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Encyclopedia > Cultural influence of Gilbert and Sullivan

In the past 125 years, Gilbert and Sullivan have pervasively influenced popular culture in the English-speaking world.[1] Lines and quotations from the Gilbert and Sullivan operas have become part of the English language, such as "short, sharp shock", "What never? Well, hardly ever!", "let the punishment fit the crime", and "A policeman's lot is not a happy one".[2][3] W. S. Gilbert Arthur Sullivan Librettist William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842–1900) collaborated on a series of fourteen comic operas in Victorian England between 1871 and 1896. ... Popular culture, sometimes called pop culture, consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The phrase Short, sharp shock is taken from Gilbert and Sullivans 1885 comic opera The Mikado, where it appears near the end of the Act I song, I am so proud. ...


The operas have also influenced political style and discourse, literature, film and television, and have been widely parodied by humorists. They have so pervaded our culture that events from the "lives" of characters are memorialized by major news outlets. For instance, a New York Times article on 29 February 1940, noted that Frederic, from The Pirates of Penzance, was finally out of his indentures (having reached his 21st birthday, as described in that opera). The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... February 29th, or bissextile day, is the 60th day of a leap year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 306 days remaining. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Poster announcing the copyright performance at the Bijou Theatre, Paignton The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ...

Contents

Musical theatre

The American and British musical owes a tremendous debt to G&S, who introduced innovations in content and form that directly influenced the development of musical theatre through the 20th century.[4] Gilbert's complex rhyme schemes and satirical lyrics served as a model for Edwardian musical comedy writers such as Adrian Ross and Owen Hall, and for such 20th century Broadway lyricists as P.G. Wodehouse,[5] Cole Porter,[6] Ira Gershwin,[7] and Lorenz Hart.[4] Sullivan was admired and copied by early authors and composers such as Ivan Caryll, Lionel Monckton, Ivor Novello, George Gershwin,[8] Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Andrew Lloyd Webber.[1] Johnny Mercer said, "We all come from Gilbert." Alan Jay Lerner wrote that it was Gilbert who "raised lyric writing from a serviceable craft to a legitimate popular art form," and Stephen Sondheim included an homage to Gilbert in his Pacific Overtures (1976) showstopper "Please Hello."[9] Noel Coward wrote: The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in history Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in history Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. ... Cover of the Vocal Score Edwardian Musical Comedies are those British musical theatre shows from the period between the 1890s, when Gilbert and Sullivan began to lose their dominance, to the rise of the American musicals by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Jerome Kern following the First World War. ... Arthur Reed Ropes (December 23, 1859 – September 10, 1933) was better known under the psuedonym Adrian Ross a lyricist of British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th century. ... Owen Hall ((born Dublin, 10 April 1853, died Harrogate, 9 April 1907) was the pen name of 19th and early 20th century theatre critic James Davis when writing for the stage. ... Broadway theatre[1] is the most prestigious form of professional theatre in the U.S., as well as the most well known to the general public and most lucrative for the performers, technicians and others involved in putting on the shows. ... Called English literatures performing flea, P. G. Wodehouse, pictured in 1904, became famous for his complex plots, ingenious wordplay, and prolific output. ... Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter from Indiana. ... Ira Gershwin (6 December 1896 – 17 August 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century. ... Lorenz (Larry) Hart (May 2, 1895 - November 22, 1943) was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. ... Ivan Caryll was a composer from the late 19th and early 20th century. ... Lionel Monckton (December 18, 1861 - September 15, 1924) was a British writer and composer of musical theatre. ... Ivor Novello David Ivor Davies (January 15, 1893 – March 6, 1951), better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the early 20th century. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859–May 26, 1924) was a popular composer of light opera. ... Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of popular music. ... For work done with Richard Rodgers, see Rodgers and Hammerstein Oscar Hammerstein II (July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was a New-York born writer, producer, and (usually uncredited) director of musicals for almost forty years. ... Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is a highly successful English composer of musical theatre, the elder brother of Julian Lloyd Webber. ... Johnny Mercer John Herndon Johnny Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) is regarded as one of Americas greatest songwriters. ... Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American Broadway lyricist and librettist. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Pacific Overtures was an ambitious 1976 musical by Stephen Sondheim, with a libretto by John Weidman, and additional material by Hugh Wheeler, set in 1853 Japan. ... Noel Coward Sir Noel Peirce Coward (December 16, 1899 – March 26, 1973) was an English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music. ...

