Today’s movie is a period drama with scenes that happen on March 14.
Watch it tonight and enjoy.
TOPSY-TURVY
An ill Arthur Sullivan is barely
able to make it to the Savoy Theatre to conduct the opening night of Princess
Ida. Afterwards he goes on holiday to Europe and vows not to write any more
comic operas with W.S. Gilbert and concentrate on serous opera. Attendance at
Princess Ida does not meet expectations and it eventually closes, to be
replaced by a revival of an earlier Gilbert and Sullivan work The Sorecerer, as
a new work is not ready. Sullivan thinks what Gilbert is writing is a rehash of
previously used ideas and can’t create music for it. After visiting an
exhibition about Japan, Gilbert is inspired to write an opera set there, to
which Sullivan agrees. They and the cast work to get the show ready to go,
including bringing in real Japanese ladies to demonstrate Japanese manners. On
March 14, 1885 [1:54:31 to 2:31:18] the The
Mikado premieres. In
the face of a request by the entire cast, Gilbert re-instates a solo by Richard
Temple, but Gilbert later is accosted by a begger. The show is a huge success
with the public.
The Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan by W.S.
Gilbert (H. Wolf, New York, 1936) at page 175 gives the premiere date
Director - Mike Leigh
Producer - Simon Channing Williams
Screenplay - Mike Leigh
Awards – The film won the Best
Costume Design and Best Makeup Oscars. It was also nominated for Best Art
Direction and Best Original Screenplay at the 72nd Academy Awards.
Released – September 3, 1999
Runtime - 2 hours 40
minutes
Starring – Jim Broadbent as W. S.
Gilbert, Ron Cook as Richard D'Oyly Carte, Allan Corduner as Arthur Sullivan,
Eleanor David as Fanny Ronalds, Sullivan's mistress, Dexter Fletcher as Louis,
Sullivan's butler, Vincent Franklin as Rutland Barrington, who plays
Pooh-Bah,Lesley Manville as Lucy "Kitty" Gilbert, Gilbert's wife,
Timothy Spall as Richard Temple, who plays the Mikado, Martin Savage as George
Grossmith, who plays Ko-Ko, Dorothy Atkinson as Jessie Bond, who plays Pitti-Sing,
Louise Gold as Rosina Brandram, who plays Katisha, Shirley Henderson as Leonora
Braham, who plays Yum-Yum, Kevin McKidd as Durward Lely, who plays Nanki-Poo,
Wendy Nottingham as Helen Lenoir, Carte's indispensable aide, Cathy Sara as
Sybil Grey, who plays Peep-Bo, Andy Serkis as John D'Auban,
choreographer, Naoko Mori as Miss "Sixpence Please", Michael Simkins
as Frederick Bovill, who plays Pish-Tush, Sukie Smith as Clothilde, Sullivan's
maid, Ashley Jensen as Miss Tringham, a member of the chorus, Mark Benton as
Mr. Price, a member of the chorus, Steve Speirs as Mr. Kent, a member of the
chorus
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015
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