soprano - toledo opera on...auf naxos, rinnucio in gianni schicchi, baker in into the woods, and...

Soprano Abigail Krawson most recently appeared as a townsperson in The Merry Wives

of Windsor with Boston Midsummer Opera. She was also a gypsy in Rachmoninoff's Aleko

with Commonwealth Lyric Theater and Despina in Cosi fan tutte with NEMPAC Opera. In

2011 Ms. Krawson was a young artist with Boston Early Music Festival and appeared in

Harvard Early Music Society’s production of La Calisto. A native of Canton, Ohio, Ms.

Krawson received her undergraduate degree at Bowling Green State University before

graduating from the New England Conservatory.

Mezzo-Soprano Laura Reaper most recently sang the role of Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi

with Opera Project Columbus. Ms. Reaper’s numerous credits include Dejanira in

Hercules, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro and 3rd Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Ms. Reaper

also created the role of Tantie Marie for the world premiere of the opera The Toll. She has

also been featured as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Copland’s In the

Beginning. Ms. Reaper holds degrees from the Peabody Institute (BM) and Bowling Green

State University (MM).

Tenor Jordan Harris is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, where he studied

with tenor Rico Serbo, was a recipient of the National Association of Teachers of Singing

Merit Scholarship, and was Musical Director of the University of Michigan Educational

Theater Company. In the fall of 2013 he performed an original composition for Stephen

Sondheim at a gala dinner in his honor. Previous credits include Scaramuccio in Ariadne

Auf Naxos, Rinnucio in Gianni Schicchi, Baker in Into the Woods, and Mitch in 25th

Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Baritone Nicholas Ward most recently performed with the Cincinnati Opera’s outreach

tour, and the Central City Opera Studio Artist Program. Stage credits include the

Backwoodsman in Show Boat, Il Conte Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, George Jones in

Street Scene, the Usher in Trial By Jury, Don Alfonso in Così Fan Tutte, Major General

Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance. He has also participated in the training programs of

Opera Saratoga and the Seagle Music Colony in upstate New York. He is an alumnus of the

University of Michigan and the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music.

Pianist Spencer Miller grew up in the Twin Cities and attended Augsburg College in

Minneapolis, graduating summa cum laude in 2013. He has performed solo recitals,

frequently featuring his own compositions, as far afield as Vienna, Austria. Also a

professional jazz pianist, Mr. Miller is a first-year graduate student at the University of

Toledo, studying with Michael Boyd.

SETTING

Titipu, a village north of Tokyo in Japan, roughly in the middle of the nineteenth century

CHARACTERS

In order of vocal appearance

Ko-Ko: A Tailor, recently elected Lord High Executioner of Titipu (Baritone)

Nanki-Poo: The Mikado’s young son, disguised as a traveling minstrel (Tenor)

Yum-Yum: Ko-Ko’s young ward and fiancée, just graduated from boarding school (Soprano)

Katisha: An old spinster and the Daughter-In-Law Elect (Mezzo-soprano)

SYNOPSIS

Scene 1:

The young maid Yum-Yum is returning home to Titipu, the day after her graduation from

boarding school, to marry her guardian Ko-Ko. Waiting for Yum-Yum to return, Ko-Ko meets

Nanki-Poo, a wandering minstrel who has just come into town. Ko-Ko tries to hire Nanki-Poo to

sing at his wedding to Yum-Yum that night. Nanki-Poo refuses the job and runs off because,

unbeknownst to Ko-Ko, he is also in love with Yum-Yum and came to Titipu to ask her to marry

him.

Scene 2:

Yum-Yum arrives and encounters Nanki-Poo, who asks her to marry him, revealing to her that

he is not just a wandering minstrel but actually a royal prince! He explains that he ran away from

the palace because his father, the Mikado, was going to force him to marry an ugly old woman—

the Daughter-In-Law Elect Katisha. Yum-Yum agrees to marry Nanki-Poo and together they

hatch a plan.

Scene 3:

Ko-Ko hasn’t executed anyone since becoming Lord High Executioner, both because he’s a very

gentle person and because he was at the top of the execution list. (He was guilty of the crime of

flirting—along with half of the town.) Nanki-Poo reports that the Mikado has ordered Ko-Ko to

begin executing people. Ko-Ko doesn’t want to but also doesn’t see a way around the order.

