Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado

Rating:
Summary: An immensely disappointing Mikado
Review: This is a "Mikado" in name only. A Gilbert and Sullivan fan for thirty years, I was disappointed to find such songs as "I've Got a Little List," "To Sit in Solemn Silence" "There is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast," and half of the incomparable first act finale cut out, with special emphasis on Katisha's arias. Perhaps the worst thing about G&S as staged for most of the past century is the ossified approach to the material. The lines are delivered by rote, without any sense of character or meaning. Martyn Greene's KoKo is a busy creature--lots of stage business and slapstick, but Greene's portrayal is so loaded with schtick that it amounts of an insult to Gilbert's very funny book and lyrics ...as if the film is saying, "Your lines are not funny enough, Gilbert, so we're piling on the slapstick." Kenny Baker is just not up to the role of Naki-Poo, the runaway prince disguised as a musician. His voice is thin, his manner effeminate and his chemestry with the cast is zero. And yet, in the hideous and contrived prologue, he actually is given Yum-Yum's "The Sun and I" song to sing! This is a truly miserable mish-mosh, a highly mannered period piece from the 1930's which is being brought out, one suspects, in anticipation of Topsy-Turvy (the ONLY really good movie about Gilbert and Sullivan). Save your money, Savoyards, and buy a decent CD of the operetta instead.

Rating:
Summary: Martyn Green as Ham
Review: This is not a review as such, but a response to the earlier question regarding Martyn Green as a ham. I was privileged to see him perform as Ko-Ko either at the Schubert Theater in Manhattan or the Philadelphia Academy of Music (I'm too old to remember which!). It was in the late '40s or early '50s, when I was an early teen or pre-teen, and before he lost his leg in an elevator accident. He was so hammy that at one point during one of his many "Here's a How-De-Do" encores he actually shinnied about 30 feet up on a piece of scenery just inside the proscenium! I've seen many Ko-Kos since. He was the best, and I'll always treasure that luminous performance. How did the world ever let itself lose the D'Oyly Carte???

Rating:
Summary: Martyn Green as Ham
Review: This is not a review as such, but a response to the earlier question regarding Martyn Green as a ham. I was privileged to see him perform as Ko-Ko either at the Schubert Theater in Manhattan or the Philadelphia Academy of Music (I'm too old to remember which!). It was in the late '40s or early '50s, when I was an early teen or pre-teen, and before he lost his leg in an elevator accident. He was so hammy that at one point during one of his many "Here's a How-De-Do" encores he actually shinnied about 30 feet up on a piece of scenery just inside the proscenium! I've seen many Ko-Kos since. He was the best, and I'll always treasure that luminous performance. How did the world ever let itself lose the D'Oyly Carte???

Rating:
Summary: An important document of legendary performers.
Review: This Mikado was filmed with singers from the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, custodians of the Gilbert & Sullivan tradition for more than a century. Two of the players in particular--Martyn Green (Ko-Ko) and Sidney Granville (Pooh-Bah) were among the most beloved G&S actors in history, and their performances here are a delight.

Rating:
Summary: famous D'Oyly Carte Players on film
Review: This wouldn't be my first choice for a DVD or VHS Mikado, but IS interesting in its own way. A big technicolor production from 1938, one has the opportunity to see D'Oyly Carte greats Martyn Green and Sydney Granville in action as Ko-Ko and Pooh-Bah. I must disagree with most about Kenny Baker as Nanki-Poo; sure, it is an American approach, but this role isn't high drama--he's a young prince in love, and I think Baker is just fine in the role, and sings it as well, and at times better, than most of the recorded Nanki-Poos, and I've heard them all on records. A pure, sweet, naturally high lyric tenor. I'm not surprised he also gets Yum-Yum's song--he was the main star of the film (this was his heyday in radio and movies.) The costumes are bizarre, and sometimes the sets, and, yes, the plot is messed with, but it still is a fun watch if you can put purist notions aside about Gilbert & Sullivan production. I was a bit amazed, though, how much Martyn Green "hammed-up" the role; did he get away with this on stage for years with the esteemed company? Oh well, at this price, give it a try!

Rating:
Summary: famous D'Oyly Carte Players on film
Review: This wouldn't be my first choice for a DVD or VHS Mikado, but IS interesting in its own way. A big technicolor production from 1938, one has the opportunity to see D'Oyly Carte greats Martyn Green and Sydney Granville in action as Ko-Ko and Pooh-Bah. I must disagree with most about Kenny Baker as Nanki-Poo; sure, it is an American approach, but this role isn't high drama--he's a young prince in love, and I think Baker is just fine in the role, and sings it as well, and at times better, than most of the recorded Nanki-Poos, and I've heard them all on records. A pure, sweet, naturally high lyric tenor. I'm not surprised he also gets Yum-Yum's song--he was the main star of the film (this was his heyday in radio and movies.) The costumes are bizarre, and sometimes the sets, and, yes, the plot is messed with, but it still is a fun watch if you can put purist notions aside about Gilbert & Sullivan production. I was a bit amazed, though, how much Martyn Green "hammed-up" the role; did he get away with this on stage for years with the esteemed company? Oh well, at this price, give it a try!

