Hot Mikado - April 2001


CAST LIST

 The Mikado of Japan John Wiley
Nanki-Poo (his son) John Wetherall
Ko-Ko (Lord High Executioner) Greg Yates
Pooh-Bah (Lord High Everything Else) Tim Jones
Pish-Tush (A Noble Lord) Luke Swatman
Yum-Yum Vicki Hardy
Pitti-Sing Lydia Simpkiss
Peep-Bo Samantha King
Katisha (An Elderly Lady) Colette Edwards

CHORUS

Marina Bray, Fiona Collins, Jayne Crowther, Tami Dowen, Liz Gilbert, Clare Goodhead. Caroline Hammond, Jackie Handley. Ella Hickman, Barbara King, Ruth Lewis, Meg Moran, Kate Osborne. Nikki Rai, Jenni Rullan, Anne Stokes, Mandy Tonkinson, Kay Whistance, Janice Wolverson, Jenny Washbrook

John Arnold, Chris Dowen, Mark Friedl, Mac Hammond, Richard Howell. Colin Hunt. Trevor Law. Chris Lewis. Alf Rai, Roger Stokes, David Storey, Chris Wolverson

MUSICAL NUMBERS

Act 1


We Are Gentlemen of Japan Pish-Tush, Gentlemen
AWand'ring Minstrel I Nanki-Poo, Gentlemen
And The Drums Will Crash Pooh-Bah. Nanki-Poo.Gentlmen
Behold The Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko, Gentlemen
I've Got a Little List Ko-Ko, Gentlemen
Three Little Maids Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing
This is What I'll Never Do Nanki-Poo, Yum-Yum
am So Proud Pooh-Bah. Ko-Ko.Pish - Tush
Let the Throng Our Joy Advance Nanki-Poo, Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing. Peep-Bo, Pish-Tush, Pooh-Bah, Ko-Ko, Ensemble
Katisha's Entrance Katisha, Yum-Yum,Nanki-Poo
For He's Gonna Marry Yum-Yum Pitti-Sing, Ensemble
The Hour of Gladness Katisha
Finale-Act 1 Katisha. Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing. Nanki-Poo, Ensemble

Act 2

Entr'acte Instrumental
Braid the Raven Hair Pish-Tush. Ladies
The Sun and I Yum-Yum
Swing a Merry Madrigal Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Pish-Tush, Nanki-Poo
Here's a Howdy-Do Yum-Yum, Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko
The Mikado Song Mikado & Ensemble
Alone and Yet Alive Katisha
Tit-Willow Ko-Ko
Beauty in The Bellow Katisha, Ko-Ko
Finale - Act 2 Nanki-Poo, Yum-Yum, Pish-Tush, Ensemble

THE MIKADO . . HOT MIKADO

The Mikado was one of 14 comic operettas written by Gilbert & Sullivan and is justifiably the most popular. In its original form it ran for 672 performances, much longer than anything else they wrote.

It quickly found itself being adapted to other musical traditions. In 1927, there was a celebrated jazz version in Berlin with Nanki-Poo portrayed as the son of an American millionaire, Katisha riding in a car and Yum-Yum bathing practically naked. An all-Negro jazz version followed in 1938 sponsored by the US Government and set on a Pacific Coral island. The 'Hot Mikado' followed in 1939.

In 1962, Frankie Howerd starred as Ko-Ko in a 'cool' version which left Gilbert intact but updated the music and more recently English National Opera launched Jonathan Miller's 1920's version with Eric Idle (and later Bill Oddie) as Ko-Ko.

Hot Mikado's launch in 1939 had more than 100 African-American actors including 60 year old tap dancer Bill (Bojangles) Robinson in the cast.

The revival by David H. Bell, Artistic Director of Ford's Theatre, Washington, USA as part of the theatre's 1986 Spring Festival, was unsuccessful in finding any of the original material from the 1939 production so Bell and his collaborator Rob Bowman decided to adapt the show themselves. It was well received in Washington, was staged successfully in other parts of the USA and moved to the UK and London's Queens Theatre on the 18th May, 1995. However it failed to secure an audience and closed on the 19th August, 1995.

We hope you will enjoy our revival here in humble 'Umpshire' and tap your feet to the mixture of gospel, jazz, blues and swing.