By Everett Stone
Having once been a “Gentleman of Japan” myself (in a far off land and time), with eager anticipation, I looked forward to seeing the BYU School of Music’s production of the great Gilbert & Sullivan classic, The Mikado. First produced in 1885 at the Savoy Theatre in London, The Mikado came at the end of a fifteen month period of estrangement between its two creators, Arthur Sullivan, the composer, and W.S. Gilbert, the librettist. Having come to the end of his tether with the operas, Sullivan wanted to devote his efforts to serious compositions. He refused to set Gilbert’s new libretto which put Gilbert into an obdurate funk: “And so ends a musical and literary association of seven years’ standing – an association of exceptional reputation.” Eventually, however, Gilbert relented and penned a play that satisfied Sullivan’s desire for “a story of human interest and probability where the humorous words would come in a humorous (not serious) situation, and where, if the situation were a tender or dramatic one the words would be of similar character.” The Mikado became an instant hit and rose to become one of the most beloved of all musical theatre experiences the world over; it was in constant production for more than one hundred twenty-five years.
Waiting for the show to begin, my thoughts focused on the potential for cultural insensitivity, hoping we would not have a Breakfast at Tiffany’s situation with fake oriental epicanthic folds over occidental eyes, and hyper exaggerated caricatured shenanigans (thank you Mickey Rooney ) that would embarrass the community. I am happy to report, there is none of that. Other than that, the hair and makeup designer, Lindsey Bell, does a fine job. The scenic designer, Travis Coyne, also does great, with a simple set made up of platforms, rice paper walls, a fly unit with screens, and a rear projection screen on the back wall.Jessica Cowden’s costumes are conducive to the story and the setting.
The de Jong Concert Hall in BYU’s Harris Fine Arts Center was not packed on opening night, but the substantial crowd in attendance gave it a warm and, at times,boisterous welcome. And there are several elements of the production over which one could justify boisterousness. Let’s start with the songs; even if you’ve never seen a production of The Mikado, you have seen, or heard, something from it. Pink Floyd fans will recognize the phrase, “a short, sharp, shock” borrowed from the song, “I Am So Proud.” Though not a new idea, the phrase, “Let the punishment fit the crime” is entrenched in the English lexicon. And everyone I am sure has heard (for I can’t imagine there are many who have not), at least a portion of the songs, “A Wand’ring Minstrel, I” and “On a Tree By a River (Willow, Tit-willow).” Rest assured, all of these songs, and most of the others, are performed quite admirably by the cast of this production.
I could try to explicate the plot of this thing, but, as the director, Joshua Lindsay, said in an interview, “Overall, it is just a very funny story that has to be seen to be really understood. Every time I try to tell the story, I get lost in all the twists and turns of the plot.” This is a valid argument. Besides which, the libretto is entirely — almost entirely — spoken and sung in English and there are supertitles of the lyrics projected on two side screens, so you should have relatively little trouble following the proceedings. Let me just say this about the story: it’s dark and gruesome in its subject matter, but light and airy in its approach. This is the nature of satire. It’s all about beheadings, boiling people in oil, and suicides, but it treats these matters as if they have no matter. BYU won’t let anyone under six years of age into the theater, but I don’t think I’d bring anyone under the age of twelve.
In addition to the striking dichotomy of topic versus tone, it’s got some fun surprises. Since going into public domain back in the 1960s, most productions over the decades since have altered the script — in the dialogue and in the songs — to update the satire. There are topical references to LDS, BYU, GOP, and Utah-in-general culture. The actors could have hold for the laughs a bit longer as it’s perfectly all right to hold still and let the audience enjoy your ward choir joke.
Other than that little complaint, for the most part, all the performances are top notch, especially when it comes to the singing, which is, of course, most of the show. All but two of the major roles are double cast. The title character, the Mikado (played by Isaac Carlin in both casts) doesn’t show up until the second act. Carlin is a fine singer with but one solo, “A More Humane Mikado,” which he carries off quite well. Nanki-poo (Sam Neff) is a wandering vagabond minstrel looking for a particular love. He sings about it often, with a lovely voice and pretty darn good diction. Pooh-Bah (another term now ubiquitous in the English lexicon) is a holder of many semi-important titles and the paychecks to go with them. Fernando Rodrigues performs adequately in the role with notable high points here and there. Pish-Tush (Jacob Bitter), Pitti-Sing (Maddy Hunter), and Peep-Bo (Victoria Hardy), are all secondary characters whose players play them perfectly. Yum-Yum, the object of two sets of desiring eyes, as playedand sung so beautifully by Hyejoon Kim (“The Sun Whose Rays are All Ablaze” melted my heart a little), is one of the real treats of the night. Katisha, the unwanted one, played by Tatiana Carlos, has a moment or two.
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Ko-Ko, the character the play is really about, is a love-struck executioner who can’t bring himself to actually kill anyone, not even himself. He is played by Dylan Glenn in both casts, who, like everyone else, has a fine singing voice,and also manages to muster up enough diction to make himself understood throughout the entirety of his unique performance.
BYU’s The Mikado is a fine piece of work from a fine university and I enjoyed the musical a great deal. I didn’t enjoy some of the caricature bits, but many in the audience were howling, so clearly those involved in the production know their audience. The Mikado is a classic and not often seen in Utah. BYU’s production is a fine representation of this black comedy and one that shouldn’t be missed. It’s a short run, so go see it before it’s gone.
The BYU School of Music presents The Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan
Brigham Young University, de Jong Concert Hall in the Harris Fine Arts Center, Provo, Utah 84602
June 13-16, 2018 7:30 PM
Tickets: $7.00
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