Rating:
Summary: famous D'Oyly Carte Players on film
Review: This wouldn't be my first choice for a DVD or VHS Mikado, but it IS interesting in its own way. A big technicolor production from 1938, one has the opportunity to see D'Oyly Carte greats Martyn Green and Sydney Granville in action as Ko-Ko and Pooh-Bah. I must disagree with most about Kenny Baker as Nanki-Poo; sure, it is an American approach, but this role isn't high drama--he's a young prince in love, and I think Baker is just fine in the role, and sings it as well, and at times better, than most of the recorded Nanki-Poos, and I've heard them all on records. A pure, sweet, naturally high lyric tenor. I'm not surprised he also gets Yum-Yum's song--he was the main star of the film (this was his heyday in radio and movies.) The costumes are bizarre, and sometimes the sets, and, yes, the plot is messed with, but it still is a fun watch if you can put purist notions aside about Gilbert & Sullivan production. I was a bit amazed, though, how much Martyn Green "hammed-up" the role; did he get away with this on stage for years with the esteemed company? The DVD presentation is wonderful--very sharp and clear, and the color outstanding for its age. At this price, give it a try!

Rating:
Summary: famous D'Oyly Carte Players on film
Review: This wouldn't be my first choice for a DVD or VHS Mikado, but it IS interesting in its own way. A big technicolor production from 1938, one has the opportunity to see D'Oyly Carte greats Martyn Green and Sydney Granville in action as Ko-Ko and Pooh-Bah. I must disagree with most about Kenny Baker as Nanki-Poo; sure, it is an American approach, but this role isn't high drama--he's a young prince in love, and I think Baker is just fine in the role, and sings it as well, and at times better, than most of the recorded Nanki-Poos, and I've heard them all on records. A pure, sweet, naturally high lyric tenor. I'm not surprised he also gets Yum-Yum's song--he was the main star of the film (this was his heyday in radio and movies.) The costumes are bizarre, and sometimes the sets, and, yes, the plot is messed with, but it still is a fun watch if you can put purist notions aside about Gilbert & Sullivan production. I was a bit amazed, though, how much Martyn Green "hammed-up" the role; did he get away with this on stage for years with the esteemed company? The DVD presentation is wonderful--very sharp and clear, and the color outstanding for its age. At this price, give it a try!

Rating:
Summary: Green & Granville make for pleasant MIKADO
Review: True love never runs smooth in the classic operas of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. When the son of the Mikado of Japan falls in love with the fair Yum-Yum, he must not only out-wit the man she is to wed (Ko-Ko), but the lovesick Katisha and his own father as well. What follows is a tuneful comedy of errors that has become one of the classics of the musical stage. If nothing else, THE MIKADO has long been regarded as one of the best of the Gilbert & Sullivan creations, with it's sharp satire wedded to the lovely music and Japanese trappings. However, many fans of the Savoy operas have tended to view this 1939 film adapation as somewhat of a mixed bag. While they appreciated the use of stars from the D'Oyle Carte Opera Company, they didn't enjoy seeing the opera trimmed to fit into a 90 minute time frame. Having said that, I will state that this version is a solid enough introduction to the classic show, while preserving the great performances of D'Oyle Carte veterans Sydney Granville and Martyn Green.
Green truly makes the most of his role as the nervous Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko. His dances of glee in the "Here's A How De Do" number are a great highlight. In contrast, Granville is the epitome of pompous officialdom as Pooh-Bah, the Lord High Everything Else. Kenny Baker's Nanki-Poo doesn't quite have the flair of the others, but he's pleasant enough in the role.
In the title role, John Barclay makes an absolutely gleefully ghoulish Mikado. Some of the costumes are a little strange and the "prologue" which basically sets up the story is charming, if a little strange to those familiar with the opera. If you're a solid G & S fan, you might not appreciate the abridgement, but the performances of Green and Granville are truly classic.....and that alone makes this film worth recommending.

Rating:
Summary: Green & Granville make for pleasant MIKADO
Review: True love never runs smooth in the classic operas of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. When the son of the Mikado of Japan falls in love with the fair Yum-Yum, he must not only out-wit the man she is to wed (Ko-Ko), but the lovesick Katisha and his own father as well. What follows is a tuneful comedy of errors that has become one of the classics of the musical stage. If nothing else, THE MIKADO has long been regarded as one of the best of the Gilbert & Sullivan creations, with it's sharp satire wedded to the lovely music and Japanese trappings. However, many fans of the Savoy operas have tended to view this 1939 film adapation as somewhat of a mixed bag. While they appreciated the use of stars from the D'Oyle Carte Opera Company, they didn't enjoy seeing the opera trimmed to fit into a 90 minute time frame. Having said that, I will state that this version is a solid enough introduction to the classic show, while preserving the great performances of D'Oyle Carte veterans Sydney Granville and Martyn Green.
Green truly makes the most of his role as the nervous Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko. His dances of glee in the "Here's A How De Do" number are a great highlight. In contrast, Granville is the epitome of pompous officialdom as Pooh-Bah, the Lord High Everything Else. Kenny Baker's Nanki-Poo doesn't quite have the flair of the others, but he's pleasant enough in the role.
In the title role, John Barclay makes an absolutely gleefully ghoulish Mikado. Some of the costumes are a little strange and the "prologue" which basically sets up the story is charming, if a little strange to those familiar with the opera. If you're a solid G & S fan, you might not appreciate the abridgement, but the performances of Green and Granville are truly classic.....and that alone makes this film worth recommending.