‘Mikado’ gets a makeover to remove ‘orientalism’

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | May 21, 2016 | Ryan Kost May

[artichokegrower]

In mid-February, word spread through the San Francisco theater community that a local group specializing in Gilbert and Sullivan productions was planning to stage the pair’s best known work, “The Mikado.” As recently as four years ago, this might not have been news at all. But this year, the community braced itself.

The piece, more than a century old and set in the fictionalized Japanese town of Titipu, is a favorite among Gilbert and Sullivan fans. Many consider it their masterpiece. Lately, however, “The Mikado” has been getting a second, more critical look, one that focuses on its inherent “orientalism” — or patronizing Western attitudes — and its long history of presenting white actors in “yellowface.” A recent production in Seattle was widely criticized, and another in New York City never made it to the stage.

[mort56]

The PC fascists strike again.

[Mrs. Don-o]

All the actors/actresses have to be Asians, AND...
they have to remove all orientalism.

Uh-huh.

[mdmathis6]

Are you saying by applying logic and reason, I have entered into the land of the bigoted damned? Oh my....or as GandS would say...”here’s a howdy do...”
/sarc

(I was in a summer stock production of the Mikado years ago so I know the show very well)

[NewHampshireDuo]

There’s a town named Oriental in NC. Guess they have a real problem.

[Bernard Marx]

yes, Mikado is about as ignorant of Japanese culture as something can be. But you don't watch it because of its Japanese culture, you watch it because the music is enjoyable, and it is a unique example of what the West's first thoughts were about Japan after the latter was opened up to the West in the mid-1800s.

I agree with your post's conclusion but not the statement above. "The Mikado" wasn't intended to reflect the West's thoughts about Japan at all. It was merely another in a long line of G & S operettas intended to ridicule and satirize British government and culture. The Japanese theme was merely window dressing that gave Gilbert the opportunity to soften his sharp jabs at his own country's politics and institutions by using a foreign setting. He'd done the same thing in several previous librettos like "The Gondoliers."

All this PC nonsense makes me think present-day America greatly needs the services of one of the play's characters to deal with the PC cultural Marxist elite:

"Behold the Lord High Executioner,

A personage of noble rank and title

A dignified and potent officer

Whose functions are particularly vital..."

[chajin]

"The Mikado" wasn't intended to reflect the West's thoughts about Japan at all. It was merely another in a long line of G & S operettas intended to ridicule and satirize British government and culture.

There is an interesting 1999 movie, Topsy-Turvy, which is supposedly based on the writing and staging of The Mikado, and how it was inspired by the fascination with Japonisme at the time.

More recently, a display in the Boston Museum featuring Japonisme created a big controversy, much like the one we are discussing here, because it supposedly offended people who respect Japanese culture. There were quite a few of us of all political stripes, from Berners to Cruzers, who are deeply into Japanese culture, who all had the same reaction: shut up and show the stuff, it's good history.

[chajin]

There’s a town named Oriental in NC.

I'm sure the town did not get named by occident.

[nopardons]

Bravo....well done.

This is a damned travesty and whilst there was an all black cast, "THE HOT MIKADO", in 1939, and an updated ( but taking place in Japan still, though in modern times ) version in the early '80s...all such revisions STINK ON ICE, as far as I'm concerned.

If Broadway has been forced to have mixed race casts in most plays, now, and "HAMILTON" has only one white in the cast and that being a loony King George III, I am disgusted, appalled, and furious about ALL of this PC crap!

What next, only an Italian cast for ROMEO AND JULIET, an all black cast for SHOWBOAT, except for whites in the black parts, and a white man as Jones, in THE EMPEROR JONES, because he's such a rotter ?

[nopardons]

And FYI....there is no such thing as doing THE MIKADO in “yellow face” ! Yes, the eyes are made to slant, but the makeup was/is never yellowish in professional and semi-professional performances.

[nopardons]

"YEOMEN OF THE GUARD" is their best, most operatic, and Gilbert's favorite.

"PATIENCE" and "IOLANTHE" ( the very first operetta to use electric footlights and electric lights on the fairies' costumes )are also as well known as "THE MIKADO".

[NewHampshireDuo]

LOL

[nopardons]

Well....sort of.

There was a Japanese exhibition, in London, at the time that Gilbert wrote THE MIKADO and all things Japanese were THE "rage". No English person really knew much at all about Japan, nor the Japanese at that time, but it was a VERY timely theme to use.

Just as "PATIENCE" was jabs at the "aesthete" movement/Oscar Wilde,"PRINCESS IDA" was poking fun at early "women's lib"/college for women, and parts of "IOLANTHE" had jibs at Wagnerian opera and the English Parliament ( specifically the House of Lords ), and "TRIAL BY JURY", needled the English court system.

[nopardons]

“TOPSY-TURVY” is about 95% accurate. Many of Sulivan’s mistresses were rolled into two women and dear Schwenk LOVED his wife dearly and did NOT treat Kitty as he did in the film.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Are you saying by applying logic and reason, I have entered into the land of the bigoted damned?

Yes! Yes!

That's EXACTLY what I am saying, you racist homophopic xenophobe!

[chajin]

dear Schwenk LOVED his wife dearly and did NOT treat Kitty as he did in the film.

now that's interesting; thanks for the info

[Jack Hammer]

One can hardly find words to characterize this degree of stupidity.

[Bernard Marx]

Well....sort of. There was a Japanese exhibition, in London, at the time that Gilbert wrote THE MIKADO and all things Japanese were THE "rage". No English person really knew much at all about Japan, nor the Japanese at that time, but it was a VERY timely theme to use.

You were taken in by the misinformation in the Topsy-Turvy movie as I was -- briefly. I learned the Knightsbridge Exhibition opened about 2 months *after* Gilbert had completed Act 1. There seems to be some truth to the story he was inspired by a Japanese sword in his study but that story is also in some dispute. But "Japan Mania" had overwhelmed England at the time and I agree it was a very timely theme.

[nopardons]

You're very welcome.

There are a couple of other things that are "off", but even I didn't know about Jesse Bond's problem with her leg and went digging to find out about it, after I saw the movie. So yes, take most of the film to be true; the the Samuri sword hitting him on the head and thus giving him the idea for "THE MIKADO" may be apocryphal, I've known it all of my life. :-)

[nopardons]

He knew about the Japanese exhibition coming to London, prior to the event.

And yes, the sword hitting him on the head is apocryphal; yet everyone sort of takes it sort of seriously, as well as the Japan "rage" of the time. I've know that story since I was 3, which I assure you was many decades removed from my seeing TOPSY-TURVY". :-)

Sadly, there have always been many books about the operettas, Gilbert & Sullivan together, and Sir Arthur, but almost NONE about only Gilbert. Thankfully, I now have two.

Unfortunately, the books written by George Grossmith, Jessie Bond, and Leonora Braham are now long out of print and I've only ever read snippets from them in other books.

[Flash Bazbeaux]

Especially the part where Porgy helps Porcelain make the bed.

Oh, wait that was Porgy and someone else.