Nanki-Poo volunteers to be his execution victim, but only if Ko-Ko will allow him to marry

Yum-Yum for thirty days first. Not wanting to lose his own head, and sure that Yum-Yum will

marry him once Nanki-Poo is dead, Ko-Ko agrees.

Scene 4:

Ko-Ko is presiding over the marriage of Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo when they are interrupted by

Katisha, the Daughter-In-Law Elect. She demands that Nanki-Poo marry her rather than Yum-

Yum, and delivers a new edict from the Mikado before storming off. Unfortunately, the new

edict ruins Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo’s plan. Under the new law if Nanki-Poo is executed his

wife would also be buried alive! Nanki-Poo offers to let Ko-Ko cut off his head immediately so

Yum-Yum can have a good life without him. Ko-Ko is so moved by Nanki-Poo’s gesture that he

suggests that the two youngsters run away to another town to get married, offering to fake

Nanki-Poo’s death to appease Katisha and the Mikado.

Scene 5:

Katisha returns to Titipu demanding that Koko show her the body of the man he has executed.

Ko-Ko explains that he can’t because the body was buried out at sea, but does show her the death

certificate. Katisha is devastated to see Nanki-Poo’s name on the certificate and vows to have

Ko-Ko killed for executing the Mikado’s son. Thinking fast, Ko-Ko serenades Katisha with the

song “Titwillow” and asks her to marry him. Convinced that marrying a man closer to her age

would be a better match, Katisha agrees.

Ko-Ko reveals to Katisha that Nanki-Poo is still alive, happily married to Yum-Yum, and all four

characters celebrate their luck in romance.

Jennifer Cresswell, Artistic Director of Opera on Wheels, has written and

produced adaptations of Rossini's Barber of Seville, The Italian Girl, and

Wagner's Ring Cycle. As Co-Director of the Toledo Opera Summer Camp,

she has also produced operatic arrangements for performance by children for

the last two years. An active performer, Ms. Cresswell was last seen on stage

with Toledo Opera in the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Liù in

Turandot and as Frasquita in Carmen. Other roles in her repertoire include Blanche in André

Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche de la Force in Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites

and Anna Maurrant in Kurt Weill's Street Scene. In 2011, she made her debut as a soloist with

the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and returns this spring as soprano soloist for Beethoven's Ninth

Symphony. In addition to her work with Toledo Opera, Jennifer is also a classical music host for

WGTE FM91 under her alias "Jennifer Scott."

The creative team of librettist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan was one of the most

successful of the entire nineteenth century. Writing fourteen comic operas together, their works

were very popular in their home country of Britain especially and several, including The Mikado,

were international hits.

William Schwenck Gilbert, born in London in 1836, was the son of a retired

naval surgeon. He trained as an artillery officer and worked in a government

bureau job which he hated. After receiving an inheritance from an aunt,

Gilbert became a lawyer, but his law career lasted just a few years.

Beginning in 1861, Gilbert contributed dramatic criticism and humorous

prose to a popular British magazine, sometimes accompanied by cartoons.

Many of the characters from this work would later appear in his opera

librettos. In 1871 Gilbert wrote two plays that would become big hits, and

first collaborated with the composer Arthur Sullivan.

Arthur Seymour Sullivan was born in London in 1842 and demonstrated

impressive musical talent from a very early age. At only fourteen he won the

Mendelssohn Scholarship, enabling him to study at both the Royal Academy

of Music and the Conservatory in Leipzig.

Back in London, Sullivan took a church organist’s job and gave music

lessons. Slowly, but surely, commissions for compositions of all kinds

began to come his way after some early successes. In 1871 he first

collaborated with W.S. Gilbert on a Christmas piece titled Thespis, which

was successful as a novelty production for the holidays but nothing more.

Four years later, in 1875, the young impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte needed a short piece to

complete a triple bill at London's Royalty Theatre. W. S. Gilbert had a libretto ready, Trial by

Jury, but no composer. Carte suggested Sullivan, who liked the libretto and agreed to take the

job. Trial by Jury was an immediate success. Realizing the potential of the new partnership,

Carte contracted Sullivan and Gilbert to write for him, creating a new opera roughly every year

from 1877-1889, including The Mikado in 1885. Both Sullivan and Gilbert became wealthy men

as a result of their collaborations. D’Oyly Carte became even richer and built the Savoy Theatre

in 1881, followed by the Savoy Hotel.

