Albums

The Mikado

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Credits

Nanki-Poo, disguised son the Mikado: Robert Rounseville Pooh-Bah, Lord High Everything Else: Stanley Holloway Ko-Ko, Lord High Executioner: Groucho Marx Yum-Yum: Barbara Meister Peep-Bo, sister, ward of Ko-Ko: Melinda Marx Pitti-Sing: Sharon Randall The Mikado, Emperor of Japan: Dennis King Katisha, an elderly lady: Helen Traubel Citizens of Japan: Norman Luboff Choir Donald Voorhees and the Bell Telephone Orchestra A Production of Henry Jaffe Enterprises Executive Producer: Barry Wood Producer: Martyn Green Co-Producer: William Hammerstein Director: Norman Campbell Associate Producer: Robert Dwan Music Conductor, vocal arranger: Buster Davis Original Soundtrack Album Produced by Goddard Lieberson Produced for reissue by Hugh Fordin Associate Producer: Jim Kelly Production Assistant: Anaida Garcia Creative Director: Paul Grosso Art Direction and Design: Elizabeth Yoon Mastering: Alan Silverman at ARF! Digital

About

When The Mikado was first staged, in London in 1885, it was regarded as popular theater of the most tuneful and satirical kind – the Spamalot of its day, although, with no disrespect to the latter, with both better songs as well as jokes. With his eagerness to bump off anyone who displeased him, Ko-Ko was the Tony Soprano of Victorian England. At the time full-dress Italian opera and classical ballet were also considered middle brow, Gilbert & Sullivan represented musical theater for the masses. By the time the original London run of The Mikado had ended, it was already one of the most successful productions in the history of the British stage. No one could imagine a period, a hundred years and change years hence, when operetta would only exist in a museum, having become part of the intellectual and cultural sphere rather than a mass-market entertainment.