The (New) Mikado
posted July 22, 2016 4:37 PM   RSS | iCal | +googleCal

Sun August 21 at 8:00 PM, YBCA Theatre
700 Howard St, San Francisco, CA, USA (Map & Directions)
In Italy fantastical, blooms our Mikado new, / And we invite you, come, your dolce vita's overdue! Lamplighters Music Theatre presents The (New) Mikado. It's Gilbert & Sullivan's hilarious hit The Mikado, set in Italy instead of Japan, and with 1.7% worth of libretto changes to make it appropriate for today's world of inclusiveness and compassion.
I'm in the chorus, so MeMail me if you'd like to get friends-of-cast-member discounts. Please consider helping to demonstrate that lots of the general public support a company that is responsive to heterogeneous perspectives, and is striving to better the status quo. (Want more info on this? MeMail me!)

FREE PREVIEW for K-12 educators, and also people under age 30, of our August 4 dress rehearsal (with full orchestra and costumes), at Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the Arts. Please RSVP 415-227-4797 or RSVP@lamplighters.org

PERFORMANCES:
Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, August 5-7
Mountain View Performing Arts Center, August 13-14
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, August 19-21
Bankhead Theater, Livermore, August 27-28

Say "Boo," corrupted politics, say "Boo," to flirt-free prudes,
Say "Yay," to lyric vocalists, say "Yay," to timeless truths,

For universal lives and laughs, dogmatics we reject,
Don't misconstrue, Mikado's true, its soul is quite correct,

In Italy fantastical, blooms our Mikado new,
And we invite you, come, your dolce vita's overdue!

[loosely based on the refrain of "So Go To Him," from Pirates of Penzance, by Gilbert and Sullivan]
posted by cybercoitus interruptus to Performance (7 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite

This sounds amazing and I wish I could come!
posted by wintersweet at 12:44 AM on July 23, 2016


Just sent you memail. Happy Saturday!
posted by Pocahontas at 9:17 AM on July 23, 2016


wintersweet, thank you for your wishes! I appreciate them very much.

Pocahontas, I MeMailed you. Happy Saturday to you, too!

General note to people who would like to come, but can't -- please consider telling Lamplighters Music Theatre that you support the changes (phone or email; Facebook page). And please spread the word about the show to your people!
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 6:44 PM on July 23, 2016


Ok Bay Area Mefites, let's support cybercoitus interruptus & this fabulous new interpretation of the Mikado! Mr Pocahontas & I will be at the Sunday, 8/7 @ 2pm show in Walnut Creek. Plenty of seats available in the balcony, made even sweeter by cybercoitus' discount ($10 off each ticket!). After the post-show Meet & Greet with the cast, we'll be dining @ Pomegranate (within walking distance of the Lesher Center). Come join us!
posted by Pocahontas at 12:32 PM on July 24, 2016






Rave reviews, but ticket sales are suboptimal because boy howdy there sure are a ton of "How dare you cave to political correctness!" longtime Gilbert & Sullivan fans who flatly refuse to give the show a chance. So, see San Francisco's Friday August 19 and Saturday August 20 performances, with 45% off tickets!

Broadway World Review: Lamplighters' New Mikado Is Excellence Itself

Opinions from longtime, change-avoidant patrons: "Went in a skeptic, came out a convert"

Wholehearted endorsement from an English bloke (!!!) who attended an opening weekend performance

Couple of reviews from diehard G&S devotees (who had been very unhappy when Lamplighters announced there would be a setting change and a 1.7% libretto change):

criticontheloose.blogspot.com: The faithful weren’t going to have their Mikado messed with. I admit to being one of the faithful upset at having my Mikado changed. But I . . . felt I should see it just to find out how bad it was. I went in with an open mind and came out impressed . . .

Review from the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Facebook: This re-setting also allowed for a fuller carefree expression from all the characters compared to other traditional productions. There was a sense of abandon, frolic and genuine delighted interaction within the performers and the audience loved it. . . .
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 10:49 PM on August 17, 2016



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