THE MIKADO or The Town of Titipu Music by Arthur Sullivan: Lyrics and Libretto by W.S. Gilbert Savoy Theatre, London - 14 March 1885 Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York - 19 August, 1885 SUMMARY (The Town of Titipu, Japan) The Mikado has decreed that the act of flirting when 'not conubially linked' is punishable by death. Horrified by this prospect, the townsfolk of Titipu appoint Ko-Ko as the Lord High Executioner - he has been imprisoned for flirting and would be obliged to execute himself before beheading anyone else. Arriving in Titipu, Nanki-Poo is distressed to hear of this new appointment. He has been forced to leave his father's Court to avoid execution due to the unwarranted attentions of Katisha and has come to Titipu to claim YumYum, Ko-Ko's bride to-be, believing that she would now be freed of her engagement to Ko-Ko in the light of his imprisonment. Yum-Yum has no desire to marry Ko-Ko but knows that he will not release her to anybody else, especially not to an itinerant musician. Heartbroken, Nanki-Poo prepares to commit suicide but is prevented from doing so by Ko-Ko, who has received orders from the Mikado to execute someone within the month, and suggests that Nanki-Poo be the required victim. Nanki-Poo agrees on the condition that in the meantime he can marry Yum-Yum, a plan which receives a temporary set-back at the discovery that the wife of a beheaded man must be buried alive. However, when they hear that the Mikado, accompanied by Katisha, is approaching the town, Ko-Ko, anxious to avoid the Mikado's wrath, decides to pretend that Nanki-Poo's execution has already taken place. Unfortunately, the Mikado is furious to learn that it is his son who has supposedly been beheaded and Ko-Ko has no choice but to persuade Nanki-Poo to "come back to life", a plan Nanki-Poo will only agree to if Ko-Ko proposes to the unwed Katisha. Reluctantly he agrees and Katisha, believing Nanki-Poo to be dead, accepts the proposal. With Katisha out of the way, Nanki-Poo appears before the Mikado. He is delighted to see his son alive, and all is forgiven. THE STORY Act I Courtyard of Ko-Ko’s Official Residence Gentlemen of the fictitious Japanese town of Titipu are gathered (“If you want to know who we are”). A handsome but poor minstrel, Nanki-Poo, arrives and introduces himself (“A wand’ring minstrel I”). He asks about his beloved, a schoolgirl called Yum-Yum, who is a ward of Ko-Ko (formerly a cheap tailor). One of the gentlemen, Pish-Tush, explains that when the Mikado decreed that flirting was a capital crime, the Titipu authorities frustrated the decree by appointing Ko-Ko, a prisoner condemned to death for flirting, to the post of Lord High Executioner (“Our great Mikado, virtuous man”). As Ko-Ko was the next prisoner scheduled to be decapitated, the town authorities reasoned that he could “not cut off another’s head until he cut his own off ”, and since Ko-Ko was not likely to try to execute himself, no executions could take place. However, all the town’s officials except the haughty nobleman, Pooh-Bah, proved too proud to serve under an ex-tailor, and they resigned. Pooh-Bah now holds all their posts and collects all their salaries. Pooh-Bah informs Nanki-Poo that Yum-Yum is scheduled to marry Ko-Ko on the very day that he has returned (“Young man, despair”). Ko-Ko enters (“Behold the Lord High Executioner”) and asserts himself by reading off a list of people “who would not be missed” if they were executed (“As some day it may happen”), such as people “who eat peppermint and puff it in your face”. Yum-Yum appears with Ko-Ko’s other two wards, Peep-Bo and Pitti-
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