suggested and rejected Nanki-Poo conveniently walks in with a rope in his hands intending to hang himself and so put an end to an unendurable existence since he cannot marry his adored Yum-Yum. Ko-Ko quickly persuades this heaven-sent victim to give up the idea of suicide and, instead, be beheaded handsomely in a months time at the hands of the Public Executioner; and in return Ko-Ko reluctantly agrees to let Nanki-Poo marry Yum-Yurn the following day as, after all, she will soon be a widow and can then become Ko-Ko's bride. Yum-Yum and her companions are singing and dancing with Nanki-Poo to celebrate the month-long wedding when the tall, grim Katisha suddenly enters and tries to claim her perjured lover Nanki-Poo, but is told by Pitti-Sing, in a delightfully haunting air, that she is too late, "for he's going to marry Yum-Yum".

Katisha is furious, and tries in vain to tell them all that the disguised Nanki-Poo is in reality the only son of the Mikado, but they drown her voice and will not let her speak; the act closes as Katisha, threatening to wreak vengeance on all who have thwarted her, storms angrily through the crowd on her way to inform the Mikado that his son has been found. As the curtain rises on act II Yum-Yum is discovered seated at her bridal toilet in Ko-Ko's garden surrounded by her sisters and friends who are dressing her hair and painting her face and lips. After pointing out to her friends, in her artless Japanese way, how much more attractive she is than anybody else in the whole world, Yum-Yum is joined by Nanki-Poo and they discuss how best to enjoy themselves during the short time of their intended marriage, when Ko-Ko enters and informs them that he himself and Yum-Yum. cannot be married after all. Their sudden joy at this announcement is soon dispelled when he tells them that he has just ascertained that by the Mikado's law, when a married man is beheaded his wife is buried alive.

This alters the position completely for poor Yum-Yum who not unnaturally has no desire to go through with her marriage to Nanki-Poo if at the end of the month she has to suffer such a stuffy death. This appalling situation leads to one of the most famous songs in the opera and one which is sometimes encored as many as five or six times, the well known Trio, "Here's a howde-do! if I marry you, when your time has come to perish, then the maiden whom you cherish must be slaughtered too!" Pooh-Bah now enters and warns Ko-Ko that the Mikado and his suite are approaching the city to find out, so it seems, whether his orders have been carried out. Ko-Ko is distraught at the thought of having to behead anyone, and although Nanki-Poo is quite willing to carry out his part of the bargain and even lowers his head then and there to receive the fatal blow, and although Pooh-Bah encourages the Lord High Executioner with the words, "Chop it off! Ko-Ko. Chop it off!", Ko-Ko refuses to carry out the execution.

But in his extremity he suddenly has a brilliant idea and says to Nanki-Poo, "Why should I kill you when making an affidavit that you've been executed will do just as well?" Pooh-Bah, for a cash down payment, is persuaded to perjure himself and guarantees that all the other High Officers of State (himself) are prepared to do the same and will endorse any tale that Ko-Ko cares to tell. Yum-Yum is sent for and, to her amazement, is told to go away with Nanki-Poo and get married while the others prepare to receive and, if possible, to hoodwink the Mikado with a lurid description of an imaginary execution. The Mikado, a tall and rather terrifying figure, enters with Katisha, his daughter-in-law elect, and tells in his well-known song how he deals with tiresome society sinners, and makes "each prisoner pent unwillingly represent a source of innocent merriment". When he has finished Pooh-Bah, Ko-Ko and Pitti-Sing enter, Ko-Ko handing the Coroner's Certificate to the Mikado.

In their Trio, "The criminal cried, as he dropped him down, in a state of wild alarm", they describe how the execution took place, each one trying to outdo the other in praising themselves for the part they had played in it. Although interested in their story the Mikado informs them that he came about a totally different matter. He had come in search of his son who, disguised as a Second Trombone, was thought to be hiding in the city under the name of Nanki Poo. Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah and Pitti-Sing are astounded to hear that Nanki-Poo is the Mikado's son and, when asked to produce him, Ko-Ko pretends that he has gone abroad but Katisha, who is reading the faked certificate of death, suddenly cries out in horror when she sees that Nanki-Poo was beheaded that very morning. The three accomplices fall on their knees and beg for mercy, but the Mikado informs them that for "compassing the death of the Heir Apparent" the punishment is death"something lingering, with boiling oil in it", and arranges to have the ceremony postponed until after luncheon.