“ I was born into a generation that still took light music seriously. The lyrics and melodies of Gilbert and Sullivan were hummed and strummed into my consciousness at an early age. My father sang them, my mother played them, my nurse, Emma, breathed them through her teeth while she was washing me, dressing me and undressing me and putting me to bed. My aunts and uncles, who were legion, sang them singly and in unison at the slightest provocation....[10] „

—Introduction to The Noel Coward Song Book

However, according to Gilbert and Sullivan expert and enthusiast Ian Bradley:

“ The musical is not, of course, the only cultural form to show the influence of G&S. Even more direct heirs are those witty and satrical songwriters found on both sides of the Atlantic in the twentieth century like Michael Flanders and Donald Swann in the United Kingdom and Tom Lehrer in the United States. The influrence of Gilbert is discernible in a vein of British comedy that runs through John Betjeman's verse via Monty Python and Private Eye to... television series like Yes, Minister... where the emphasis is on wit, irony, and poking fun at the establishment from within it in a way which manages to be both disrespectful of authority and yet cosily comfortable and urbane. „

—Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! The Enduring Phenomenon of Gilbert and Sullivan ISBN 0195167007 Michael Henry Flanders (March 1, 1922 – April 14, 1975) was a British actor, broadcaster, and writer and performer of comic songs. ... Donald Ibrahím Swann (September 30, 1923–March 23, 1994) was a British composer, musician and entertainer. ... Tom Lehrer in 1960. ... A collection of Betjemans poetry, published by John Murray in January 2006 Sir John Betjeman CBE (28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Whos Who as a poet and hack. He was born to a middle-class family... Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Private eye may mean: Look up Private eye on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Private Eye a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop (as of 2005) A private investigator, a private detective for hire (see also crime fiction and detective fiction) Private Eye, a song by Alkaline Trio...

Politics

It is not surprising, given the focus of Gilbert on politics, that politicians have often found inspiration in these works. The phrase "A short, sharp shock," from the Act 1 song "I am so proud," has been used in political manifestoes. Likewise "Let the punishment fit the crime," from the Mikado's Act II song, is particularly mentioned in the course of British political debates. The phrase Short, sharp shock is taken from Gilbert and Sullivans 1885 comic opera The Mikado, where it appears near the end of the Act I song, I am so proud. ...


U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist added gold stripes to his judicial robes after seeing them used by the Lord Chancellor in a production of Iolanthe,[11] while Lord Falconer, on the other side of the Atlantic, objected so strongly to Iolanthe's comic portrayal of Lord Chancellors (like himself) that he supported moves to disband the office.[2] British politicians, beyond quoting some of the more famous lines, have also delivered speeches in the form of Gilbert and Sullivan parodies. These include Conservative Peter Lilley's pastiche of "I've got a little list" from The Mikado, listing those he was against, including "sponging socialists" and "young ladies who get pregnant just to jump the housing queue".[2] William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1, 1924 – September 3, 2005) was an American lawyer, jurist, and a political figure, who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and later as the Chief Justice of the United States. ... The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and prior to the Union the Chancellor of England and the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom, and its predecessor states. ... Iolanthe, or The Peer and the Peri, is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... The Right Honourable Peter Bruce Lilley (born August 23, 1943, Hayes, Kent) is a British MP. He currently represents the constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden and, prior to boundary changes, represented St Albans which was its predecessor seat. ... The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. ...


Other government references include postage stamps issued to memorialize the operas and various other uses by government entities. For instance, the arms granted to the municipal borough of Penzance in 1934 contain a pirate dressed in Gilbert's original costuming, and Penzance had a rugby team called the Penzance Pirates, which is now called the Cornish Pirates. Penzance Harbour and surrounding area as seen from the air Penzance (Cornish: Pensans) is a civil parish and port town in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, UK. Granted various Royal Charters from 1512 onwards and incorporated in 1614,[2] it has a population of 21,168[1] people and... The Cornish Pirates are a professional rugby union team who play in National Division One, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. ...


Phrases from the operas

Aside from politics, the phrase "A short, sharp shock" has appeared in titles of books and songs (most notably in samples of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"). Likewise "Let the punishment fit the crime" is an often-used phrase in popular media. For instance, in episode 80 of the television series Magnum, P.I., entitled "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime," Higgins prepares to direct a selection of pieces from The Mikado to be staged at the Estate.[12] The phrase and the Mikado's song also are featured in the Dad's Army episode, "A Soldier's Farewell." Pink Floyd are an English rock band that earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... This article is about the Pink Floyd album. ... Magnum, P.I. was an American television show that followed the adventures of Thomas Magnum (played by Tom Selleck), a private investigator living in Hawaii. ... Dad’s Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard in the Second World War, written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. ...


