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The Mikado facts for kids

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The Mikado Three Little Maids
Three Little Maids

The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu is a famous and funny musical play. It's a type of light opera called an operetta. The story and words were written by W. S. Gilbert, and the music was created by Arthur Sullivan. This show first opened on March 14, 1885, in London, England, at the Savoy Theatre. The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performed it.

The Mikado is the ninth of fourteen operettas made by Gilbert and Sullivan. It was very popular and ran for 672 shows when it first opened. This was the longest run for any of their operettas! When the show was being created, London was very interested in Japanese culture. There were Japanese tea shops, kimonos, and fans everywhere. Gilbert said he got the idea for The Mikado when a Japanese sword fell from a wall in his study.

Main Characters

These are the main people you'll meet in The Mikado:

  • The Mikado of Japan (a deep male singing voice)
  • Nanki-Poo (a high male singing voice) – He is the Mikado's son, but he's pretending to be a traveling musician. He loves Yum-Yum.
  • Ko-Ko (a funny male singing voice) – He is the chief executioner of Titipu.
  • Pooh-Bah (a male singing voice) – He holds many important jobs in the town.
  • Pish-Tush (a male singing voice) – A noble lord.
  • Go-To (a deep male singing voice) – Another noble lord.
  • Yum-Yum (a high female singing voice) – She is looked after by Ko-Ko and is supposed to marry him, but she loves Nanki-Poo.
  • Pitti-Sing (a medium female singing voice) – Also looked after by Ko-Ko.
  • Peep-Bo (a high or medium female singing voice) – Another of Ko-Ko's wards.
  • Katisha (a low female singing voice) – An older lady who wants to marry Nanki-Poo.
  • There is also a group of school-girls, nobles, guards, and workers who sing in the show.

The Story of the Play

The story of The Mikado is full of funny mix-ups and happy endings. Nanki-Poo is the son of the Mikado, the ruler of Japan. He has run away and is pretending to be a traveling musician. He does this so he can be close to Yum-Yum, a village girl he loves very much.

However, their love story is tricky! An older woman named Katisha believes she is going to marry Nanki-Poo. Also, Yum-Yum is supposed to marry Ko-Ko, the town's Lord High Executioner.

In the end, after many funny situations and misunderstandings, Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum finally get to be together. Katisha also finds love with Ko-Ko, the executioner. Everyone ends up happy!

Famous Songs

The Mikado is known for its many catchy and memorable songs. The show starts with an Overture, which is a mix of tunes from the operetta.

Act I Songs

  • "If you want to know who we are" (Sung by the Men's Chorus)
  • "A Wand'ring Minstrel I" (Sung by Nanki-Poo) – This is a very famous song where Nanki-Poo introduces himself.
  • "Our Great Mikado, virtuous man" (Sung by Pish-Tush and Men)
  • "As some day it may happen" ("I've Got a Little List") (Sung by Ko-Ko and Men) – In this funny song, Ko-Ko talks about people he would like to "execute" (but in a silly way!).
  • "Three little maids from school are we" (Sung by Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, and Pitti-Sing) – This is one of the most famous songs from the show, sung by the three girls.
  • "I am so proud" (Sung by Pooh-Bah, Ko-Ko and Pish-Tush)

Act II Songs

  • "Braid the raven hair" (Sung by Pitti-Sing and Girls)
  • "The sun whose rays are all ablaze" (Sung by Yum-Yum) – A beautiful song about beauty.
  • "Brightly dawns our wedding day" (Sung by Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Nanki-Poo and Pish-Tush)
  • "Mi-ya Sa-ma" (Sung by the Mikado, Katisha, and Chorus)
  • "A more humane Mikado" (Sung by the Mikado and Chorus) – The Mikado sings about his "kinder" ways of punishment.
  • "The criminal cried as he dropped him down" (Sung by Ko-Ko, Pitti-Sing, Pooh-Bah, Chorus)
  • "The flowers that bloom in the spring" (Sung by Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko, Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, and Pooh-Bah) – Another very popular and cheerful song.
  • "On a tree by a river" ("Willow, tit-willow") (Sung by Ko-Ko) – A sad but funny song.
  • "There is beauty in the bellow of the blast" (Sung by Katisha and Ko-Ko)

Images for kids

  • The Mikado

    Theatre poster for The Mikado

  • The Mikado Chappell Vocal Score cover (c.1895)

    Cover of vocal score, around 1895

  • Japanese3vil

    Photo at the Japanese village taken by WS Gilbert

  • LelyasNP

    Durward Lely as Nanki-Poo

  • KoKo 1926

    Ko-Ko – 1926 costume design by Charles Ricketts

  • The Story of the Mikado Page 1

    Nanki-poo as a wand'ring minstrel, from The Story of the Mikado. Art by Alice B. Woodward.

  • Mikado 02 - Weir Collection

    Theatre poster, Edinburgh, 1885

  • PolitMikado

    Political parody celebrating the 200th birthday of Albany, New York

  • UlmarMikadoc

    Geraldine Ulmar, who played Yum-Yum in the New York show

  • The Story of the Mikado - Frontispiece

    From Gilbert's children's book The Story of the Mikado. Art by Alice B. Woodward.

  • Gg ko-ko

    George Grossmith "made up" as Ko-Ko

  • Richard Temple

    Temple as the Mikado

  • BarringPooh

    Rutland Barrington as "Lord-high everything else"

  • Mik1908Passmore

    Cover of a re-issue of a 1907 Mikado recording

  • The Story of the Mikado - Cover

    Cover of The Story of the Mikado. Art by Alice B. Woodward.

  • Mikado ad

    Advertisement featuring Mikado characters

  • 1887SorcererRuddigoreWallpaper

    Wallpaper showing characters from The Mikado and other Savoy operas

  • Cover and cast of characters from Ed J. Smith's The Capitalist, or, The City of Fort Worth. A Parody of The Mikado

    From The Capitalist, 1888, a parody of The Mikado

  • Finale of Act II Mikado

    Act II finale

  • LittleShop

    Film poster for The Little Shop of Horrors parodying a song from The Mikado

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: El Mikado para niños

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