While discussing their predicament Nanki-Poo returns with Yum-Yum, whom he has just married, and tells Ko-Ko that he dare not reappear while Katisha is single, but if Ko-Ko would marry her all would be well. Ko-Ko is appalled at the suggestion but realizes that it is the only way to save himself and his friends from the "boiling oil" episode that is awaiting them, and so he reluctantly proposes to Katisha who at first spurns him as the miscreant who had robbed her of her love, but after some persuasion she changes her mind and gratefully accepts him. When the Mikado returns from lunch he is surprised to learn that Katisha has already married Ko-Ko, and when Nanki-Poo walks on with Yum-Yum the Mikado gladly accedes to their prayers for mercy. Katisha not unnaturally feels that she has been deceived as Nanki-Poo escaped her matrimonial wiles but she consoles herself with being the wife of the Lord High Executioner and all ends happily. In the Mikado the fan plays an important part, for all the characters are continually opening and closing them.

On the first night, and in fact ever since then, the actors fluttered them so naturally it seemed as if they had been born with fans in their hands. At the time the opera was produced there was a small colony of Japanese men and women living in an imitation village at Knightsbridge. Hence Ko-Ko's somewhat unexpected reply to the Mikado when asked the whereabouts of Nanki-Poo. "It's rather awkward, but, in point of fact, he's gone abroad!" "Gone abroad?" exclaims the Mikado, "His address." "Knightsbridge!" answers Ko-Ko. When the company is on tour Ko-Ko usually substitutes a local name in place of Knightsbridge; but this particular case has the Author's permission, for in no other instance would Gilbert allow any gagging. With his usual eye for detail Gilbert took some of these Japanese people to the Theatre in order to show the actors how to manipulate their fans and how to shuffle along in that curious oriental fashion which to a European appears to be half run and half walk. With regard to Sullivan's work on "The Mikado" it is strange to note that he almost always put off the composing of each new opera until the very last moment.

The Mikado was to be produced on the night of 14 March, and yet Sullivan had reached only the Finale of Act I on the evening of 3 March, for on that date he wrote in his diary: "Worked all night at Finale 1st Act. Finished at 5 a.m. 63 pages of score at one sitting!" Evidently he was highly satisfied with the opera's reception for to quote once again from his diary for 14 March he writes: "New opera 'The Mikado, or the Town of Titipu' produced at the Savoy Theatre with every sign of success. A most brilliant house. Tremendous reception. All went very well except Grossmith, whose nervousness nearly upset the piece. A treble encore for 'Three Little Maids' and for 'The flowers that bloom in the spring'. Seven encores takenmight have taken twelve". Grossmith at that time was unfortunately not physically fit and was somewhat prostrated too through long and numerous rehearsals.

In his book 'A Society Clown" he refers to the first night of "The Mikado" and says, "I lost my voice, the little there is of it, my confidence, andwhat I maintain is most valuable to memy own individuality." However, the first night once over, Grossmith soon became a very good Ko-Ko indeed. The Opera was so successful in England that Carte produced it in New York with very good results; also in Philadelphia and all over the States. It was produced too in Australia, Berlin and Holland and three companies toured England. The Mikado | opera by Gilbert and Sullivan | Britannica.com opera by Gilbert and Sullivan Written By: Alternative Title: “The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu” Related Topics musical composition The Mikado, in full The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, operetta in two acts by W.S. Gilbert (libretto) and Sir Arthur Sullivan (music) that premiered at the Savoy Theatre in London on March 14, 1885. The work was a triumph from the beginning.