Songs and parodies

The works of Gilbert and Sullivan, filled as they are with parodies of their contemporary culture, are themselves frequently parodied or pastiched.[13] A notable example of this is Tom Lehrer's The Elements, which consists of Lehrer's rhyming rendition of the names of all the chemical elements set to the music of the "Major-General's Song" from Pirates. Lehrer also includes a verse parodying a G&S finale in his patchwork of stylistic creations Clementine ("full of words and music and signifying nothing", as Lehrer put it, thus parodying G&S and Shakespeare in the same sentence).[14] Tom Lehrer in 1960. ... The Elements (1959) is a song by musical humorist Tom Lehrer which recites the names of all the chemical elements known at the time of writing, up to number 102, nobelium. ... Henry Lytton as the Major-General The Major-Generals Song is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivans 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. ... Shakespeare redirects here. ...


Allan Sherman sang several parodies and pastiches of Gilbert and Sullivan songs: Allan Sherman (sometimes incorrectly Alan and Allen), November 30, 1924 – November 20, 1973, was an American musician, parodist, satirist, and television producer. ...

  • I'm called Little Butterball (about Sherman's admitted corpulence, based on a song from H.M.S. Pinafore)
  • When I was a lad I went to Yale (about a young advertising agent, based on the patter song from H.M.S. Pinafore - at the end, he thanks old Yale, he thanks the Lord, and he thanks his father "who is chairman of the board")
  • You need an analyst, a psychoanalyst (a variant on "I've got a little list" from The Mikado presenting reasons why one might want to seek psychiatric help).
  • Titwillow - a parody of the song from The Mikado, in which the bird sings with a stereotypical Yiddish accent. Sherman is so impressed by the bird's singing that he takes him "down from his branch", and home "to mein shplit-level ranch". His wife, "Blanch", misinterprets the gift and fricassees the bird, whose last words are, "Oy! Willow! Tit-willow! Willow!"

Anna Russell performed a parody called "How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera."[15] In addition, numerous G&S song parodies and other references to G&S are made in the animated TV series, Animaniacs, such as the "HMS Yakko" episode, which includes its well-known parody of the Major-General's Song, "I Am the Very Model of a Cartoon Individual." Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... Anna Claudia Russell-Brown (born 27 December 1911 in London) is an English singer and comedian. ... In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as the shorter title Animaniacs, is an American animated television series, distributed by Warner Bros. ... Henry Lytton as the Major-General The Major-Generals Song is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivans 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. ...


Gilbert and Sullivan songs are sometimes used in popular music. The popular song, "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," is set to the tune of "With cat-like tread" from The Pirates of Penzance (in particular, the segment that starts, "Come, friends who plough the sea." The musical group Peter, Paul and Mary included the song, "I have a song to sing, O!" on one of their children's albums, Peter, Paul and Mommy (1969). In addition, the songs are often used in advertising. For example, Gimbels department store had a campaign sung to the tune of the Major-General's Song that began, "We are the very model of a modern big department store."[16] The song, "My eyes are fully open," (with some changed lyrics) is used in Papp's Broadway production of The Pirates of Penzance (1980-81), and the tune of the song is also used as "The Speed Test" in the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002). Hail! Hail! The gangs all here! is a song made famous by Fred Astaire. ... The trio Peter, Paul and Mary (often PP&M) is an American musical group that was one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the 1960s. ... Peter, Paul and Mommy released on Warner Bros. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Broadway theatre[1] is the most prestigious form of professional theatre in the U.S., as well as the most well known to the general public and most lucrative for the performers, technicians and others involved in putting on the shows. ... Poster announcing the copyright performance at the Bijou Theatre, Paignton The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... Thoroughly Modern Millie is a stage adaptation of the 1967 film of the same name. ...


Other references to songs in The Mikado

In The Producers, a terrible auditioner for the musical Springtime for Hitler begins his audition with Nanki-Poo's song, "A Wand'ring Minstrel I." After only nine words, the director cuts him off abruptly, saying "THANK YOU!" In at least two episodes of Blackadder Goes Forth, parts of "A Wand'ring Minstrel I" are played. The movie poster for The Little Shop of Horrors, shown to the right, parodies the song title, "The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring," changing the word "bloom" to "kill". Image File history File links Download high resolution version (440x700, 89 KB)Because this film is currently in the public domain, its my belief that all artwork, photos and posters associated with it are also in the public domain. ... The Producers may refer to one of the following: American actor and writer director Mel Brooks comedy about two con-men who attempt to cheat theatre investors out of their investment money. ... The second series of Blackadder was set in Elizabethan England, starring (left to right) Tony Robinson as Baldrick, Rowan Atkinson as Edmund, Lord Blackadder, and Tim McInnerny as Lord Percy Percy. ... The Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 black comedy film directed by Roger Corman. ...


