The Mikado (1996)

Gilbert & Sullivan's
The Mikado
or, the town of Titipu

May 10, 11, 16, 17 & 18 at 8pm
May 12 & 19, 1996 at 2pm

Directed by Rosalie Santilhano
Music Directed by Joseph Sorge

Cast

The Mikado of Japan - Michael Loomis (May 10, 11, 12, 18, & 19)
David Low (May 16, 17)
Nanki-Poo, His son - Benjamin Warschawski
Ko-Ko, Lord High Executioner of Titipu - John Perine
Pooh-Bah, Lord High Everything Else - Gordon Brigham
Pish-Tush, A Noble Lord - Todd Long
Yum-Yum, Ward of Ko-Ko - Kristina Lively
Pitti-Sing, Another of Ko-Ko’s wards, Shirley Santilhano Friedman
Peep-Bo, Another of Ko-Ko’s wards - Julia Lukas Gorman
Katisha, An elderly lady, in love with Nanki-Poo - Roberta Mosier

Chorus - Inge Bodansky, Stephanie Brigham, Bill Brown, Lynne Claflin, Connie Dzuong, Les Elkins, Fran Fleming, Lauren Friedman, Tom Fuchs, Virginia Garber, Tom Goode, Ira Haber, Laurie Issembert, Charlie Johnston, Andy Krulwich, Lori Kurtyka, Malinda Lloyd, Gina Nowacki, Clarissa Parker, Siobhan Reynders, Bill Rippey, Eric Rivers, David Roethel, Maureen Roult, Deborah Silberman, Rusty Suter, Mary Yee

Orchestra

Violin - Norman Baker, Maurine Beasley, David Friedlander, Allie Laban, Carolyn Larson, Hans Simenauer, Chienmo Wu
Viola - Patrick Femiano, Laura Kinkead, Amanda Laudwein
Cello - Charles Finney, Sheryl Friedlander, Thurston Griggs
Bass - Sue Lyon, David Ross
Oboe - James Utley
Flute - Louise Hill, Pauline Summers
Clarinet - Susan Shapiro, Gene Sober
Bassoon - Brett Louis
Trumpet - Victor Agresti, Bernard Rappaport
French Horn - Don Hunter, Nancy Bell-Utley
Trombone - Steven Ward, Earl Zastrow
Percussion - Jane Creagan

Production Staff

Producer - Todd Long
Assistant Producer - Ira Haber
Conductor - David Zagic
Assistant Director - Gordon Brigham
Choreographer - Dee Hoffman
Artistic Director - Rosalie Santilhano
Stage Manager - Pamela Hodges
Assistant Stage Manager - Kate Lawniczak
Set Design - Gordon Brigham
Lighting Design - Scott Lord
Master Carpenter - Gordon Brigham
Costume Design and Construction - Andrea Schewe
Technical Director (Rockville Civic Center) - Lew Dronenburg
Technical Crew - Kim Arthur, Tony Dwyer, Mark Horning, Jeff Lord, Shannon Mangeletti, Melissa Manuel
Orchestra Manager - Gene Sober
Rehearsal Pianists - Jenny Bland, Judy Gardner
Make-Up - Malinda Lloyd, Rusty Suter
Tickets and Box Office - Barry Grinnell
Program - Leta Hall
Publicity - Ira Haber
Set Construction - Bill Brown, Les Elkins, Rudy Ficken, David Kaysen, Kate Lawniczak, Todd Long, Arthur Louis, Bill Rippey
Set Painting - Kerry Jo Richards
Master Electrician - Erik Trester
Videotaping - Falls Church Cable Television
Photography - Joel Hoffman
House Management - Barry Grinnell
Refreshments - The Wooden Shoe Pastry Shoppe
Costume Storage - Donna & Lyle Jaffe
Set Storage - Gordon & Stephanie Brigham, Harry Leet, Rockville Civic Center

Synopsis

Act I: Courtyard of Ko-Ko’s Official Residence
Nanki-Poo has fled from the court of his father, the Mikado of Japan, to escape marriage with Katisha. Disguised as a musician, he fell in love with Yum-Yum, but he has been prevented from marrying her by her guardian, Ko-Ko, who wishes to marry her himself. Ko-Ko, however, has been condemned to death for flirting; and when Act I opens, Nanki-Poo is hastening to the court of Ko-Ko in Titipu to find out whether Yum-Yum is now free to marry him. He learns that Ko-Ko has, instead, become Lord High Executioner, thus preventing the sentence of decapitation from being carried out, and Ko-Ko is going to marry Yum-Yum that very afternoon. Ko-Ko receives a letter from the Mikado ordering him to execute someone or else lose his position. As he considers whom to execute, Nanki-Poo appears, bent on suicide because he cannot marry Yum-Yum. By conceding to him the right to marry her for a month, Ko-Ko persuades Nanki-Poo to be the subject for the public execution when that month is up. There is general rejoicing in the apparent solution to the problem, marred only by the unexpected appearance of Katisha, searching for Nanki-Poo. She is driven away, but threatens to go the Mikado about the matter.

Act II: Ko-Ko’s Garden
Yum-Yum is preparing for her marriage to Nanki-Poo. Ko-Ko then comes in the with news that he has just discovered a law stating that when a married man is executed, his wife must be buried alive. To save Yum-Yum from that fate, Nanki-Poo decides to kill himself at once. But this again forces Ko-Ko to find someone to execute (as he has heard that the Mikado is on his way to Titipu). Nanki-Poo offers himself for immediate decapitation, but Ko-Ko is unable to perform the act without some practice. Another way out of the difficulty presents itself: Ko-Ko has Pooh-Bah make a false affidavit that Nanki-Poo has been executed, and bids Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum leave the country. The Mikado arrives and Ko-Ko produces the affidavit and describes the “execution.” When the Mikado learns that the person whom Ko-Ko has supposedly executed is really the Mikado’s son, Ko-Ko and his accomplices are declared guilty of “compassing the death of the Heir Apparent.” The only hope for them is to admit the falsehood of the affidavit and produce Nanki-Poo alive. But, as Nanki-Poo has already married Yum-Yum and so cannot marry Katisha, she will surely insist on the execution of them both. Ko-Ko solves the problem by offering his hand to Katisha; and, after he sings her a touching ballad, she accepts him. The end of the opera comes with Nanki-Poo revealing himself as the son of the Mikado, to his father’s delight.

Musical Selections

Act I

If you want to know who we are (Nanki-Poo & Men)
A wand'ring minstrel I (Nanki-Poo & Men)
Our great Mikado, virtuous man (Pish-Tush & Men)
Young man, despair (Pooh-Bah, Nanki-Poo & Pish-Tush)
And have I journeyed for a month (Nanki-Poo & Pooh-Bah)
Behold the Lord High Executioner (Ko-Ko & Men)
As some day it may happen (Ko-Ko & Men)
Comes a train of little ladies (Girls)
Three little maids from school are we (Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing, Girls)
So please you, Sir, we much regret (Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing, Pooh-Bah, Girls)
Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted (Yum-Yum & Nanki-Poo)
I am so proud (Pooh-Bah, Ko-Ko & Pish-Tush)
With aspect stern and gloomy stride - Ensemble

Act II