Based on Musical Theatre: A History (J. Kenrick)

1. GILBERT AND
SULLIVAN
CHAPTER 5 – 1880-1900

2. BEGINNINGS
• Richard D’Oyly Carte (1844-1901)
• He heard in 1871 a thrown-together
performance of Thespis, put together by
playwright William S. Gilbert (1836-1911) and
classical composer Arthur S. Sullivan (1842-
1900)
• D’Oyly Carte was convinced this show
pointed the way to British operetta
• Encouraged the Gilbert & Sullivan
partnership

3. SAVOY THEATRE, LONDON
BY 1881, GILBERT & SULLIVAN WERE A HIT TEAM – D’OYLY CARTE BUILT THE
SAVOY THEATRE TO GIVE THEM A PERMANENT PERFORMANCE VENUE

4. CHARACTERISTICS
OF ALL GILBERT &
SULLIVAN SHOWS
1. Topsy-turvydom
2. Realistic settings
3. Patter song (at least one!)
4. Unqualified men in high public office
5. Course of true love runs in surprising directions
6. An appalling disdain for women <40
7. Lyrics make unprecedented use of creative
rhyme

5. HOW DID THEY
DO IT? (GILBERT)
• Gilbert was extremely
practical
• Worked out every scene on a
model stage
• Ridiculous situations are
funniest when no one is
“acting funny”
• Rehearsals lasted 6 weeks, 5
hours a day, every day
except Sundays

6. HOW DID THEY DO
IT? (SULLIVAN)
• Sullivan did not begin composing
until he saw the completed libretto
• Classically trained conductor, he set
a new standard to British theatrical
performances
• He demanded exact adherence to
tempo, orchestration, and harmony
from musicians and singers alike
• The real star is the SHOW itself

7. POPULAR SHOWS
HMS PINAFORE (1878) – THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (1879) – THE MIKADO (1885)

8. Iolanthe (1882) was the first show to use ELECTRICITY on stage! Yes, this is ME appearing in the title role in a 2000 production

9. MARKETING
AND BUSINESS
ASPECTS
• Players Cigarettes put out a series of 50 cards
featuring Gilbert & Sullivan operetta characters: buy
cigarettes, collect the cards!
• Lack of international copyright agreements meant
American producers could stage a British show
without paying a penny in royalties. G&S saw NONE
of the resulting profits!

10. ALTERNATIVE
VERSIONS
• The Mikado became a permanent fixture of the
musical stage in both Great Britain and the United
States.
• By 1900 there were successfully produced
translations in GERMAN, DANISH, FRENCH,
RUSSIAN, HUNGARIAN, CZECH, and ITALIAN!
• Every small-time, local group of actor-singers
could easily produce their own version of the
show, and they are still being produced regularly,
world-wide, today

12. LEGACY AND
ASSESSMENT
1890
The fabulous partnership
ended in 1890 over who
would pay £500 to replace the
foyer carpet in the Savoy
Theatre!
1900
Sullivan succumbed to
bronchitis in 1900, aged 58
1911
Gilbert died of a heart attack
in 1911, rescuing a young
woman from drowning on his
estate
20th century
D’Oyly Carte died in 1901, but
his opera company thrived,
reviving the best of G&S
throughout the 20th century

13. FOLLOWING THE
G & S MODEL
• Plots tended to alternate between
two basic themes:
• An impoverished young woman loves
an aristocrat and wins him against all
odds
• A young woman tried to escape an
unwanted marriage and leads other
characters on a chase through some
colorful locale.
• A new term emerged: MUSICAL
COMEDIES