The Mikado

As with all of Savoy’s productions, our mission is to create a show that is not only inclusive but celebratory of all identities.  We began developing our concept for The Mikado two years ago in 2023 with the support of a Japanese heritage consultant, who helped identify portions of the show that needed to be addressed.  Our goal was simple: Honor and respect The Mikado’s masterwork components while reinterpreting the show in creative ways that both respects its original spirit and makes it more relevant to today’s sensibilities to truly “let ev’ry heart be filled with joy.”

With our partners’ support, we have carefully revised the libretto and score in an effort to tease out the problematic components of the original source material and replace it with elements that shift the focus from Asian stereotypes to the universal themes of love, governance, and social absurdity that are at the core of the piece.  All of the character names have been changed, and numerous components of the libretto and score have been rewritten.  The show is set in the 1960s in a fictional version of the British Embassy in Japan, which both acknowledges the history of the piece and eliminates the exoticism that originally “othered” and poked fun at the Japanese people as a rhetorical device.  While some of the visuals hint at Japanesque culture, the costumes will reflect 1960s society.

Further, by partnering with Japanese heritage organizations both in the United States and in Japan, Savoy seeks to listen and understand the cultural implications of past productions that have caused harm to the Asian community.  By inviting the active participation of members of the community to share their views and voice their concerns, we seek to prevent the proliferation of harmful stereotypes and allow audiences to enjoy this masterwork as it was originally, and hilariously, intended.

• Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia
• Japanese American Citizens’ League
• A group located in Chichibu, Japan, who created a Japanese-translated version of The Mikado in 2001 and performed it at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in 2006

From the time of its premiere in 1885, The Mikado remains the most commercially successful and widely produced Gilbert & Sullivan opera, enjoying international production and box office success in both amateur and professional companies.  It ran at the Savoy Theatre for 672 performances – the second-longest of any musical theater piece to this day – and it continues to draw crowds to this day due to its catchy tunes, witty banter, and biting satire of British society.  It is also one of the most broadly referenced pieces throughout popular culture, containing such oft-parodied favorites as “Three Little Maids,” “As someday it may happen (I’ve got a little list),” and “Willow, tit-willow.”

The piece exemplifies the collaboration of both Gilbert the librettist and Sullivan the composer at the height of their success and expertise, as the libretto is teeming with genre favorites including whip-smart, rapid patter, deeply stirring love duets, madrigals, and action-packed act finales, all supported by a score that is richly adorned with Asian musical references and melodies that rival some of the most enduring and beloved bel canto operas.

Although the piece was intended from its inception to focus more on a criticism of British society through the rhetorical device of a far-distant and, at the time, culturally unknown land to its original audience, some contemporary (1880s) Japanese critics viewed the depiction of the title character as disrespectful toward the Emperor, as Japanese theater prohibited any portrayal of the royal family onstage.  Nonetheless, Japanese society on the whole remained largely ambivalent toward The Mikado for many years, and Japanese statesmen visiting England often requested to see it performed.

The ensuing years after World War II brought several challenges to The Mikado’s production due to a higher sensitivity toward racial equity, particularly in the United States.  Several high-profile productions came under fire for promoting “simplistic orientalist stereotypes” (NBC News, July 2014), and both the characters’ names and costumes, considered traditional to the show’s original production, were condemned as insensitive due to their attempts to portray a specific culture or nationality without appropriately contextualizing their intent or requiring input from the cultural communities they were intended to portray.  The term “yellowface” – a play on an American term, “blackface,” which was utilized to mock the Black community through minstrel shows – was coined to refer to such portrayals.  Other popular works in the classical canon depicting Asian society, including Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Turandot, drew similar criticism for their own interpretations of Asian culture and characters.

Despite the fact that the original piece was not intended as an insult to the Asian diaspora, intent does not minimize harm, and the perpetuation of Asian stereotypes has resulted in serious implications throughout modern Western history.  It is our hope that by acknowledging these past wrongs and partnering with major Japanese cultural organizations that we will develop a production of The Mikado that celebrates, uplifts, and educates a wider audience, exemplifying Savoy’s goal to “let ev’ry heart be filled with joy.”

Savoy is working with our production team and partners to develop a number of talkbacks to allow the community to learn more about what makes The Mikado – and particularly this interpretation of The Mikado – special.  There will be opportunities to engage with the cast and representatives from the organizations supporting our performance.