Gilbert & Sullivan Lampoon Trustees’ Nickname Fiasco

Well, OK . . . Gilbert died in 1911 and Sullivan in 1900, but when Milwaukee’s Skylight Opera did “The Mikado,” they chose to update some of the lyrics with current happenings.

When the Mikado (Emperior of Japan) sings “A More Humane Mikado” (whose motto is “let the punishment fit the crime”) he explains how various miscreants will get a punishment appropriate to their offense. Here is the first verse:

- All deadly dull society sinners who chatter and bleat and bore
- Are sent to hear sermons from mystical Germans who preach from ten ‘til four
- The amateur tenor whose vocal villainies all desire to flee
- Shall sing obbligato or strain for castrato, in the original key
- The board of trustees who did as they please when changing the Marquette name
- Will rack their brains and go to great pains, but every idea will be lame.

Yes, the Marquette nickname fiasco is an object of ridicule in local musical theater!