2007-2008 Season Sponsors The City of Cerritos gratefully thanks our 2007-2008 Season Sponsors for their generous support of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Season 07/08 Your Favorite Entertainers, Your Favorite Theater If your company would like to become a Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts sponsor, please contact the CCPA Administrative Offices at (562) 916-8510. presents Carl Rosa Opera Company Production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s THE MIKADO MUSIC LYRICS Arthur Sullivan W. S. Gilbert DIRECTED AND RE-CREATED BY Peter Mulloy CONDUCTED BY Martin Handley CHOREOGRAPHY RE-CREATED BY David Furnell TOUR MANAGER STAGE MANAGER Tim Speechley Rebecca Clatworthy TECHNICAL STAGE MANAGER Felix Dunning WARDROBE MANAGER WIG DRESSER David Morgan Gemma Dandridge Friday, May 2, 2008, 8:00 PM Saturday, May 3, 2008, 8:00 PM There will be one 20-minute intermission. The taking of photographs or use of recording devices is strictly prohibited. 2 CAST The Mikado of Japan ..................................................................................... STEVEN PAGE Nanki-Poo ................................................................................................. LINCOLN STONE (Mikado’s son is disguised as a wandering minstrel who is in love with Yum-Yum) Ko-Ko ............................................................................................................ FENTON GRAY (Lord High Executioner of Titipu) Pooh-Bah .................................................................................................. BRUCE GRAHAM (Lord High everything else) Pish-Tush ....................................................................................................... BARRY CLARK (Noble Lord) Yum-Yum ............................................................................................... CHARLOTTE PAGE (Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, and Peep-Bo are sisters and wards of Ko-Ko) Pitti-Sing .................................................................................................. VICTORIA WARD Peep-Bo .............................................................................................................. LESLEY COX Katisha ......................................................................................................... SYLVIA CLARKE (An elderly lady in love with Nanki-Poo) Ensemble of School-Girls, Nobles, Guards, and Coolies ANNA FLANNIGAN • BETSY PENNINGTON • CARMEN VASS FRANCESCA ELLIS • JANE QUINN • CAROLINE GRAHAM DAVID FURNELL • GEORGE RAE • BEN PAUL • PATRICK MUNDY FRED BROOM • MICHAEL KERRY • ROSS FINNIE • CURTIS DABEK DAN BORUCHOWITZ • TOBY HUNT Covers The Mikado .................................................................................................. CURTIS DABEK Nanki-Poo ................................................................................................. MICHAEL KERRY Ko-Ko ............................................................................................................... GEORGE RAE Pooh-Bah ......................................................................................................... FRED BROOM Pish-Tush ........................................................................................................... ROSS FINNIE Yum-Yum ............................................................................................................ LESLEY COX Pitti-Sing ........................................................................................................... JANE QUINN Peep-Bo ............................................................................................. BETSY PENNINGTON Katisha ............................................................................................... CAROLINE GRAHAM 3 SYNOPSIS ACT I A courtyard of Ko-Ko’s official residence Nanki-Poo, the son of the Mikado – having assumed the disguise of a traveling musician – has fled from his father’s court in order to escape marriage with the elderly Katisha. He has fallen in love with the beautiful Yum-Yum, but has been prevented from marrying her. Yum-Yum’s guardian Ko-Ko also wants to marry her. In the beginning of the first act, Nanki-Poo hurries back to court after hearing that Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for flirting. Nanki-Poo hopes that Yum-Yum will now be free to marry him. Nanki-Poo soon learns from Pooh-Bah and Pish-Tush that Ko-Ko has become Lord High Executioner – thus preventing his death sentence from being carried out – and that he is to marry Yum-Yum that afternoon. A letter from the Mikado presents Ko-Ko with a challenge. The Mikado orders him to execute somebody or lose his position as Lord High Executioner. Ko-Ko is considering whom to execute when Nanki-Poo appears, intent on committing suicide because he cannot marry Yum-Yum. Ko-Ko proposes that Nanki-Poo marry Yum-Yum for one month and then submit to public execution. General rejoicing follows