Sadly, relations between Sullivan, Gilbert and Carte deteriorated and their working relationship

came to an end. Sullivan was working on an opera with when he died on November 22, 1900.

Gilbert died in 1911 while attempting to save a drowning woman.

W.S. Gilbert

Arthur Sullivan

Many of W.S. Gilbert’s opera librettos made fun of conventions of life in Victorian England.

Although set in Japan, The Mikado is a fanciful satire of Victorian British customs, not an

attempt to create a work based on real Japanese life or customs. The opera’s setting was chosen

because of a contemporary Western fascination with all things Japanese, called “japonaiserie.”

The movement to create Japanese-influenced art and commercial goods throughout Europe and

the United States began during the second half of the nineteenth century, after Commodore Perry

and the United States Navy pressured Japan to open its boarders in 1854, ending more than two

hundred years of isolation. In London, an 1885 Japanese cultural exhibition lead to an explosion

of public interest in all things Japanese which artists and merchants

quickly capitalized on.

The only authentic Japanese element in The Mikado is the name of

the town. Titipu is an Anglicization of Chichibu, a region northwest

of Tokyo. The opera’s costumes and props were based on Japanese

clothing and accessories, but didn’t follow Japanese customs of

dress. The character names are all references to puns and baby talk

in English.

The ridiculous nature of The Mikado’s aristocratic characters, and

the various laws and customs governing their actions, is clear

throughout the opera. The Mikado passes laws decreeing outrageous

punishments for small infractions: death by beheading for flirtation.

People are elevated to office for no apparent reason: Ko-Ko is made

Lord High Executioner despite being unwilling to kill anyone.

Decisions regarding marriage have more to do with outdated notions

of social position than considerations of love: Nanki-Poo’s engagement to Katisha. Whether

these circumstances were present in Japanese society was of no interest to Gilbert. They were

present in British society and on the minds of his audience, so they were fodder for his comedy.

Queen Victoria, who reigned over England during most of Gilbert and Sullivan’s life, was not a

violent despot like the Mikado. She was a champion of the arts and the under-privileged, creating

many cultural, social, and educational institutions during her long life. She was a queen,

however, with significant power. Britain was also a constitutional monarchy, with an elected

parliament serving as a counterbalance to the queen. Still, Victoria was at the peak of a large

British aristocracy that maintained control of wealth and power. There were many members of

the middle and upper classes who were irritated that they did not enjoy the same rights as the

titled. Similarly, there were members of the aristocracy who felt the rules they lived by were

outdated. Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas took these frustrations and gave them an outlet.

W.S. Gilbert's Sketch of the

Mikado

It can be hard to give an exact definition to three closely-related kinds of musical dramas: opera,

operetta, and musicals. Although they differ in important ways, they have much more in

common than separates them. All combine theatrical elements of costumes, sets, lighting, and

acting with musical elements of singing and playing instruments to create a powerful sensory and

emotional experience.

The primary differences separating opera from its close cousins is that operas tend to be

performed with some kind of orchestra, employ “operatic” singers who are trained to have a very

wide range of notes and volume that frees them from requiring amplification, and have very few

(if any) lines that are spoken. Operas tend to be longer and cover a more serious range of

subjects than operettas, which often have more spoken dialogue, may not require a full cast of

trained operatic singers, and are almost always comedies.

Musicals, meanwhile, are essentially plays with frequent musical interludes. All the dialogue is

spoken, and individual moments or situations are highlighted through the use of song. Much of

this dialogue takes place without instrumental accompaniment, which almost never happens in

operas. Songs in musicals are more restricted in their range and complexity than in opera,

making them easier to perform by singers without operatic training and even audience members.

Finally, musicals frequently employ ensembles other than an orchestra, and may even use rock or

jazz bands as accompaniment.

These distinctions aren’t set in stone, however, and it is ultimately the composer’s decision

whether to call his or her work an opera, an operetta, or a musical. In addition to artistic

considerations of the types of voices and ensemble that will be used, it is also a matter of where

the work will be performed. Since operas and operettas are typically performed without any

amplification, they cannot be performed in the very large theaters used for musicals, where

amplification makes it possible for the audience to hear the stage from seats far away.

