What is The Mikado?
{{italictitle}} [[File:The Mikado Three Little Maids.jpg|thumb|Three Little Maids]] '''''The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu''''' is a two-act operetta. The book and lyrics were written by [[W. S. Gilbert]]. The music was written by [[Arthur Sullivan]]. The operetta premiered 14 March 1885 at the Savoy Theatre, [[London]], with the D'Oyly Carte [[Opera]] Company. ''The Mikado'' is the ninth of the fourteen [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] operettas. It had 672 performances in its original run. This was the longest original run of any Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.<ref name=stage>Gillan, Don. [http://www.stagebeauty.net/th-frames.html?http&&&www.stagebeauty.net/th-commnd.html A History of the Royal Command Performance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029185204/http://www.stagebeauty.net/th-frames.html?http&&&www.stagebeauty.net/th-commnd.html |date=2013-10-29 }}, StageBeauty.net, accessed 16 June 2009</ref> At the time of the operetta's creation, London was overwhelmed with all things Japanese: tea shops, kimonos, fans, etc. Gilbert reported that he got the idea for ''The Mikado'' when a Japanese sword fell from the wall of his study.<ref>{{citation |last=Brahms|first=Caryl |year=1975 |title=Gilbert and Sullivan: Lost Chords and Discords |publisher=Little, Brown |page=137}}</ref> == Roles == * The Mikado of Japan (bass or bass-baritone) * Nanki-Poo, His Son, disguised as a wandering minstrel and in love with Yum-Yum (tenor) * Ko-Ko, The Lord High Executioner of Titipu (comic baritone) * Pooh-Bah, Lord High Everything Else (baritone) * Pish-Tush, A Noble Lord (baritone) * Go-To, A Noble Lord (bass) * Yum-Yum, A Ward of Ko-Ko, also engaged to Ko-Ko (soprano) * Pitti-Sing, A Ward of Ko-Ko ([[mezzo-soprano]]) * Peep-Bo, A Ward of Ko-Ko (soprano or mezzo-soprano) * Katisha, An Elderly lady, in love with Nanki-Poo (contralto) * Chorus of School-Girls, Nobles, Guards and Coolies == Story of the opera == Nanki Poo is the son of the Mikado. He has disguised himself as a wander