References to "Three Little Maids":

  • In the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, Harold Abrahams first sees his future wife as one of the Three Little Maids.
  • The Capitol Steps also performed a parody entitled "Three Little Kurds from School Are We" about conditions in Iraq.

References to "Tit-Willow" ("On a tree by a river"): Allan Sherman's parody is described above. In one of his appearances on The Dick Cavett Show, Groucho Marx and Cavett sang the song. Groucho interrupted at the line "...and if you remain callous and obdurate, I shall perish as he did..." to quiz the audience on the meaning of the word "obdurate". A Muppet Show episode featured Rowlf the Dog singing, with the refrain "Oh, willow, tit-willow, tit-willow" being spoken, under protest, by Sam the Eagle. // January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. ... Chariots of Fire is a British film released in 1981. ... Frasier is a popular American situation comedy television series that starred Kelsey Grammer, reprising the character of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane from parent show Cheers, which had ended months before. ... Angel is a spin-off of the American television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Keep it in the Family is a British comedy television series. ... For the American national grocery store chain owned by Whole Foods, see Whole Foods Market. ... The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, is an American childrens television series that airs on the Disney Channel. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Alvin and the Chipmunks was the second American animated television series to feature the singing characters The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions, Ruby-Spears Productions, and Lorimar-Telepictures (which became Lorimar Television in 1988). ... Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as the shorter title Animaniacs, is an American animated television series, distributed by Warner Bros. ... The Capitol Steps are a popular American political satire group. ... Dick Cavett in 1974 Richard Alva Cavett (born November 19, 1936) is an American television talk show host known for his conversational style of in-depth and often serious issues discussion. ... Julius Henry Marx, AKA Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... The Muppet Show is a television program featuring a cast of Muppets (diverse hand operated puppets, typically with huge eyes and large moving mouths) produced by Jim Henson and his team from 1976 to 1981. ... Rowlf the Dog Rowlf the Dog is a Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. ... Sam the Eagle Sam the Eagle is a character from the syndicated television show The Muppet Show, performed by Frank Oz. ...


References to the "Little List" song: Sherman also did a variant on the song, described above. In a Eureeka's Castle Christmas special called "Just Put it on the List," the twins, Bogg and Quagmire, describe what they'd like for Christmas to the tune of the song. Eureekas Castle was an American childrens television series following the adventures of Eureeka, a sorceress in training, who lived in a giants castle music box with her friends. ...


Other references to songs in H.M.S. Pinafore

Songs from Pinafore are featured in a number of films. "When I Was A Lad" is sung by characters in the 2003 fantasy movie Peter Pan; "A British Tar" is sung in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981);"For he is an Englishman" is sung in Chariots of Fire (1981), and "I'm Called Little Buttercup" is sung in The Good Shepherd (2006). The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. ... Peter Pan was a film released on December 25, 2003, by Universal Pictures. ... Star Trek: Insurrection (Paramount Pictures, 1998) is the ninth Star Trek feature film. ... Raiders of the Lost Ark, also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a 1981 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas and starring Harrison Ford. ... Chariots of Fire is a British film released in 1981. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...


Songs from the show are also patiched or referenced in television episodes, including episode #3 of Animaniacs, "HMS Yakko"; "Cape Feare" episode of The Simpsons; Family Guy's episode "The Thin White Line" (and in the movie Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story); and the Leave it to Beaver episode "The Boat Builders." "For he is an Englishman" is referenced both in the title's name and throughout The West Wing episode "And It's Surely To Their Credit". Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as the shorter title Animaniacs, is an American animated television series, distributed by Warner Bros. ... Cape Feare is the second episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... The Thin White Line is an episode of Family Guy. ... For other uses, see Leave It to Beaver (disambiguation). ... “The West Wing” redirects here. ... And Its Surely to Their Credit is the 27th episode of The West Wing. ...


Other references to songs in The Pirates of Penzance'

The Major-General's Song is frequenly parodied, pastiched and used in advertising. In many instances, the song, unchanged, is simply used in a film or on television as a character's audition piece, or seen in a "school play" scene. For example, in Kate and Leopold, Leopold sings the song while accompanying himself on the piano. Its challenging patter has proved interesting to comics, as noted above, and in film and televistion pastiches too numerous to mention. A few examples, in addition to the famous Animaniacs example noted above, include: Henry Lytton as the Major-General The Major-Generals Song is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivans 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. ... The word pastiche describes a literary or other artistic genre. ... Kate & Leopold is a 2001 motion picture that tells a story of Duke who time travels from 1876 to the present and falls in love with a career woman in New York. ... The patter song is a staple of comic opera: a solo, typically for bass or baritone, typically delivered very quickly to a kind of sing-song tune. ... Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as the shorter title Animaniacs, is an American animated television series, distributed by Warner Bros. ...