Today, the most commercially successful and popular form of music drama is the musical. At the

time of The Mikado, however, operettas were all the rage, especially in the Britain and the

United States. Their popularity allowed Richard D’Oyly Carte to build his Savoy Theatre

specifically to accommodate the tastes of the crowds that rushed to see Gilbert and Sullivan’s

operettas. The theatre was full of luxuries for the audience and was the first public building to be

lit using electric lights, inside and outside, in the world.

What is Opera?

Opera is a theatrical drama or comedy told in music through powerful, unamplified voices.

Opera combines several art forms—vocal and instrumental music, theater, drama, visual art and

often dance—into one complete theatrical experience. When successfully produced, an opera’s

directing, singing, acting, stage setting, lighting, conducting and orchestral playing will create an

unforgettable spectacle that can move audiences to tears or elation—or both. This powerful

appeal made opera the most prestigious and lucrative genre for composers to write in for more

than two hundred years. The most famous operas performed today come from the period

between the composers George Frideric Handel (whose first opera was written around 1705) and

Richard Strauss (whose final opera was premiered in 1942). Opera continues to be a prestigious

and popular genre for composers to write in, and many new operas are performed every year.

The Basic Elements of Opera

Singing Is The Primary Method Of Expression.

The most defining aspect of opera is that the majority of lines are sung instead of

spoken. The characters express their thoughts and feeling in song rather than

speech. Because it usually takes longer to sing something than to say it, however, the action

may sometimes seem slower than in a play. Occasionally, even in an opera, characters may

speak rather than sing, but the vast majority of lines will be sung.

Opera Combines Many Different Art Forms.

Much of the excitement of opera comes from its use of multiple art forms. Opera combines

singing, acting, orchestral music, poetry, dance, mime, theatrical scenery, costumes and

lighting in a unique art form all its own. The word "opera" itself is an Italian word derived

from the Latin word "opus," which means work (as in work of art).

An Opera Tells A Story.

As in a play, opera is performed on a stage with scenery, props and lighting, by actors

wearing costumes, make-up and wigs to create a specific character, time, and place. While

the actors sing their lines they are accompanied by a piano, small instrumental ensemble, or

even a full orchestra, that may be either to the side of the stage or beneath the stage in the

orchestra “pit.” Opera stories come from many different sources: mythology, the Bible, fairy

tales, literary classics and history. Operas may be about mythological gods, historic heroes,

royalty, or ordinary people from the past or present. The words sung in an opera are written

down in a libretto (Italian for "little book"). The libretto is sometimes sung in a language

other than English, depending on the nationality of the composer and librettist (the author of

the libretto).

A synopsis, which is a summary of what happens in the story, may be read before attending

an opera. The libretto and synopsis of most famous operas can be found in libraries;

recordings on compact disc and DVD are also available. A synopsis is also usually provided

in the printed program at a live performance; English translations of characters’ lines are

often projected on a screen over the stage so that the audience can easily follow the story.

The Music In An Opera Reflects The Mood And Events In The Story.

The addition of music to telling a story tends to greatly increase the emotional intensity of a

performance. Even if you cannot understand the words being sung, the music provides many

clues. It reflects a character's feelings; it hints at a turn in the plot; it may even describe an

event (a storm, for example). If something sad or frightening is about to happen, you may

hear a warning in the music before the action takes place.

An Opera Is Structured Like A Play.

Most operas begin with an overture, which is an introductory piece of instrumental music

that often presents musical themes heard in the opera. As in a play, an opera is divided into

one or more acts and various scenes that contain a mixture of arias (one singer), duets (two

singers), ensembles (more than two singers, such as trios, quartets, etc.), scenes with a

chorus, and sung dialogue called recitative.

The Creative Team

Many people work together to create an opera production. Members of the creative team include

the singers, the conductor, the stage director, and the designers (sets, lighting, costumes, wig and

make-up). These careers often involve many years of study and hard work to master.

The Conductor

The conductor communicates information about the music and the timing of the show to the

singers on the stage and to the orchestra through the gestures he or she makes, often using a

baton. The conductor is usually addressed using the Italian term as “Maestro” or “Maestra.”

