KENNEDY THEATRE • 1996·97 SEASON The University of Hawai'i at Manoa, College of Arts and Humanities Department of Theatre and Dance in cooperation with the Music Department presents KIMI By W. S. Gilbert and Sir Authur Sullivan Directed by James A. Brandon Libretto adapted by James R. Brandon , Ramon Arjona IV, November 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, Lisa A. Kramer, Carlos Thelin, Kathy Welch December 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Music Arranged by Alpha Delta Kappa Benefit Ne.il McKay Performance December 1 Choreography by Scenic and Lighting Design by Onoe Kikunobu John Parkinson * Musical Direction by Costume and Wig Design by Ricardo D. Trimillos Sandra Finney Orchestra Conducted by Techn ical Direction by Neil McKay Mark Boyd 'In partial fulfillment ol the Master ol Fine Arts Degree requirements in Design. ABOUT THE PLAY DIRECTOR'S NOTES Gilbert and Sullivan's one-act comic opera, new costumes, makeup and wigs in Kabuki Trial by Jury, was the first production I fashion, master's candidate John Parkinson directed in public as a college student many designed a unique setting inspired by Kabuki years ago. Together with Kabuki, the scenic design , and Mark Boyd contributed his charming works of G&S have long been my long experience with previous Kabuki favorite forms of theater. They have much in productions as technical director of the play. common-popular theaters that are The Kabuki Mikado is a "chamber comic outrageously extravagant and delight in opera." Rather than filling the stage with a displaying their emotions (and their bright phalanx of whirling dancers and singers, in humor) on their sleeves for all to see and Kabuki fashion a small chorus of five is seated hear. When some twelve years ago the idea of at the rear of the stage throughout the action. setting The Mikado into the world of Kabuki This focuses attention on the eight principle arose, I suppose it was inevitable. characters. We hope you will enjoy the special Four students and I rewrote Gilbert's "flavor" of this version of The Mikado. quaint (yet racist) 1885 libretto. We greatly revised the plot, making love-lorn Katsura the James R. Brandon focus of attention. We imagined the action taking place on the tiny remote Japanese THE MIKADO island of Kitakami, where nothing ... ever .. happens. Ah, but then things do happen with Between 1871 and 1896, William S. Gilbert dire, and of course comic, complications. A and Sir Arthur Sullivan created thirteen operas. major point of revision was the role of the Their contrasting personalities made them a Mikado (the Emperor), who is never written theatrical "odd couple" but their into a Kabuki play (we can't give away our complimentary styles garnered them theatrical solution without spoiling the ending) . We've success. rewritten song lyrics to add local humor William Schwenk Gilbert (1836-1911 ), the (lawyers and politicians beware) and altered lyricist, was a brusque and sometimes short­ the story line to bring the action up-to-date. tempered man, who had little patience for We also tried to conceive G&S's scenes using royalty or bureaucracy. He worked as a Kabuki stagecraft: the Three Little Maids government clerk, and later as a lawyer, before arrive by boat steered by black-robed stage becoming a playwright. Besides his dramatic assistants {koken); Bungo and Bingo, lords of endeavors, Gilbert also wrote two popular Kitakami, strike mie poses; the lover Konyaku books of verse, entitled The Bab Ballads and attempts ritual suicide or seppuklf, Katsura More Bab Ballads. transforms into a demon and makes a Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842-1900), by spectacular flying exit (roppo) down the contrast, was a pleasant man, and a friend of hanamichi accompanied by the beating of the Prince of Wales and other royalty. When wooden clappers (tsuke). Dr. Neil McKay he was young, Sullivan was a soloist with the rearranged the music to be played on western Chapel Royal choristers. He later earned and Kabuki instruments, and Onoe Kikunobu scholarships to the Royal Academy of Music in conceived Kabuki-style movement and dance London and the Leipzig Conservatory in sequences for the production. Dr. Ricardo D. Germany. He became one of Victorian Trimillos, who has been musical director for England's most famous composers, with UHM Kabuki productions for more than two hymns such as "Onward! Christian Soldiers" decades, undertook the task of training the and popular songs such as "The Lost Chord" singer-actors. Sandra Finney has created to his credit. ABOUT THE PLAY (CONTINUED) Gilbert and Sullivan met in 1870. A year history of Japan, and "finding therein much later their first opera. Thespis. appeared The from which to extract humour, soon play was not a success. and the two did not conceived a plot and story" (Bridgeman). In colloborate again unti11875 when they created addition, since the Japanese settlement in Trial By Jury. The one-act opera. which poked Knightsbridge was within a mile of Gilbert's