  • The computer-animated series ReBoot ended its third season with a recap of the entire season, set to the song's tune;
  • In the Doctor Who Big Finish Productions audio, Doctor Who and the Pirates, the Doctor sings, "I am the very model of a Gallifreyan buccaneer" (and other songs, from Pirates, Pinafore and Ruddigore, are parodied);
  • The Muppet Show (season 3, episode 61)[17] staged a duet of the song with guest host and commedienne Gilda Radner and a six-foot tall talking carrot (The scene bore an ironic parody to another scene in Pirates, as Radner had requested a six-foot tall talking parrot, but was misheard);
  • David Hyde Pierce's monologue, as host of Saturday Night Live, was a parody of the song;
  • In the episode of Frasier titled Fathers and Sons, Frasier, Niles, and Leland Barton sing the first verse of the song. Martin, hearing them, tries to join in, but instead confuses the lyrics, singing something about a "scary hippopotamus" (instead of "the square of a hypotenuse");
  • In The Wild Thornberrys episode "Sir Nigel," Nigel Thornberry sings a song about the family to the tune of the song;
  • In a VeggieTales episode entitled "The Wonderful World of Auto-Tainment", Archibald Asparagus sings the first two verses of this song when asked to sing about "Military Intelligence";
  • In the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip episode "The Cold Open" (2006), the cast performs a sketch including a parody of the song: "We'll be the very model of a modern network TV show"; and
  • In an episode of Pinky and The Brain, The Brain sings a typically megalomaniacal parody of the song.

Other songs from the show that have been referenced frequently include the chorus of With cat-like tread, which begins "Come, friends, who plough the sea," which was used in the popular American song, "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," popularized by Fred Astaire. The song was also pastiched in an episode of Animaniacs in a song about surfing a whale. ReBoot was a Canadian CGI animated series that was produced by Mainframe Entertainment, created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace, with the striking visuals created by Brendan McCarthy after an initial attempt by Ian Gibson. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and a 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC. The programme shows the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space in his TARDIS time ship with his companions, solving problems and... Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces audio plays released straight to compact disc, based on British cult science fiction properties. ... Doctor Who and the Pirates is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Ruddigore, or The Witchs Curse, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. ... The Muppet Show was a television program featuring a cast of Muppets (diverse hand-operated puppets, typically with oversized eyes and large moving mouths) produced by Jim Henson and his team from 1976 to 1981. ... Gilda Radners Live From New York LP cover Gilda Susan Radner (28 June 1946 – 20 May 1989) was an American comedian and actress, best known for her five years as part of the original cast of the NBC comedy series Saturday Night Live. ... David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is a Tony Award and Emmy Award-winning American actor, best known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the sitcom Frasier. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 91-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City that has been broadcast live by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... Frasier is a popular American situation comedy television series that starred Kelsey Grammer, reprising the character of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane from parent show Cheers, which had ended months before. ... The Wild Thornberrys was an American animated television series produced by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon. ... VeggieTales is a series of childrens computer animated films featuring humorous, anthropomorphic vegetables and conveying qubo and PBS Kids moral themes compatible with and often based on Christianity. ... Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American dramatic television series which aired on NBC in 2006–2007. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Hail! Hail! The gangs all here! is a song made famous by Fred Astaire. ... Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as the shorter title Animaniacs, is an American animated television series, distributed by Warner Bros. ...


Literature

Isaac Asimov, a fan of Gilbert & Sullivan, was fascinated by some of the parodoxes that occur in their works and mysteries surrounding their manuscripts. He wrote several stories exploring these, including one about a time-traveller who goes back in time to save the score to Thespis. Another, called "The Year of the Action," concerns whether the action of Pirates took place on March 1, 1873, or March 1, 1877. That is, did Gilbert forget, or not know, that 1900 was not a leap year? In "Runaround", a story in I, Robot, a robot, while in a state similar to drunkenness, sings snippets of "There Grew a Little Flower" (from Ruddigore), "I'm Called Little Buttercup" (from Pinafore), "When I First Put This Uniform On" (from Patience), and "The Nightmare Song" (from Iolanthe). Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920? – April 6, 1992, IPA: , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов) was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful and exceptionally prolific writer best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ... This article is about the short story Runaround. For the unrelated television show of the same name, see Runaround (TV show). ... I, Robot is a collection of nine English language science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. ...