The conductor trains for his/her work just like the singers. He or she must have a broad

knowledge of singing, the orchestra, and music in general. The orchestral score, with

approximately twenty staves (individual lines) of music, must be studied and mastered long

before rehearsals even begin. The conductor uses the score as a guide as he or she coaches

the singers and the orchestra toward a performance.

The Stage Director

An operatic stage director faces all the challenges of a theatrical stage director, plus a few

special concerns. The opera must be staged to obtain the greatest emotional effect by

moving the singers about with a natural flow that enhances the meaning of the story without

interfering with the music. The composer has built the framework within which the stage

director must work. Entrances, duets, fights, exits, shipwrecks, and all other stage “business”

must take place within a specified number of measures or beats. Action must be compressed

or extended as written by the composer. Like a conductor, a stage director must be

completely familiar with the musical score. He or she must know Italian, French, German,

or whatever language is being sung, as well as have a working knowledge of everything and

everyone both on stage and backstage. He or she is also often the person working with the

designers to make sure everything on stage is a cohesive whole.

The Designers

Every element the audience sees on stage (the sets, the costumes, the lights, the wigs and

make-up) requires a person with special skills to plan and implement how that element is

going to enhance the story of the opera. Set designers create sets that transport the audience

to a different time and place, and that remain light enough to move around during scene

changes and small enough to store in the theaters “wings” (space off to the side of the stage,

out of the audience’s view). Costume designers must make each character unique through

what they wear. Lighting designers take a theater that is normally completely dark and use

electric light and color to create different settings (night vs. day) and moods (energized,

spooky, etc.), and to draw the audience’s attention to different characters or locations on

stage. Wig and Make-up designers can adjust an actor’s age, hairstyle, add distinguishing

marks like scars and tattoos, and help further tailor the unique impression each character’s

appearance makes on the audience.

The Process of Producing an Opera

The process of producing an opera begins years before the audience arrives to enjoy it. The head

of an opera company sits down with the company’s artistic director and decides what operas

they’d like to produce for a given year, or season. They consider what operas they’ve recently

produced, what operas their audience would most like to see, and operas that might be new or

less familiar but that they feel are excellent. They then decide on the artistic team that will

produce each opera and begin hiring designers, a stage director, and singers, renting sets and

costumes, and coordinating schedules with the theater.

Singers are often hired to sing a role a year or more in advance and, in the world of professional

opera, must have their roles memorized before the first rehearsal. If the role is new to them they

need to not only learn all their notes but also all the words to their role, often in a foreign

language. In addition, singers must learn the parts of the singers and orchestra around them so

they’ll know how those elements relate to their own role. Voice teachers help singers with their

vocal technique and vocal coaches help them with language, musical style, and character

development. Coaches also play the orchestra score on the piano so singers can learn their parts

in the context of the whole. Singers are always in the process of learning new roles so that they

can work in many places, including other countries. This advanced preparation is crucial because

there is rarely much time to rehearse once the cast, conductor, and director are assembled.

The design team is made up of a set designer, lighting designer, costume designer, and wig and

make-up designer. Their job begins well-before the rehearsal process when they choose a look, a

style, and a flow for the production with the stage director. They then work with the opera

company to build or rent the sets, wigs, and costumes.

The cast of an opera isn’t assembled until approximately three weeks before the opening night.

The singers, who are often chosen by audition, come from around the country and sometimes the

world and may not have met each other before the first rehearsal. The conductor leads them

through the music with piano accompaniment, showing them his or her interpretation of tempo

and phrasing. The stage director shows them where and when and how to move around the stage

and how to interpret the drama. This collaboration of conductor and stage director with the

singers brings the opera’s plot and music to life.

The opera is staged in a rehearsal room first, using tape on the floor to let the singers know

where sets and stairs will be. It moves to the theater’s stage just a few nights before opening. It is

then that the orchestra is brought into the process, along with the technical aspects of theater

such as lights, costumes, sets, and make-up. Technically and logistically, the opera usually

comes together in just five days.