Its initial production ran for 672 performances, and within a year some 150 other companies were performing the operetta in England and the United States . One of its best-known numbers is Ko-Ko’s song “ I’ve Got a Little List, ” for which directors through a century and beyond have made a point of changing phrases to build in contemporary cultural references to those who “never would be missed.” The character of Nanki-Poo is pictured on a poster advertising Gilbert and Sullivan’s … Theatrical Poster Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital file no. var 1766) Background and context When The Mikado was composed, Londoners had been enthusiastic about all things Japanese since the opening of Japan to the West in the mid-1850s. At the time of the operetta’s premiere, crowds were flocking to the Japanese Village exhibit in the Knightsbridge area of London; this reconstructed village featured men and women from Japan who demonstrated their crafts and their way of life.

From his own visit to the exhibit, Gilbert drew inspiration for some of the finishing details of his libretto; he even hired a Japanese woman he met there to instruct the cast in proper Japanese mannerisms, fan use, and makeup . Further realistic touches for the opera were supplied by the famed Hawes Craven , a scene painter noted for his unprecedented realism. Sir Arthur Sullivan, detail of a portrait by John Millais, 1888; in the National Portrait Gallery, … Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London As in much of the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, there is sharp commentary in The Mikado upon contemporary English society. For example, Gilbert makes the character Pooh-Bah a government official in charge of everything (including complaints about himself), as a prominent man in a small English town might actually be. Similarly, the pivot of the plot—a law that condemns a man to death for the crime of flirting—can be seen as a comment on the outdated laws lingering in England at the time. Similar Topics The music too is cleverly wrought.

In his entrance aria (“ A Wand’ring Minstrel I ”) Nanki-Poo, the romantic leading man, declares himself capable of offering a song in any mood, from folksy to martial to nautical, and Sullivan set each of the subsequent verses to music of suitable character. Later, in a trio for three other male characters (“ I Am So Proud ”), Sullivan gave each man his own melody . These are presented separately, then combined into an intricate counterpoint that recalls the mastery of Johann Sebastian Bach . The Mikado may be a light and comic tale, but Sullivan saw no reason why the music could not reflect a serious level of craft, which is part of what raised Gilbert and Sullivan operettas above the standard of their competition and why their work remains popular.

Scottish singer Durward Lely as Nanki-Poo in an 1887 performance of The … The Print Collector/Heritage-Images The Mikado, emperor of Japan ( bass ) Nanki-Poo, the Mikado’s son, disguised as a wandering minstrel ( tenor ) Ko-Ko, Lord High Executioner of Titipu ( baritone ) Pooh-Bah, Lord High Everything Else in Titipu (baritone) Pish-Tush, a noble lord (baritone) Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko’s ward and betrothed ( soprano ) Pitti-Sing, Ko-Ko’s sister ( mezzo-soprano ) Peep-Bo, another sister (soprano) Katisha, an older woman, betrothed to Nanki-Poo ( contralto ) Chorus of gentlemen, schoolgirls, citizens, guards, servants. Setting and story summary The Mikado is set in the 1880s, in the imaginary Japanese town of Titipu. Act I In the courtyard of Ko-Ko’s palace.

Ko-Ko and a chorus of Japanese nobles sing the praises of their culture , correcting Western stereotypes and declaring that they are gentlemen from Japan (Chorus: “ If You Want to Know Who We Are ”). Nanki-Poo, disguised as a ragged balladeer with a guitar , asks where he can find the maiden Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko’s ward. The nobles ask who he is. He says that he is a minstrel and demonstrates his sentimental, patriotic, and seafaring songs (“ A Wand’ring Minstrel I ”). Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Pish-Tush asks Nanki-Poo the nature of his business with Yum-Yum. The young man explains that he had fallen in love with her at first sight a year before, but she was then engaged to Ko-Ko. Nanki-Poo has since learned that Ko-Ko was condemned to death for flirting, so he has come to find her.

Pish-Tush advises the young man that the emperor (“ Our Great Mikado ”) has wisely punished flirters, so the townspeople appointed Ko-Ko Lord High Executioner, and, since criminals must be executed in the order of their conviction , he “cannot cut off another’s head until he’s cut his own off.” Then Pooh-Bah, the Lord High Everything Else, tells Nanki-Poo that Yum-Yum will marry Ko-Ko that very day (Trio: “ Young Man, Despair ”). Nanki-Poo barely has time to grieve when he is interrupted by the grand arrival of Ko-Ko himself (“ Behold the Lord High Executioner! ”). Ko-Ko tells the assembled crowd of his “little list of society offenders who might well be underground” and, if executed, “never would be missed” (“ I’ve Got a Little List ”). He then attempts to seek Pooh-Bah’s advice, in that nobleman’s multifarious official capacities, as to how much he should spend on his wedding—and how much Pooh-Bah should be “insulted” by a bribe .