P. G. Wodehouse makes dozens of references to Gilbert and Sullivan in his works.[18] Wodehouse sometimes referred to Gilbert at length,[19] and he based his PSmith character on Rupert D'Oyly Carte or his brother. P. G. Wodehouse, pictured in 1904, became famous for his complex plots, ingenious wordplay, and prolific output Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse KBE (October 15, 1881 – February 14, 1975) (IPA: ) was an English comic writer who enjoyed enormous popular success for more than seventy years. ... Rupert DOyly Carte, born Hampstead, London, November 3, 1876, was an English hotelier and impresario, best known as proprietor of the DOyly Carte Opera Company from 1913 to 1948. ...


Film

Aside from adaptations, several films have treated the G&S partnership. Mike Leigh's film Topsy-Turvy (1999) is an award-winning film depiction of the team and the creation of their most popular opera, The Mikado. Another G&S film is the 1953 The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (or The Great Gilbert and Sullivan in the U.S.), starring Robert Morley as Gilbert and Maurice Evans as Sullivan, with Martyn Green as George Grossmith. Specific film versions of the operas have included a 1926 D'Oyly Carte Opera Company short promotional film that featured some of the most famous Savoyards, including Darrell Fancourt, Henry Lytton, Leo Sheffield, Elsie Griffin, and Bertha Lewis.[20] In 1939, Universal Pictures released a ninety-minute technicolor film adaptation of The Mikado.[21] The film stars Martyn Green as Ko-Ko and Sydney Granville as Pooh-Bah. The music was conducted by Geoffrey Toye, who was also credited with the adaptation. William V. Skall received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. Also, in 1966, the D'Oyly Carte produced a film version of The Mikado, which showed much of their traditional staging at the time, although there are some minor cuts. Mike Leigh OBE (born February 20, 1943 in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire) is an award winning English film and theatre director. ... Topsy-Turvy is a 1999 film which tells the background story of the creation of The Mikado, a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. ... Robert Morley (May 26, 1908 – June 3, 1992) was an Oscar-nominated British actor who, often in supporting roles, was usually cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment. ... Maurice Evans (1901 - 1989) was an English actor. ... Martyn Green (1899 - 1975) was an actor primarily known for his work in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. ... George Grossmith, as illustrated in The Idler magazine, 1897 George Grossmith (December 9, 1847 - March 1, 1912) was an English actor and comic writer, best remembered for his work with Gilbert & Sullivan. ... Darrell Fancourt (March 8, 1886 – August 29, 1953) was an English bass-baritone, known for his performances of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Sir Henry Lytton (born London, 3 January 1865, died London 15 August 1936) was the leading exponent of the patter roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas in the early part of the twentieth century. ... Leo Sheffield, (November 15, 1873 – September 3, 1951) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Elsie Griffin (December 6, 1895 – December 21, 1989) was an English opera singer, best known for her performances in the soprano roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Bertha Lewis (May 22, 1887 – May 8, 1931) was an English opera singer and actress primarily known for her work as principal contralto in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Martyn Green (1899 - 1975) was an actor primarily known for his work in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. ... Sydney Granville, (1880 – December 27, 1959) was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in baritone roles of the Savoy Operas with the DOyly Carte Opera Company. ... Edward Geoffrey Toye (February 17, 1889 - June 11, 1942) was an English conductor, composer, and opera producer. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...


Several film scores draw heavily on the G&S repertoire, including Chariots of Fire (1981) and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992). In other films, characters sing songs from the operas. In Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), the Picard, Worf and Data sing "A British Tar" from Pinafore. In Kate and Leopold (2001), among other Pirates references, Leopold sings the "Major-General's Song," accompanying himself on the piano. In The Good Shepherd (2006), Matt Damon's character sings Little Buttercup's song falsetto in an all-male version of Pinafore at Yale University. In Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Sallah sings Pinafore tunes. In the 2003 fantasy movie Peter Pan, the Darling family sings "When I Was A Lad". Chariots of Fire is a British film released in 1981. ... The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is a 1992 thriller starring Rebecca De Mornay as a vengeful nanny out to destroy a naïve woman and steal her family. ... Star Trek: Insurrection (Paramount Pictures, 1998) is the ninth Star Trek feature film. ... Kate & Leopold is a 2001 motion picture that tells a story of Duke who time travels from 1876 to the present and falls in love with a career woman in New York. ... The Good Shepherd is a nautical novel by CS Forester, the author of the novels about fictional Royal Navy officer Horatio Hornblower. ... Matthew Paige Matt Damon (born October 8, 1970) is an American screenwriter and actor. ... “Yale” redirects here. ... Raiders of the Lost Ark, also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a 1981 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas and starring Harrison Ford. ... The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. ... Peter Pan was a film released on December 25, 2003, by Universal Pictures. ...