Once in the theater, a stage manager runs rehearsals. Although invisible to the audience, the

stage manager is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the stage crew who work backstage

(including props people, lighting people, stage hands, costumers, electricians, carpenters, and

more), the singers (helping them time entrances, costume changes, and breaks), and conductor

(letting him or her know when everything is ready to begin). Video and audio monitors make it

possible to see the conductor and hear the orchestra throughout the backstage areas of the theater,

and the stage manager can communicate with the singers in their dressing rooms using a PA

system. Everyone must be in the right place, at the right time, in the right costume, holding the

right prop through many changes and throughout a long drama that cannot stop once it’s begun.

Given that most operas are around three-hours long, in a foreign language, performed entirely

from memory, and involve the coordination of many people and art forms, it is a truly incredible

feat that they can be performed with only a few weeks of rehearsal and a few days of work in the

theater. It takes a team of extremely skilled, very hard working people for opera to be successful.

Many believe the beautiful, flexible, large voice require for opera is something a person is born

with, while others believe that the voice is a skill which results from training. The truth lies

somewhere in between. Voices that can fulfill the demands required by an opera have several

things in common. First, a strong physical technique is needed to allow the singer to sustain long

phrases through the control of their breathing. Second, the voice must maintain a resonance in

both the head and the chest cavities, amplifying its sound. Although each singer’s voice is

unique, voices can be categorized into general voice types. These voice types are only

generalities and overlap each other. The notes that are high for a baritone to sing are low for a

tenor. The notes that are low for a baritone to sing are high for a bass. As a result, you may see a

high-range mezzo-soprano singing a soprano’s role or a low-range baritone singing a bass’ role.

Operatic Voice Types

Soprano: The highest female voice, similar to a flute in range and tone color. Usually plays the

heroine in the opera since the high voice can powerfully project above the orchestra’s sound.

Mezzo-Soprano: The middle-range female voice, similar to an oboe in range and tone color.

Called an alto in choral arrangements, this voice can play a wide variety of characters including

the part of a young man (trouser role).

Contralto: The lowest and least common female voice, similar to an English horn in range and

tone color. Not frequent in opera.

Tenor: The highest male voice, similar to a trumpet in range, tone color and acoustical “ring.”

Usually plays the hero or the romantic lead in the opera.

Baritone: The middle-range male voice, similar to a French horn in tone color. Often plays the

leader of mischief in comic opera or the villain in tragic opera.

Bass: The lowest male voice, similar to a trombone or bassoon in tone color. Usually portrays

old, wise men, or foolish, comic men.

The following terms can be used to describe special characteristics in a vocal range:

Coloratura: A light, bright voice that has the ability to sing many notes quickly, usually with an

extended upper range.

Lyric: A light to medium weight voice, often singing beautiful sweeping melodies.

Dramatic: Dark, heavy and powerful voice, capable of sustained and forceful singing.

Discussion Questions

Gilbert and Sullivan were musical celebrities in Britain and the United States and productions of

The Mikado sold out continually for months in both countries.

1) What performers would cause people to go immediately to the web, or stand in line at the

theater, to purchase tickets today?

2) For whom would you stand in line?

3) Have you ever been to a live musical performance that was sold out? Who was the artist or

what was being performed?

Electric lights were a major innovation at the Savoy Theatre, replacing gas lamps that had been

the norm before.

1) What safety considerations made electric lights superior? (Far fewer fire hazards)

2) What health/comfort considerations made electric lights superior? (No fumes, Much less extra

heat)

The Mikado uses an imaginary Japanese setting to satirize elements of Victorian British society.

Some of these elements are arguably still present today.

1) Identify three social elements satirized in The Mikado and discuss whether they are still

present in modern society.

2) Do you feel that humor is an effective way to bring these issues to an audience’s attention?

“Facebooking The Mikado”

Activity Overview

Students will explore and develop different characters in The Mikado by creating a Facebook

profile. Discuss the characters as a class, talking about their importance and roles. Group

students into small groups and assign one of the following characters: Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko, Yum-

Yum, Katisha, or the Mikado.

Encourage students to develop a profile for their assigned character including: interests,

education, work, philosophy, arts, sports, likes, and other activities.

Write three status updates that your character would write based on the storyline and events in

The Mikado.

Allow students to share their character insights amongst small groups followed by a classroom

discussion.

Questions for Discussion

What types of friends does your character have?

