1886-08-24 Mikado

The Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera, Mikado or the Town of Tupitu, was publically unveiled in March, 1885. By 1886, it was estimated that  by mid-1886, there were at least 150 companies performing the Mikado all across Europe and North America.

The Mikado first was seen by Hamiltonians in July 1886 at the Grand Opera House. It was so well-received, and tickets were so hard to come by, that the same company was brought back to repeat their staging of the Mikado just a few weeks later. As the Grand Opera House was already booked, the company was booked into the Palace theater.

Following is the Spectator’s review of the Mikado as performed in Hamilton on August 23, 1886 :

“A week’s season of The Mikado was begun last night at the Palace theater, where a really excellent performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s opera was given.

“Familiarity with the queer people created by Gilbert’s futile fancy, and the appropriate and tuneful music of Sullivan, does not seem to breed contempt in the minds of the public, for the more they see and hear the opera, the more they seem to like it.

“Last night the grotesquerie of Ko Ko and the Mikado, the archness of  the three little maids, the sharp humor developed in Katisha’s character, the funny dignity of Pooh Bah, Mr. Taylor as Nanki-Poo, and the general eccentricity of the chorus provoked as much mirth, pleasure and enthusiasm as they did at the first performance of the opera here. The company is the same one, with only one or two changes in the solo cast, that performed at the Grand Opera house several weeks ago.

“Mr. Herbert as Koo-Koo, Mr. Broderick as Poo Bah, Mr. Taylor as Nanki-Poo and Miss Baker as Katisha are so good that it would be difficult to suggest any improvement in their delineations of these characters. They are genuinely and highly artistic in the utter absurdity of their delineations as well as in their vocalism. Indeed, all the soloists of this company are capable and clever, but those mentioned bear off the honors.

“Mr. Packard’s Mikado is quite as funny, though less unctuous, than that of Mr. Harris. Mr. Herbert was encored in every one of his solos, and was recalled five or six times after his best ones. Miss Baker also came in for a liberal share of the enthusiasm which abounded. The chorus, though not large, is well-trained, both in stage business and singing, and do their work better than when they were heard here before. A very fair orchestra of eight pieces, besides a piano, gives a satisfactory completeness to the performance.

“This company will, as announced, appear at the Palace theater every evening this week and tomorrow and Saturday afternoons. The Mikado will be the attraction at each performance, excepting, perhaps, when a new opera will be given. This new piece is a potpourri  called the Big Tycoon, the characters and music of which are taken from Gilbert & Sullivan’s operas. The combination of old and well-known characters and new situations promises to be both interesting and amusing.

“The audience last night was large, and went away so much pleased that the prospects for a successful engagement for the company are extremely favorable.”¹

¹ “The Mikado Again”

Hamilton Spectator. August 24, 1886