In a number of films, a significant part of the action is set during a G&S opera. Foul Play (1978) features an assassination attempt that culminates during a showing of The Mikado. The thwarted assassin falls into the rigging used as a backdrop for H.M.S. Pinafore. Similarly, in Walt Disney's cartoon Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004), the finale occurs at the Paris Opera during a G&S performance. The score features "With Cat Like Tread", "The Major General's Song", "Poor Wandering One", and the overture from Princess Ida and a performance of The Pirates of Penzance that becomes the setting for the climactic battle between the Musketeers and Captain Pete. Foul Play is a 1978 comedy/thriller film by Colin Higgins (the director of the cult classic Harold and Maude) starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. ... Alternate meanings: Disney (disambiguation) The Walt Disney Company (also known as Disney Enterprises, Inc. ... Exterior of the Palais Garnier. ... Black Pete (also known by countless other names, including Peg-Leg Pete and, simply, Pete) is a fictional character from the Walt Disney Company stables. ...


In other films, there have simply been prominent references to one or more of the operas. For instance, in Pretty Woman, Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) covered a social gaff by prostitute Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts), who said that the opera La Traviata was so good that she almost "peed in [her] pants" by saying that she had said that she liked it almost as much as "The Pirates of Penzance." Pretty Woman is a 1990 American romantic comedy motion picture. ... Richard Tiffany Gere[1] (born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. ... Julia Fiona Roberts (October 28, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress and former fashion model. ... La traviata, an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, takes as its basis the novel La dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils, published in 1848. ...


Television

Gilbert and Sullivan, and songs from the operas, have been referenced in numerous TV series, including many The Simpsons episodes, including "Cape Feare", "Deep Space Homer", and "Bart's Inner Child"; numerous Frasier episodes; an Angel episode in the fifth season where Charles Gunn becomes a good lawyer, and learns a lot of G&S, because it's "great for elocution"; numerous references in Animaniacs; numerous references in The West Wing (in particular by Deputy Communications Director, Sam Seaborn); the episode "The Cold Open" (1x02) of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; the episode "Atonement" of Babylon 5; in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, Harold Bishop often makes G&S references; references in the VeggieTales episodes "Lyle the Kindly Viking", "The Wonderful World of Auto-Tainment", "The Star of Christmas", and "Sumo of the Opera"; Family Guy referred to and parodied G&S a number of times, especially in season four; Muppet Wiki has a G&S page.[22] Simpsons redirects here. ... Cape Feare is the second episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ... Deep Space Homer is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ... Barts Inner Child is the seventh episode of The Simpsons fifth season, first aired on November 11, 1993. ... Frasier is a popular American situation comedy television series that starred Kelsey Grammer, reprising the character of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane from parent show Cheers, which had ended months before. ... Angel is a spin-off of the American television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as the shorter title Animaniacs, is an American animated television series, distributed by Warner Bros. ... Samuel Norman Sam Seaborn is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. ... Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American dramatic television series which aired on NBC in 2006–2007. ... Atonement is an episode from the fourth season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. ... Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... For Philippine soap opera, see Teleserye. ... Neighbours is a long-running Australian soap opera, which began airing in March 1985. ... Harold Wayne Bishop is a fictional character in the Australian television soap opera Neighbours,and is played by Ian Smith. ... VeggieTales is a series of childrens computer animated films featuring humorous, anthropomorphic vegetables and conveying qubo and PBS Kids moral themes compatible with and often based on Christianity. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ...