What types of goals does your character have? Do they face any obstacles in achieving these

goals?

Were you able to relate to your character? Can you understand why your character made the

decisions that they did?

Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado premiered in 1885, do you think the characters are still

relevant today?

General Discussion Questions

1) What kind of person is Ko-ko? Nanki-Poo? Yum-Yum? Katisha? The Mikado?

2) What problem or dilemma does Yum-Yum face? How does she solve it? Does she have help?

3) Do any of the characters in The Mikado change? How do they change and what caused the

change?

4) What made you laugh when you were watching The Mikado?

5) Is there any part of the plot or characters you wish had been treated differently?

Refer to the information in this study guide. Words can be up, down, forward, or diagonal.

Word Hints: Characters from The Mikado (4), the Creative Team (5), Operatic Voice Types (4)

KOKO

YUMYUM

NANKIPOO

KATISHA

SINGERS

CONDUCTOR

STAGE DIRECTOR

DESIGNERS

STAGE MANAGER

SOPRANO

MEZZO SOPRANO

TENOR

BARITONE

Y G O S J H V Y R L D J A U Z O V L C B

W O H V D B B V J B D E Y U M Y U M O Y

X N I H X I V W G T B P S X Y Q S L X R

R S H J K Q Y C B U U G K I S Y T L E C

W M J F M M I B F C Q D I N G Z A N D E

E S H M E S S C B D G S I E M N G H O X

N A C A Z M Y R C W M U P F X O E Z B I

E C O B Z T J S P Q K X T K T V D R Y Z

Z S N I O W G G C N A X E N Y F I P S Y

F I D L S K X G H H T A N I A W R Z L F

U N U X O M Q B A R I T O N E G E Q F P

I G C Q P M S H R P S L R T N C C B E B

E E T B R X B W W Y H L U N T G T U R X

W R O U A S E Q Z U A U A U G B O O D B

W S R P N C O N R T R Y T I P D R S V L

F Z T K O K O P T C E I Q F L D H E N Q

N T A J D Q M K R L G A S V K Z E O M D

Q S T A G E M A N A G E R G N Z Z R E X

D I F K O N O S V B N X C U R R X M G K

H O L R S P B Y D K S O N A N K I P O O

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Down

1. An opera is structured like this

3. A cousin of opera with comic themes and less demanding vocal roles

4. An instrumental introduction to an opera

5. The Italian term for the “little book” containing an opera's words

6. The composer of The Mikado

11. Latin word for “work” from which the word “opera” is derived

Across

2. London theater where many Gilbert and Sullivan operas were performed

4. A theatrical production incorporating vocal and instrumental music, acting, costumes, scenery,

and lighting

7. Real name of the town of Titipu

8. Dialogue that is sung rather than spoken

9. The librettist of The Mikado

10. An Italian term used when addressing a conductor

Answer Key

Down

1. PLAY

3. OPERETTA

4. OVERTURE

5. LIBRETTO

6. SULLIVAN

11. OPUS

Across

2. SAVOY

4. OPERA

7. CHICHIBU

8. RECITATIVE

9. GILBERT

10. MAESTRO

Music

Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts

-K-4: Identify and respond to music of historical and cultural origins.

Activity: Attend performance of Opera on Wheels touring opera, The Mikado, sung in

English and adapted to a modern-day setting, from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.

The music is an operetta, with characters based on satirical British archtypes.

-5-8: Identify composers and classify them according to historical periods.

Activity: Read about and describe what made Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas so popular in

their lifetimes and up to today. Gilbert and Sullivan were among the most popular and

successful composers of opera of their time (late 19th

century).

Analyzing and Responding

-K-4: Discuss and evaluate group music performance.

Activity: Write a paragraph and draw pictures depicting favorite parts of the opera

performance.

-5-8: Apply appropriate criteria to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of a music performance.

Activity: Write a review of the performance as if for a newspaper or for a

recommendation to a friend. Mention specific reasons for liking the performance (e.g.,

artists sung with feeling and words were understandable; artists acted their parts well in

terms of gestures, movement and relationship to other characters; artists sung well

together in duets and other ensemble pieces; scenery, props and costumes created an

effective setting for the opera).