Their discussion is interrupted by the arrival of a group of young women, along with Yum-Yum and her sisters, Peep-Bo and Pitti-Sing (Trio: “ Three Little Maids from School ”). Recognizing Nanki-Poo, they rush over to him, and Nanki-Poo blurts out to Ko-Ko that he is in love with Yum-Yum. Ko-Ko orders him removed and then introduces the girls to the lofty Pooh-Bah, who is offended by their giggling. The girls apologize (Quartet: “ So Please You, Sir, We Much Regret ”). When everyone but Yum-Yum has left, Nanki-Poo returns, declares his love, and reveals that he is really the Mikado’s son. He has had to disguise himself to avoid being married off to the elderly Katisha. Nanki-Poo tells Yum-Yum of his feelings (Duet: “ Were You Not to Ko-Ko Plighted ”). They kiss and depart in sorrow. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Pooh-Bah and Pish-Tush deliver a letter from the Mikado to Ko-Ko.

The Mikado is disappointed with the lack of executions and threatens to abolish the office of Lord High Executioner and to lower the status of the town of Titipu to a mere village, unless somebody is beheaded within a month. Ko-Ko is technically next up for execution, as his colleagues point out, but he argues that beheading himself would, for one thing, be suicide (a capital offense) and, for another, constitute an act that he could not perform up to his own standards. Each of the three men declines the honour of the “short, sharp shock” of decapitation (Trio: “ I Am So Proud ”). Nanki-Poo enters, intending to hang himself. Ko-Ko suggests that Nanki-Poo agree to be executed instead, thus standing in for Ko-Ko. Nanki-Poo agrees after some argument but only on condition that he be allowed to marry Yum-Yum immediately, with the execution to be held a month later. The townspeople enter to hear Ko-Ko’s decision: Yum-Yum is to marry Nanki-Poo. General rejoicing ensues but is interrupted by the imperious Katisha.

She claims her “perjured lover, Nanki-Poo” and is about to reveal that he is the Mikado’s son when Yum-Yum incites the crowd to drown her out. Katisha vows revenge. Act II In Ko-Ko’s garden and palace. Yum-Yum and her bridesmaids prepare for her wedding (“ Braid the Raven Hair ”). Alone, Yum-Yum soliloquizes on her own loveliness (“ The Sun Whose Rays ”). Pitti-Sing and Peep-Bo return and tactlessly remind Yum-Yum that her marriage is to be cut short by her husband’s execution. Nanki-Poo and Pish-Tush enter and try to cheer her up. But the merry madrigal they all sing (Quartet: “ Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day ”) ends in sorrow. Ko-Ko comes in to announce that he has discovered a law that decrees that when a married man is executed, his wife is to be buried alive.

Yum-Yum begins to have second thoughts about marrying Nanki-Poo, as burial alive is “such a stuffy death.” But if she backs out, she faces the equally unpleasant prospect of marrying Ko-Ko (Trio: “ Here’s a How-de-do! Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Nanki-Poo again threatens to commit suicide, but Ko-Ko cannot allow that—if he does not officially execute Nanki-Poo within a month, he will have to execute himself. So Nanki-Poo urges Ko-Ko to execute him immediately, but Ko-Ko is too squeamish to do it. Ko-Ko then hits on the idea of making a false affidavit stating that Nanki-Poo has already been executed. He agrees that Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum can be married at once, as long as they leave for good. A procession enters announcing the arrival of the Mikado, who is accompanied by the fearsome Katisha, “his daughter-in-law elect.” The Mikado boasts: My object all sublime I shall achieve in time— To let the punishment fit the crime.