The following television examples of references to some of the best-known G&S operas include:

Magnum, P.I. was an American television show that followed the adventures of Thomas Magnum (played by Tom Selleck), a private investigator living in Hawaii. ... Larry David Larry David (born July 2, 1947) is an Emmy-winning actor, writer, comedian, producer and film director born and raised in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, New York. ... This section has been identified as trivia. ... Frasier is a popular American situation comedy television series that starred Kelsey Grammer, reprising the character of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane from parent show Cheers, which had ended months before. ... Angel is a spin-off of the American television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Alvin and the Chipmunks was the second American animated television series to feature the singing characters The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions, Ruby-Spears Productions, and Lorimar-Telepictures (which became Lorimar Television in 1988). ... Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as the shorter title Animaniacs, is an American animated television series, distributed by Warner Bros. ... The Muppet Show is a television program featuring a cast of Muppets (diverse hand operated puppets, typically with huge eyes and large moving mouths) produced by Jim Henson and his team from 1976 to 1981. ... Rowlf the Dog Rowlf the Dog is a Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. ... Sam the Eagle Sam the Eagle is a character from the syndicated television show The Muppet Show, performed by Frank Oz. ... Cape Feare is the second episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Bart and his sister Lisa Simpson as news anchors. ... Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known by his stage name Sideshow Bob, is a fictional character on The Simpsons. ... Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as the shorter title Animaniacs, is an American animated television series, distributed by Warner Bros. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Freakazoid! (or Freakazoid) is an animated television show created by Warner Brothers that aired for two seasons in 1995-1997. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... Stewie, an infant evil genius, has concocted yet another diabolical plot to murder his mother. ... The Thin White Line is an episode of Family Guy. ... Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is an American dramatic television series which aired on NBC in 2006–2007. ... Matthew Perry may be: Matthew Perry (1794-1858), American naval officer. ...

Other media

The operas are also referred to in video games. For example, in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a casino is called "Pirates in Men’s Pants", a crude play on Pirates of Penzance. Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a universal phenomenon. ... Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ...


Notes

  1. ^ a b See Bradley, Ian Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! The Enduring Phenomenon of Gilbert and Sullivan Oxford University Press (2005), Chapter 1. ISBN 0195167007 and this article at the musicals101 website
  2. ^ a b c Green, Edward. "Ballads, songs, and speeches" (sic). BBC, 20 September 2004. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  3. ^ Lawrence, Arthur H. "An illustrated interview with Sir Arthur Sullivan" Part 3, from The Strand Magazine, Vol. xiv, No.84 (December 1897). Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  4. ^ a b Downs, Peter. "Actors Cast Away Cares". Hartford Courant, October 18, 2006. Available for a fee at courant.com archives.
  5. ^ PG Wodehouse(1881–1975). guardian.co.uk, Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  6. ^ Lesson 35 — Cole Porter: You're the Top. PBS.org, American Masters for Teachers, Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  7. ^ Furia, Phillip. Ira Gershwin: The Art of a Lyricist. Oxford University Press, Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  8. ^ Noting W. S. Gilbert's influence on Wodehouse and the Gershwins
  9. ^ "G&S in the USA" at the musicals101 website
  10. ^ The Noel Coward Song Book, (London: Methuen, 1953), p.9.
  11. ^ Sporting stripes set Rehnquist apart, Sept. 4, 2005, Journal Sentinel Online. Downloaded 26 May 2007.
  12. ^ See Wikipedia List of Magnum, P.I. episodes and TV.com Magnum, P.I. Episode Guide
  13. ^ Links to reviews and analysis of many G&S parody recordings
  14. ^ http://www.cris.com/~oakapple/gasdisc/mdlehrer.htm Review and analysis of Lehrer's G&S parodies]
  15. ^ Review and analysis of Russell's G&S parody
  16. ^ One of these ads ran in the New York Times on Tuesday, October 27, 1953 as a full-page advertisement.
  17. ^ "tv.com link" Information on Muppet Show from TV.com
  18. ^ Robinson, Arthur. References to Gilbert & Sullivan in the Works of P. G. Wodehouse. LaGrange College, 2006-12-22. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  19. ^ Scene from Bring on the Girls (1954)
  20. ^ Information from the G&S Discography
  21. ^ From the G&S Discography
  22. ^ Muppet Wiki's G&S page

September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir William Schwenck Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (November 18, 1836 – May 29, 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist and illustrator best known for the fourteen comic operas produced in collaboration with the composer Sir Arthur Sullivan. ... Category: ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Gilbert and Sullivan
The Triumvirate:
W. S. Gilbert | Arthur Sullivan | Richard D'Oyly Carte
The Gilbert and Sullivan Operas:
Thespis • Trial by Jury • The Sorcerer • H.M.S. Pinafore • The Pirates of Penzance • Patience • Iolanthe • Princess Ida
The Mikado • Ruddigore • The Yeomen of the Guard • The Gondoliers • Utopia, Limited • The Grand Duke
Other Works, People and Related Matters:
Other Works by W. S. Gilbert • Other Operas by Arthur Sullivan • Other Music by Arthur Sullivan
People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan • Gilbert and Sullivan performers • Cultural influence of Gilbert and Sullivan


 
 

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