The Mikado or The Town of Titipu

Libretto by William Schwenk Gilbert and Music by Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan

Directed by Terry Kiss Frank, Stage Director; Christopher Ocasek, Music Director/Orchestra Conductor

THE MIKADO, or The Town of Titipu, was produced at the Savoy Theatre on 14 March, 1885 and proved to be one of the most famous of all the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas, running, as it did, for 672 nights.

The plot of "The Mikado", as Mr. Adair Fitzgerald mentions in his book "The Story of the Savoy Opera", came to Gilbert through a Japanese sword, which hung on the walls of his study, suddenly falling down.

With his usual eye for detail Gilbert took some of these Japanese people to the Theatre in order to show the actors how to manipulate their fans and how to shuffle along in that curious oriental fashion which to a European appears to be half run and half walk.

With regard to Sullivan's work on "The Mikado" it is strange to note that he almost always put off the composing of each new opera until the very last moment. The Mikado was to be produced on the night of 14 March, and yet Sullivan had reached only the Finale of Act I on the evening of 3 March, for on that date he wrote in his diary:

"Worked all night at Finale 1st Act. Finished at 5 a.m. 63 pages of score at one sitting!"

Evidently he was highly satisfied with the opera's reception for to quote once again from his diary for 14 March he writes:

"New opera 'The Mikado, or the Town of Titipu' produced at the Savoy Theatre with every sign of success. A most brilliant house. Tremendous reception. All went very well except Grossmith, whose nervousness nearly upset the piece. A treble encore for 'Three Little Maids' and for 'The flowers that bloom in the spring'. Seven encores taken; might have taken twelve."

The Opera was so successful in England that Carte produced it in New York with very good results; also in Philadelphia and all over the States.

It was produced too in Australia, Berlin and Holland and three companies toured England.

Produced by The Madison Savoyards, Ltd. at Music Hall, Madison, WI

Performances: July 18-27, 2008

Performance Times: Performance Times: Friday, July 18, 2008 - 7:30 PM; Saturday, July 19, 2008 - 7:30 PM; Sunday, July 20, 2008 - 3:00 PM; Friday, July 25, 2008 - 7:30 PM; Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 7:30 PM; Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 3:00 PM

Ticket Prices: (Assigned Seating) $30 Adults, $28 Seniors, $15 Students, $5 Children (under 13). Premium, group and discount seating available. Reserve early as seating is limited!

Call (608) 231-9005 for reservations or more information.

Auditions

April 8 on, accepting audition appointments for chorus (alto, tenor and bass only) on June 8 by calling 608-231-9005.

***Rehearsals (Sun-Thur), First United Methodist (FUM), 6:30-9:00
Principals, etc., have been called sometimes 6:00-6:30 to work with directors before rehearsal.

June 8-11, Music
June 12 Sing/Read through
June 15-19
June 22-26
June 29-30, July 1-3
July 6-10

***Music Hall

July 12 Load-in
*July 12 First Orchestra rehearsal 9-12 (FUM)
July 13 Sitzprobe, 1-4:00
July 13 Piano Tech, 6:00
July 14 Piano Tech, 6:00
July 15 Piano Tech, 6:00
July 16 Orchestra Tech, 6:00
July 17 Orchestra Dress, 6:00

July 18 Opening, 7:30
July 19, 7:30
July 20, 3:00

July 24, 7:30 (reserved for add-on/sell out performances)
July 25, 7:30
July 26, 7:30
July 27, 3:00
July 27, 5:30 strike