Ko-Ko assures the Mikado that the execution he ordered has just taken place, with corroboration from Pitti-Sing and Pooh-Bah (Quartet: “ The Criminal Cried ”). Although the Mikado is pleased to hear this, his real purpose in coming is to find his son, who is using the name Nanki-Poo. In a panic, Ko-Ko declares that he has gone abroad—to Knightsbridge. But Katisha cries out in anguish as she spots Nanki-Poo’s name on the death certificate. Ko-Ko and his confederates abjectly apologize. The Mikado excuses them—after all, his son was in disguise, and the town’s leaders were anxious to abide by his order for an execution—but he reminds them that killing the heir apparent has consequences nonetheless and requires a punishment that is “something humorous, but lingering, with either boiling oil or melted lead .” They bemoan their fate (Quintet: “ See How the Fates Their Gifts Allot ”). After the Mikado and Katisha depart, Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum appear; they are on their way to their honeymoon.

Ko-Ko declares that Nanki-Poo is reprieved, but the young man refuses “to come back to life” unless Ko-Ko takes Katisha off his hands by marrying her. Then life will be good (Quintet: “ The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring ”). Dancing, everyone leaves. Katisha enters and soliloquizes on her lonely state (“ Alone, and Yet Alive ”). Ko-Ko arrives and begins to woo her passionately. When she resists, he tells the sad tale of a bird’s unrequited love (“ Tit-Willow ”). Katisha, greatly affected, yields to Ko-Ko’s plea and coyly asks if he will not hate her for being “a little teeny weeny wee bit bloodthirsty.” Ko-Ko reassures her, and they celebrate before dancing off together (Duet: “ There Is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast ”). The Mikado and the townspeople return for the execution of Ko-Ko, Pitti-Sing, and Pooh-Bah. But Katisha pleads for mercy for Ko-Ko, whom she has just married, and for the others.

The Mikado hesitates because he believes they executed his son, but Nanki-Poo appears. Katisha erupts in fury. Ko-Ko then defuses the situation in an ingenious way. When the Mikado says, “‘Let a thing be done,’ it’s as good as done,” declares Ko-Ko, so why not simply state that the execution has been completed? The Mikado finds the curious logic satisfactory and then commutes Ko-Ko’s sentence from death to life with Katisha. With everyone reconciled and content, the people of Titipu rejoice and celebrate the marriage of Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum. The Mikado - Gilbert and Sullivan Musical Play The Mikado Mila is available to offer ideas and/or answer any of your questions about any subject. ie set, costumes, advertising, auditioning or . . . she is a wiz at making stunning shows with little or no funds. MUSICALS for SCHOOLS The Mikado GILBERT AND SULLIVAN We have found the works of Gilbert and Sullivan to be perfect material for young people. They are basically staged cartoons combining wit and humor in an intelligent, stylistic presentation that young actors love to perform.

Miriam Jessie Butler has adapted each one of these operettas into play form so it can be performed without music. Simply by purchasing a copy of The Schirmer Vocal Score from a local music store, songs can be optionally added in the indicated places. The Gilbert & Sullivan operettas were originally written to contain two-thirds music and one-third dialogue. Ms. Butler’s versions have been adapted to contain one-third music (if used) and the dialogue has been expanded to make up two-thirds more in the style of Broadway musicals. The short & medium time lengths are expanded with music. THE MIKADO Freely Adapted by Miriam Jessie Butler 31 characters - extras may be added The Mikado takes place in the little town of Titipu. Nanki Poo, the son of the Mikado, disguised as a musician, has left his father’s court to escape marriage to an older woman named Katisha. Nanki Poo returns to Titipu, looking for Yum Yum whom he met some time ago when she was engaged to Koko, a cheap tailor.

Nanki Poo has heard that Koko is to be beheaded for flirting, so he has come back to claim Yum Yum. But Koko has been released and promoted to Lord High Executioner by the Lords of Titipu, thinking that since Koko was next to lose his head, he would not be able to cut off anyone else’s head - until he cut off his own. One of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most intricate and fascinating plots, The Mikado brings a classic oriental tale to life. Those performing The Mikado as a musical will be delighted with the fast- paced, delightful melodies and lyrics that have delighted both children and adults for over a century. Modular Time Lengths Available James Madison University - Patron Policies Boasting a masterful script and incredible score, The Mikado joins The Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore as one of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s comic opera masterpieces. Love is in the air in the town of Titipu, Japan, ruled by the despicable Ko-Ko (the Lord High Executioner) and his sidekick Pooh-Bah.

