Rating: 
Summary: Barebones production, good sound
Review: If you're hooked on G&S and the Mikado, you don't have much of a choice: it's either this or a 1938 production. That one is lush but has poor sound and is missing a key song, "As someday it may happen, ... I've got a little list". This one is cute, but the simple background (what background?) takes away tremendously from the overall performance which is pretty good. Poo-Bah is hilarious but miscast, as is Nanki-Poo. And it seems so early 80's, it's hard to forget it, expecially, when the list song mentions the Rubik'c Cube and geriatric statesman Ronnie. Not bad, just not that great. The sound is acceptable, but not great.
Rating: 
Summary: Well Executed
Review: My seven year old daughter has watched this DVD about twenty five times, so the performance is etched in my brain.It consists of fine, athletic acting and good singing, with fairly minimal sets. The orchestration has been tarted up, as some have noted, but it's not too bad. Richard MacMillan's entertaining Pooh-Bah sticks in the mind particularly, as does Gidon Saks' maniacal Mikado. There are a few Canadian references which are fast becoming too topical even for natives of the North: wage and price controls ("six and five"), former Prime Minister Mulroney's pretty wife Mila (left off the little list), and even a brief digital salute to Pierre Trudeau from the irrepressible Pooh-Bah. The CBC's production values are less than stunning. You get mediocre sound, no libretto, and the same tourist promotion video that is seen on other DVD's in the Stratford set. However, the wit and polish of the performance make up for any deficiencies. Overall, a very worthwhile buy for anyone except a real sourpuss, and enjoyable even after the twenty fifth viewing.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly entertaining!
Review: My wife and I really enjoy G&S - not aficionados, just fans. The Stratford Festival's version of "The Mikado" was wonderful. While we are relatively new to the works of G&S, this production was by far the best we've seen. The Canadian "flare" in "They'll None of 'Em Be Missed" brought back many, many fond memories of the times we've spent in Canada and of our first exposure to "The Mikado" in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Stratford's cast will live forever in their lively and thoroughly entertaining "Mikado." We look forward to many more enjoyable evenings listening to and watching the banter between Ko-Ko and Pooh-Bah. Thanks to Stratford (and AMAZON.COM) we're anxiously awaiting delivery of "The Pirates of Penzance" and "Iolanthe." G&S lives! Tom & Carol Weber Chesterfield, MO, USA
Rating: 
Summary: As you like it !
Review: Not for the critical puritan! But for the rest of us this is a brilliant performance. The stage sets are simple yet effective and do not detract from the performers. The scene changes are done with acrobatic sublety and humour. This is a performance where all the cast are enjoying what they are doing and it shows. Gideon Saks as the Mikado is exceptional and special praise must go to Richard McMillan ( Pooh Bah ) for an inspired and captivating performance ( I think he actually steals the show ). This is a video that can be viewed time and time again. You will see something new each time. Two thumbs up on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Very well-done, though untraditional
Review: Thank God somebody has finally taken some liberties with G&S. The works of these progressive men seem increasingly to be repeated in the same forms over and over again. The odd sets in this production enhance it somehow. The singing and acting are lively. The costumes are rather minimal (probably the worst flaw in the thing). The only downside is the ridiculous Poo-Bah (overdone) and Mikado (also overdone). Otherwise, everything is great: Yum-Yum is shy and beautiful, Ko-Ko is an interesting victim of fate, Nanki-Poo is a fine young hero, Katisha is U-G-L-Y. Highly recommended
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, start to finish...
Review: The first version of The Mikado that I ever saw was on stage at the Colonial Theatre in Boston. I was shocked 2 years later to see that version on A&E, and I recorded it on a tape which I've since worn out. I was thrilled when they put it on DVD. The staging was magnificent. Simple, elegant, and perfectly suited to highlight the lyrics and the music. Wonderful performances all around - particularly in the parts that most need wonderful performances, Koko and Poo-Bah. A splendid production of a great show.
Rating:
Summary: Different, but altogether enjoyable
Review: The Mikado with a Canadian, satiric twist. A wonderful production that pokes fun at itself yet at the same time features outstanding singing, with a great bonus that on the big numbers the actors do a one or two line encore immediately following the song, to the delight of the audience. The staging is sparse but effective, and with the possible exception of the Mikado who is a bit over the top, the main characters -- Yum Yum, Nanki Poo, Pooh Bah and of course KoKo (who steals this show with his wit, sarcasm and humanity) -- are brilliantly played. Some of the special Canadian lyrics (especially on the list song) are hysterical (list does indeed rhyme with separatist), and all in all this is a highly enjoyable, if somewhat different and sui generis, performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Great rendition! Small flaws
Review: The video/DVD is of a staged Canadian production, filmed from the proscenium-audience point of view with some close-ups, in full costume and makeup appropriate to the G&S script and score. The score is very well sung although the songs are dubbed, you have to pay special attention to notice this. The lip-sync is very, very good and since they don't have to worry about singing perfectly "live" with the camera, they can do more acting while mouthing their parts, and it all works very well. Some wonderfully stylized performances make it fun, expecially from Pooh Bah who is the tallest actor I've ever seen in a G&S opera! Folks who are addicted to perfect-score singing will notice some deviations (not bad ones, just different) but overall its well-done and includes encores that are usually performed of the most popular numbers at high speed for an appreciative audience. I recommend this version to Mikado-lovers.
Rating:
Summary: Great rendition! Small flaws
Review: The video/DVD is of a staged Canadian production, filmed from the proscenium-audience point of view with some close-ups, in full costume and makeup appropriate to the G&S script and score. The score is very well sung although the songs are dubbed, you have to pay special attention to notice this. The lip-sync is very, very good and since they don't have to worry about singing perfectly "live" with the camera, they can do more acting while mouthing their parts, and it all works very well. Some wonderfully stylized performances make it fun, expecially from Pooh Bah who is the tallest actor I've ever seen in a G&S opera! Folks who are addicted to perfect-score singing will notice some deviations (not bad ones, just different) but overall its well-done and includes encores that are usually performed of the most popular numbers at high speed for an appreciative audience. I recommend this version to Mikado-lovers.
Rating:
Summary: A Delightful Production
Review: This "Mikado" is a delight. I have seen several DVD versions of this show. This production from the Stratford Festival is by far the best. The costumes are colorful, the makeup is beautifully done, and the choreography is as precise as it is fascinating. The stage that has been designed for this show, which is a marvel to behold, is most appropriate for this Gilbert and Sullivan production. Every performance is a strong one. The beauty of this DVD is in the clearness of sound and picture.
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