Episode 86: Gilbert and Sullivan


 

"H m s pinafore restoration" by J.E. JacksonUploaded by Jack1956 at en.wikipedia - Theatrical Poster Collection (Library of Congress), http://www.loc.gov/preserv/bachbase/images/98.1.jpgDigital image cleaned up by Adam Cuerden. Taken from http://adamcuerden.deviantart.com/art/H-M-S-Pinafore-restoration-180887963?q=sort%3Atime+gallery%3Aadamcuerden&qo=0 with permissionTransferred from en.wikipedia by ronhjones. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H_m_s_pinafore_restoration.jpg#/media/File:H_m_s_pinafore_restoration.jpg
Theatrical poster for “HMS Pinafore.” (Library of Congress via Wikipedia).

137 years ago, Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera “HMS Pinafore” made it debut on the London stage.

Here are a few things you may not have known about Gilbert and Sullivan and their works.

One: Composer Arthur Sullivan and lyricist W.S. Gilbert produced 14 comic operas in 25 years of working together. Aside from “HMS Pinafore,” the most notable are “The Pirates of Penzance” and “The Mikado.” These are still commonly produced today.

Two: “The Mikado” was the duo’s longest running show, with 672 performances and is the most-produced work by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Three: “HMS Pinafore” satirized nautical dramas of the time, including their overblown patriotism. It is also a criticism of the class system, which prevented the captain’s daughter, Josephine, from marrying sailor Ralph Rackstraw.

Our question: What was the name of the theater that showcased Gilbert and Sullivan’s later works and gave its name to their style of opera?

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