Nanki-Poo, the son of the almighty emperor The Mikado, comes to Titipu disguised as a common minstrel to seek out his true love Yum-Yum, whom he has longed for from afar. Complications abound and laws are broken because Yum-Yum is betrothed to Ko-Ko, and Nanki-Poo is engaged to another. The Mikado is determined to set things right again. Love triumphs in the end, but not before heads almost roll! safari505 Plot Summary of The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan You are here: Archive Home > The Mikado > Plot Summary The Mikado The Town of Titipu by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan The show opens in the town of Titipu where the chorus of nobles are joined by Nanki-Poo, disguised as a second trombone, who is looking for Yum-Yum, the ward of Ko-Ko. A noble lord named Pish-Tush asks what Nanki-Poo's business is with Yum-Yum, and learns that the minstrel had seen the girl a year ago when he was a member of the town band, and they had fallen in love.

But Yum-Yum was betrothed to her guardian Ko-Ko, 'a cheap tailor.' However on learning that Ko-Ko was condemned to death for flirting, the minstrel has hurried back to try to claim Yum-Yum. Unfortunately on his return he finds that far from being dead, Ko-Ko has in fact been let out on bail, and appointed Lord High Executioner. There is worse to come as Pooh-Bah, who holds every major office of state, informs Nanki-Poo that Yum-Yum and Ko-Ko are to be married that very day. Yum-Yum and her sisters, Pitti-Sing and Peep-Bo, appear with their schoolfellows. When Yum-Yum finally catches sight of Nanki-Poo he reveals that he is the son of the Mikado, and when they are alone, she admits she does not love her guardian. The two lovers realise that their cause is hopeless, and Yum-Yum leaves Nanki-Poo who then tries to kill himself.

Meanwhile, Ko-Ko has received a letter from the Mikado, who threatens to abolish the post of Lord High Executioner and reduce Titipu to the rank of a village unless a beheading takes place within a month. On seeing Nanki-Poo about to 'terminate an unendurable existence,' Ko-Ko points out that suicide is a capital offence, and offers to do the job professionally. Nanki-Poo agrees, on the condition that he can Marry Yum-Yum and enjoy one month of married life before he is beheaded. After the execution Ko-Ko will then be able to marry the widowed Yum-Yum. Amidst the celebrations in storms Katisha, having tracked down the object of her affections, Nanki-Poo, and threatens to reveal his true identity. She is outshouted by a chorus of Japanese syllables: " O ni! bikkuri shakkuri to!" (one of the many possible translations of which is "So surprised, we hiccup! Bah!") . But the town dwellers are not to be deterred and 'joy reigns everywhere around.' Act two opens with Yum-Yum being prepared for her wedding.

But soon the awful fact is out that under the Mikado's law the widow of a beheaded man must be buried alive. This places Nanki-Poo in a dilemma, if he holds Yum-Yum to this marriage, she dies a hideous death, and if he releases her she must marry Ko-Ko at once. The marriage is off, and Nanki-Poo determines to do away with himself that afternoon unless Ko-Ko will kill him at once. But it turns out that Ko-Ko can't kill anything. To make matters worse, the Mikado and his suite are approaching the town and will arrive in ten minutes. In desperation Ko-Ko arranges to draw up an affidavit of Nanki-Poo's execution. The Mikado arrives with Katisha who makes much of being his daughter-in-law elect. When Ko-Ko presents his certificate of execution. The Mikado reads it and says, 'My poor fellow, in your anxiety to carry out my wishes you have beheaded the heir to the throne of Japan!' Ko-Ko and Pooh-Bah find Nanki-Poo and beg him to present himself, alive, to his father, thereby absolving them of his death.

