Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado

Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado
by Victor Schertzinger

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Gregory Stroud, Jean Colin, Kenny Baker (II), Martyn Green, Sydney Granville
Director: Victor Schertzinger
Brand: Image Entertainment
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: Academy Ratio, 1.33:1
Running Time: 87 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1998-12-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Image Entertainment

Movie Reviews of Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado

Movie Review: Mikado Lite
Summary: 3 Stars

Worth the trip if only for Martyn Green's portrayal of Koko which, although vastly overdone, demonstrates why he has gone down in history as the greatest G&S player ever. Granville's Poohbah is equally fine within the limits of the character's opportunity. The "prologue" is useless, and elimination of significant numbers is inexcusable. If Schertzinger thought he could do it better in 90 minutes than G&S did in 120, then he should have written his own opera.

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Summary of Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado

As an operetta, "The Mikado" was the culmination of Gilbert & Sullivan's work--the tale of Japanese prince Nanki-Poo, who is on the run from an arranged marriage, masquerading as a balladeer. He falls in love with Yum-Yum, a woman betrothed to the Lord High Executioner, who has problems of his own--his job (and life) depends upon at least one execution taking place each month, but he's without a current prospect for the ax. Nanki-Poo agrees to be executed if he is allowed to marry Yum-Yum so that he will have a month of romantic bliss, and a comedy of errors ensues, all sparked by classic songs such as "A Wandering Minstrel I" and "Three Little Maids from School."

Changes must be expected when a classic book or stage show becomes a movie. In this 1939 Mikado, efforts were made to respect the original. Stars of the D'Oyly Carte Company were hired for key roles and performed them in their traditional style, with the D'Oyly Carte Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, and a director (Victor Schertzinger) who was also a conductor and knew the music.

An introductory scene was added to clarify the plot, and other small adjustments were made. Several songs were left out or abbreviated, and one song, "The sun, whose rays," was sung twice, by Nanki-Poo and by Yum-Yum, for whom it was written. A popular tenor of the time, Kenny Baker, sang Nanki-Poo with good, light tone, but in his own non-traditional style. These departures from tradition may infuriate hard-core Gilbert and Sullivan fans, but others will hardly notice. The visuals are gorgeous, the sound not up to present standards but clear and accurate. This is not a definitive Mikado, but an interesting one and timeless in style. --Joe McLellan

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