The idea for The Mikado first sprang into W.S. Gilbert's
mind when an old Japanese sword, which had been hanging on the
wall of his study for years, suddenly fell from its place. Gilbert
took this as an omen and determined to leave his own country
alone for a while and turn his biting satire instead towards
the East. He did not have to look far to research the subject
of his new play. He found all the material he wanted in Knightsbridge,
a little village of Japanese immigrants within a mile of his
own home in South Kensington. Here, he witnessed the strange
arts, devices and lifestyles of this proud race.
The story of The Mikado revolves around a young fellow
named Nanki-Poo who has banished himself from the little town
of Titipu. Nanki-Poo, it seems, has fallen in love with a beautiful
young lady called Yum-Yum. Unfortunately, Yum-Yum is engaged
to be married to her guardian, the tailor Ko-Ko. However, when
Nanki-Poo hears that Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for the
capital crime of flirting, he hastily returns to Titipu, only
to learn that Ko-Ko has not only been granted a reprieve, but
has been promoted to the post of Lord High Executioner. Apparently,
those in power, wishing to slow down the rash of executions,
reason that since Ko-Ko was next in line for execution, he can't
cut off anyone else's head until he cuts off his own! The Mikado,
however, soon takes notice of the lack of executions in Titipu
and decrees that if no executions take place within the time
of one month, the city shall be reduced to the status of a village.
Ko-Ko, desperate to avoid cutting off his own head, vows to find
a substitute, and as luck would have it, just at that moment,
Nanki-Poo wanders onto the stage with a rope determined to take
his own life rather than live life without his beloved Yum-Yum.
Ko-Ko immediately siezes on this opportunity and offers the young
lad one month of luxurious living at the end of which he would
be relatively painlessly decapitated. Nanki-Poo agrees on the
condition that he be married to Yum-Yum right away so that he
can spend his last month in wedded bliss. But just as the wedding
celebration begins, a law is discovered, much to Yum-Yum's distress,
which decrees that a condemned man's wife must be buried alive
with his corpse!
The Mikado was originally staged at the Savoy Theatre
in London on March 14, 1885 with Mr. R. Temple as the Mikado,
Durward Lely as Nanki-Poo, George Grossmith as Ko-Ko, Rutland
Barrington as Pooh-Bah and Leonora Braham as Yum-Yum. The official
New York premiere took place on August 19, 1885 at the Fifth
Avenue Theatre with a cast that included George Thorne (Ko-Ko),
Fred Federici (Mikado), Geraldine Ulmar (Yum-Yum), Courtice Pounds
(Nanki-Poo), Fred Billington (Pooh-Bah) and Elsie Cameron (Katisha).
A Broadway revival was staged in 1927 at the Royale Theatre with
Fred Wright as Ko-Ko, and another revival was staged in 1987
at the Virginia Theatre with Eric Donkin, Marie Baron, John Keane
and Arlene Meadows.
The 1938 film version features Martyn Green as Ko-Ko, Jean
Colin as Yum-Yum, and Kenny Baker as Nanki-Poo. The 1969 film
version features John Reed as Ko-Ko and Valerie Masterton as
Yum-Yum. The 1998 film version features Eric Donkin and Gidon
Saks.
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