But Nanki-Poo, now married to Yum-Yum, is afraid of Katisha's wrath. Unless Ko-Ko will agree to marry the old hag himself, he and Yum-Yum will leave on their honeymoon at once. Katisha, meanwhile, is mourning the death of Nanki-Poo, and when Ko-Ko tries to woo her, she is at first reluctant, but he wins the formidable lady with a pack of flattering lies and a sad, lovelorn song. Katisha adds her powerful pleas to the Mikado for everyone to be pardoned. The Mikado, a bit bewildered by it all nonetheless pronounces that 'Nothing could possibly be more satisfactory!' Plot summary by by Andrew Lister, University of Warwick G&S Society Download this plot summary as a text file. The Mikado (1939) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error The son of the Mikado of Japan, a wandering minstrel, falls for a girl who is engaged to her guardian.

Director: W.S. Gilbert (libretto based upon the opera by), Geoffrey Toye (adaptation) Stars: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 29 titles created 03 Jan 2013 a list of 36 titles created 08 Apr 2013 a list of 35 titles created 21 Mar 2014 a list of 35 titles created 10 May 2014 a list of 1803 titles created 6 months ago Search for " The Mikado " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination. See more awards » Photos After Gilbert and Sullivan's latest play is critically panned, the frustrated team threatens to disband until it is inspired to write the masterpiece "The Mikado". Director: Mike Leigh Two lonely people in the big city meet and enjoy the thrills of an amusement park, only to lose each other in the crowd after spending a great day together.

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Director: Marcel Carné Edit Storyline In a mythical Japan, Ko-Ko, a cheap tailor, has been appointed Lord High Executioner and must find someone to execute before the arrival of the ruling Mikado. He lights upon Nanki-Poo, a strolling minstrel who loves the beautiful Yum-Yum. But Yum-Yum is also loved by Ko-Ko, and Nanki-Poo, seeing no hope for his love, considers suicide. Ko-Ko offers to solve both their problems by executing Nanki-Poo, and an agreement is reached whereby Ko-Ko will allow Nanki-Poo to marry Yum-Yum for one month, at the end of which Nanki-Poo will be executed, in time for the arrival of the Mikado. But what Ko-Ko doesn't know is that Nanki-Poo is the son of the Mikado and has run away to avoid a betrothal to an old harridan named Katisha. The arrival of the Mikado brings all the threads of the tale together.

Written by Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net> 1 May 1939 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Mono (Western Electric Sound System) Color: Did You Know? Trivia Sir W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan 's comic opera "The Mikado or, The Town of Titipu" was their ninth of fourteen collaborations. It opened on March 14, 1885 in London at the Savoy Theatre and ran for 672 performances. See more » Connections The Criminal Cried as He Dropped Him Down (1885) (uncredited) (Melbourne, Australia) – See all my reviews For many years it was fashionable to sneer at this early marriage of Gilbert & Sullivan, the D'Oyly Carte and the movies. But the distance of time has given us a more benign approach. There is very little - surprisingly so - damage done to the operetta; an aria or two juxtaposed and some odd casting. But most of what remains is charming, fresh and very lively. Martyn Green steals the film as KoKo, though Sydney Granville gives a time honoured performance as Pooh Bah.

My only real gripe is that Darrell Fancourt, that doyen of the D'Oyly Carte, was not called upon to sing the title role. What a document that would have been! As it is, it is the seasoned artists who make the most of the material. And if I don't believe that this is the best of the G & S works, it is certainly a delightful way of spending an hour and a half. 11 of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes The Mikado 7:30 pm Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Mikado’ Skye is home to some talented singers, many of whom perform with Inner Sound, our very own amateur light operatic company. They return for what promises to be another sell-out concert with Gilbert and Sullivan’s best known comic opera where the Mikado, four-fifths ruler and one-fifth God rules that the punishment for flirting is death.

Cue farcical goings on involving Nanki-Poo, a wandering minstrel whose love for Yum-Yum is thwarted by Ko-Ko and you have the makings of an evening of well-known tunes and comic capering starring Rhona Colwell, Morag Miller and Tom Colwell. Find out more about The Mikado HERE NB – if there is any issue below saying tickets not available please just send your booking via the ‘Ticket’ tab above!

Question: In Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Mikado’, with whom is Nanki-Poo in love?
Answer: YUM YUM