Valuing Music and Aesthetic Reflection

K-8: Demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Activity: Review audience behavior for an opera performance (applaud and yell bravo or

brava after a part that is particularly moving) and demonstrate the behavior during the

performance.

5-8: Justify one’s personal preference in music, using music vocabulary.

Activity: Review the opera’s music and subject matter and identify how it reinforces the

emotional content of the story. Discuss students’ favorite music. How is it different from

that of The Mikado? Compare the music of The Mikado to music in movies, musicals or

other operas that students have seen.

Connections, Relationships and Applications

K-4: Identify and describe roles of musicians in various music settings.

Activity: Describe what the roles of musicians are in an opera: vocal artists who also

must act the part of characters in the opera’s story and accompanists who range from the

pianist in Opera on Wheels to a member of a full orchestra with conductor.

5-8: Demonstrate that subject matter of other disciplines is interrelated with that of music.

Identify and describe the different art forms that opera includes: (1) stories drawn from

literature and myth or created from current or historic events; and (2) visual arts as

represented in the sets, costumes and lighting of an opera production.

Identify various careers in music and select those of special interest. Opera, because it

integrates a number of art forms, has many career opportunities:, vocal artist; orchestra

member; orchestra conductor; stage director and stage manager; rehearsal pianist; set

designer and builder; costume designer; wig and make-up specialist; and those who

manage the company that produces opera (e.g., executive director; artistic director;

development or fundraising director, accountant, etc.).

English/Language Arts

Operas are often considered to be mainly about music. However, since operas are stories that are

told in music, there is a natural connection between this art form and the subject area of

English/Language Arts. The opera experience, with its combination of musical, dramatic and

visual elements, can help students learn more about story structure, character development,

emotions such as love and jealousy, and universal themes such as “power corrupts”, “love may

require sacrifice” or “It’s what on the inside that counts.”

Kindergarten

Reading Applications: Literary Text:

-Identify characters and settings in a story.

-Retell or re-enact a story that has been heard.

Writing Applications:

-Dictate or write simple stories, using letters, words or pictures.

First Grade


-Identify characters, settings and events in a story.

-Retell beginning, middle and ending of a story, including its important events.


-Write responses to stories that include simple judgments about the text.

-Produce informal writings (e.g., messages, journals, notes) for various purposes.

Grade Two


-Describe characters and setting.

-Retell the plot of a story.

-Identify the theme of a text.


-Write responses to a story by comparing the story to other texts, or to people and events in

students’ own lives.

Grade Three


-Describe methods author uses to influence readers’ (audience members’) feelings and attitudes.

Refer to both the music and libretto (story or plot) of the opera.

-Identify stated and implied themes.


-Write responses to novels, stories and poems (or operas) that demonstrate an understanding of

what happened in the opera and support judgments with specific references to events or musical

passages in the opera.

-Produce informal writings in journals, for example.

Grade Four


-Describe the thoughts, words and interactions of characters.

-Identify the main incidents of a plot sequence, identifying the major conflict and its resolutions.

-Determine the theme and whether it is implied or stated directly.


-Write responses to novels, stories and poems (or operas) that include a simple interpretation of a

literary (or opera) work and support judgments with specific references to the text (or the opera

production) and to prior knowledge.


Grade Five


-Explain how a character’s thoughts, words and actions reveal his or her motivations.

-Identify the main incidents of the plot sequence and explain how they influence future action.


-Write responses to novels, stories and poems (or operas), organize an interpretation around

several clear ideas, and justify the interpretation through the use of examples from the opera

production.

-Write formal and informal letters that follow letter format, include important information and

demonstrate a sense of closure. For example, write a friend about the experience of seeing an

opera, why it was so great, and how it was different from other entertainment experiences.


Grade Six


-Identify the main and minor events of the plot, and explain how each incident gives rise to the

next (is this really possible from an actual performance?).

-Distinguish how an author (opera composer or librettist) establishes mood and meaning through

word choice, figurative language and syntax or music.


-Write response to novels, stories, poems and plays (or operas) that provide an interpretation,

critique or reflection and support judgments with specific references to the opera production.

-Write persuasive essays that establish a clear position and include organized and relevant

information to support ideas.


soprano - toledo opera on...auf naxos, rinnucio in gianni schicchi, baker in into the woods, and...

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