this solution, after which Katisha appears, searching for her beloved Nanki-Poo. Driven away, she seeks an audience with the Mikado. ACT II Late 1895 Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo are happily preparing for their wedding. Ko-Ko arrives with distressing news of a law he has just discovered: When a married man is executed, his wife must be buried alive. Nanki-Poo decides to kill himself at once to save Yum-Yum. This presents another problem for Ko-Ko, as he will now need to find someone else to execute. Nanki-Poo offers himself for immediate decapitation but Ko-Ko cannot perform the task without some practice. An alternative solution emerges. Pooh-Bah makes a false affidavit, stating that Nanki-Poo has been executed, freeing Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo to leave the country. When the Mikado arrives, Ko-Ko thinks that he has come to check up on whether the execution has been carried out. Ko-Ko produces the affidavit and describes the decapitation in gruesome detail. It transpires, however, that the Mikado has come with Katisha in search of his lost son. When it becomes clear that the person Ko-Ko has executed is the Mikado’s son, Ko-Ko and his accomplices are declared guilty of the dreadful crime of killing the Heir Apparent. They quickly explain the falsehood and produce Nanki-Poo alive. Katisha is furious after learning that Nanki-Poo has married Yum-Yum. However, Ko-Ko resolves the situation by offering his own hand to Katisha who, after some persuasion, accepts him. The Opera ends in general happiness and celebration. 4 ACT I ACT II Overture SOLO Braid the raven hair CHORUS OF MEN Pitti-Sing and Chorus of Girls If you want to know who we are SONG SONG AND CHORUS The sun, whose rays are all ablaze A Wand’ring Minstrel I Yum-Yum Nanki-Poo MADRIGAL SONG Brightly dawns our wedding day Our Great Mikado, virtuous man Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Nanki-Poo, and Pish-Tush Pish-Tush and Chorus TRIO SONG Here’s a how-de-do! If I marry you Young man, despair, likewise go to Yum-Yum, Nanki-Poo, and Ko-Ko Pooh-Bah with Nanki-Poo and Pish-Tush ENTRANCE OF MIKADO AND KATISHA RECITATIVE Mi-ya-sa-ma, mi-ya-sa-ma And have I journey’d for a month Nanki-Poo and Pooh-Bah SONG A more humane Mikado never did in Japan exist CHORUS WITH SOLO Mikado and Chorus Behold the Lord High Executioner! Ko-Ko TRIO AND CHORUS The criminal cried as he dropped him down SONG Pitti-Sing, Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah, and Chorus As some day it may happen Ko-Ko with Chorus of Men GLEE See how the Fates their gifts allot CHORUS OF GIRLS Pitti-Sing, Katisha, Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah, and Mikado Comes a little train of little ladies DUET TRIO The flowers that bloom in the spring Three little maids from school are we Nanki-Poo and Ko-Ko with Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, and Pitti-Sing with Chorus of Girls and Pooh-Bah QUARTET RECITATIVE AND SONG So please you, Sir, we much regret Alone, and yet alive Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing, and Pooh-Bah Katisha with Chorus of Girls SONG DUET On a tree by a river, a little Tom-tit sang, Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted Willow, tit-willow Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo Ko-Ko TRIO DUET I am so proud There is beauty in the bellow of the blast Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah, and Pish-Tush Katisha and Ko-Ko FINALE, ACT I FINALE, ACT II With aspect stern and gloomy stride For he’s gone and married Yum-Yum INTERMISSION 5 BIOGRAPHIES STEVEN PAGE (Mikado) was awarded a scholarship in Les Miserable; and the original cast of Blood Brothers at to study at the National Opera Studio. Page has sung with the Albery Theatre. His regional credits include M.C. in major Opera companies and orchestras in the U.K. His Cabaret, Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors for the Leicester Opera credits include Alidoro in La Cenerentola and Spencer Haymarket, and Jack in Into the Woods for the Manchester Coyle in Owen Wingrave (Royal Opera House); the title roles Library Theatre. He played Ko-Ko in The Mikado and in Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro (English National Jack Point in Yeomen of the Guard for D’Oyly Carte Opera Opera); the title role in Don Giovanni and the Count in The Company. Gray sang the role of Bunthorne in Patience for Marriage of Figaro (Scottish Opera); Nick Shadow in Rake’s the Carl Rosa Opera Company. He has also directed The Progress (New Israeli Opera); Sharpless in Madama Butterfly Mikado and Iolanthe for D’Oyly Carte Opera Company; (Opera North); Paolo in Simone Boccanegra; Calchas in Madama Butterfly for English Festival Opera at the Queen La Belle Helen; Guglielmo in Così fan Tutti; Marcello in La Elizabeth Hall; and tours of La Bohème, La Traviata, and Bohème; Chorebe in Les Troyens; Ford in Falstaff; Balstode Carmen. For three years, he was Julian Clary’s