fun at the judiciary, attracted large audiences. home. he did not have to go far to further The1r other operas mclude such familiar titles research Japanese ways. He went there to as The Sorcerer (1877); H. M.S. Pinafore recruit assistance in training his company "to (1878); The Pirates of Penzance (1879); be Japanese." A Japanese male dancer and a Iolanthe (1882); and. arguably their greatest female geisha came from the village to coach success. The Mikado (1885). the company. They taught the British Audiences worldwide have enjoyed The actresses how to walk, run, dance, snap a fan, Mikado since it opened on March 14, 1885, giggle, and do their makeup and hair. beginning a two-year run. Before the end of Gilbert's characters and story say little 1885, there were at least 150 companies about historical Japan. Yet, there was some performing The Mikado in Europe and America. concern that the production would give The popularity of all of Gilbert and Sullivan's offense to Japanese . Thus in the early 1900s operas continues on to this day, with many a revival of the opera at the Savoy Theater in countnes having Gilbert and Sullivan societies London was temporarily banned. However. no that perform operas every year. In the next one imagines that The Mikado was actually seventeen months more than two thousand about Japan-it was written as a satire of productions of Gilbert and Sullivan's com1c English society and government. nominally operas will be seen in c1t1es around the set in a fantasy world called "Japan." As a world-including productions of The Mikado. mus1cal and dramatic piece it established new The popularity of The Mikado in 1885 can standards of excellence and impassioned be explained by a developing interest that fans. As Bridgeman writes· "It aroused a Europeans had for exotic and distant Japan. liking for clean humor. for grammatical Gilbert was nudged toward h1s subject when mus1c, for good taste on the stage, which has "one day an old Japanese sword which, for never wholly died out.. .. " years. had been hanging on the wall of his study, fell from 1ts place. Th1s incident directed Ramon Arjona IV & Lisa A. Kramer his attention to Japan. Just at that time a company of Japanese had arrived in England ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and set up a little village of their own in Kmghtsbridge .. By their strange arts and Therese Bamberger, Tim Carney, LOIS devtees and manner of life, these chosen Russell, and Laurence Paxton of the Music representatives of a remote race soon attracted Department faculty for their assistance in all London. Society hastened to be training the singers; John Ikeda of Kintetsu Japanne~ " (Cunnm~ham Bndgeman. Gilbert International Express (USA) Inc. for lendm~ and Sull1van and The1~ Operas, 1914). The the nobori and hanten; Bando Joji; Onoe same trend occurred m Amenca, where women Kikunobuaki· Kineya Wahatsu carried Japanese fans and wore Japanese ' kimonos. Thus, it IS not surprismg that the Partial production costs have been opera gained such extreme popularity in the generously provided by the University of late nineteenth cen tury. Hawai'i Japan Studies Endowment Fund· Gilbert did not travel to Japan to research funded by a grant from the Japanese h1s play, instead he read books about the Government. COMING ATTRACTIONS PRODUCTION STAFF Assistant Director: Kurt Wurmli NOW PLAYING ... Assistant to Onoe Kikunobu: Onoe Kikunobukazu Voice Instructors: Therese Bamberger, Tim Late Night Theatre: Carney, Laurence Paxton, Lois Russell Stage Manager: Miriam Eve Gianni Associate Technical Director: Gerald R. Kawaoka DIONYSUS 96: Assistant Stage Manager: Kristine H. Kobayashi The Bacchae of Euripides Stage Crew: Clarence Kam, Nathan Schmidt Set Construction: Kale Braden, Aileen Grill, John Directed by Ramon Arjona IV Parkinson, Dave Robertson, Nicholas Sargent, Kurt Wurmli and the students of THEA 101, THEA 240, and THEA 200c An all-female version of the Greek Makeup Design: Howard Asao, Sandra Finney, tragedy The Bacchae, juxtaposing Gertrude Tsutsumi images of techno logy and sexuality. Silkscreen Artist: Phil Markwart and One by One Costume Shop Manager and Pattern Maker: November 22, 23, 29, 30, Dec 6, 7 at Linda Yara 11 :OOpm Costume Construction: Bernard Foong, Hanae lkehara. Haideh Jams~idian . Nora Kanemura, Serena Lam. RoseMarie MacDonald, Lisa Ann M. Omoto, Leah Redmond, Edith Savodove. Kelly Soderberg, Alexander Torres Wardrobe Crew Supervisor: Christi A. Young Wardrobe Crew: Peter Chang, Bernard Foong, Haideh Jamshidian. Nora Kanemura. Sadie Vi Box Office Supervisors: Elizabeth Anderson, Matthew Chang Box Office Staff: Esther L. lzuo, Jennifer Kido, Casey Law, Amber Sudduth 1 Photographers: Mark Anderson,. Cory Lum Season Brochure: Stacey Leong Publicity Director: Sharon Pressburg Publicity Staff: Ramon Arjona IV, Elizabeth Gutermuth Program Design: Greg Yonamine Flyer Design: Sandra Finney, Rowen Tabusa For information about what's playing Kennedy Theatre Manager: Marty Myers House Manager/Program Editor: Lisa A.