Synopsis

In Victorian London, the partnership between librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan is close to collapse after a disappointing production. Sullivan longs for serious opera, while Gilbert struggles to find fresh inspiration. A visit to a Japanese exhibition sparks the creation of The Mikado, as the pair and their theatrical company endure artistic disputes, personal tensions, rehearsals, and the mounting pressure of a major premiere.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film follows the real 15-month period in 1884 and 1885 that led to the premiere of The Mikado, one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most successful collaborations.

• The cast performed its own singing, and the musicians seen playing in the film actually played their instruments. This approach gives the musical sequences a deliberately theatrical, lived-in quality.

• Preparation included approximately six months of rehearsal and research into Victorian speech, social behavior, current events, and the practical workings of 19th-century theater.

• The film's depiction of W. S. Gilbert getting the idea for The Mikado after visiting a Japanese exhibition takes dramatic license. Gilbert had already completed the first act of the libretto before the exhibition arrived in London.

• Scenes set at the Savoy Theatre were filmed at Richmond Theatre in London. Principal photography also used 3 Mills Studios, London locations, and locations in Hertfordshire.

• The production received four Academy Award nominations and won for costume design and makeup at the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000.

• The 1999 film was later released by The Criterion Collection in a restored edition containing commentary, interviews, deleted scenes, and a period featurette about the production.