Speaker icon LISTEN
Show more Show less
ON NOW : Sunday Morning
Rob Cowan

Sunday Morning Rob Cowan's selection of music includes Adams and Martinu. Plus Bach: Cantata, BWV34.

Light Fantastic: Gilbert and Sullivan - The Mikado

Episode image for Light Fantastic: Gilbert and Sullivan - The Mikado

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Penny Gore presents Gilbert and Sullivan's two-act operetta, The Mikado, which received its premiere at the Savoy Theatre in London in 1885 and ran for a remarkable 672 performances. Since then, it has been popular with audiences across the world, including in the U.S. where this performance was recorded earlier this season at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, conducted by their music director, Sir Andrew Davis.

British tenor, Toby Spence, makes his Lyric Opera debut in the role of Nanki-Poo, son of the Mikado of Japan (bass James Morris). In the land of Titipu, all is not well, as Nanki-Poo is thwarted in his amorous intentions towards Yum-Yum (soprano Andriana Chuchman), who is already betrothed to her guardian Ko-Ko (baritone Neal Davies). The farcical plot unravels, throwing out classic G&S show-tunes along the way, including "Three little maids from school", the list in "A more humane Mikado", and "Tit Willow" - "On a tree by a river".

It will keep you smiling from curtain to curtain.

Music played

1 items
Timings are shown from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
  • Artist Image for Sir Arthur Sullivan

    Sir Arthur Sullivan The Mikado

    Performer: The Mikado… James Morris (bass) Performer: Nanki-Poo… Toby Spence (tenor) Performer: Yum-Yum… Andriana Chuchman (soprano) Performer: Katisha… Stephanie Blythe (contralto) Performer: Ko-Ko… Neal Davies (baritone) Performer: Pooh-Bah… Andrew Shore (baritone) Performer: Pish-Tush… Phillip Kraus (baritone) Performer: Pitti-Sing… Katharine Goeldner (mezzo-soprano) Performer: Peep-Bo… Emily Fons (soprano) Conductor: Andrew Davis Performer: Chicago Lyric Opera Chorus Performer: Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra

  • Neal Davies as Ko-Ko

    Neal Davies as Ko-Ko

    Credit: Dan Rest/Lyric Opera of Chicago

  • Stephanie Blythe as Katisha

    Stephanie Blythe as Katisha

    Credit: Dan Rest/Lyric Opera of Chicago

  • James Morris as the Mikado

    James Morris as the Mikado

    Credit: Dan Rest/Lyric Opera of Chicago

Broadcasts

Podcast

  1. Podcast artwork for Spirit of Schubert

    Spirit of Schubert

    BBC Radio 3 tells you everything you need to know about Franz Schubert. These free downloads will...

BBC © 2012 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.