Product Details

• Actors: Gilbert & Sullivan, Maureen Forrester, Brent Carver
• Format: Box set, Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: February 8, 2000
• Run Time: 412 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1569383456
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,948 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A set of three stage performances taped in the theater by Canada's Stratford Festival in the 1980s, these productions of the Gilbert & Sullivan favorites The Mikado,The Pirates of Penzance, and Iolanthe (each is also available separately) offer the virtues and pitfalls of live-performance video. The staging is on the modest side; visual and sound quality are not flawless. But the high spirits shared by actors and audience are a delight.

Unfortunately, ambitious editing undercuts that sense of immediacy. Many of the singing voices have been dubbed, and applause is unnaturally deleted at some key moments. Now and then the actors turn and address the camera. The result isn't really convincing as either a stage production or a film. The Mikado alone avoids that sort of identity crisis and is by far the most satisfying of the three. Purists will flinch at the many updated lines, but modernizing isn't a bad way to approximate Gilbert's very topical humor. For U.S. viewers, though, the Canadian jokes (about Pierre Trudeau, Wayne Gretzky, or Canadian TV) won't entirely hit home. One advantage to the collection is the fun of seeing members of Stratford's company in multiple roles. There's also the occasional Canadian star: Maureen Forrester, Brent Carver.

Despite mixed results, this set is a useful introduction to the pleasures of G&S and proof of how well these pieces still play before an audience--and sustain having their jokes brought into another era. --David Olivenbaum

From the Back Cover

The Stratford Festival presents stellar performances of three comedy opera classics by the beloved Victorian duo of Gilbert and Sullivan: The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, and Iolanthe. Enjoy the brilliant acting, spetacular costumes, and beautiful music guaranteed to delight afficionados and opera novices alike.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captures the Spirit of Gilbert and Sullivan Wonderfully!, January 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A MUST for all Gilbert and Sullivan lovers. These three productions recorded live at the Stratford Festival in Canada are all brilliantly staged and performed. Presented here are three full-lenth operettas: "The Mikado" (perhaps G&S's greatest work), "The Pirates Of Penzance" (a pure delight), and "Iolanthe" (After you see this production you'll wonder why the operetta is not more well known.). All three are wonderfully cast, marvelously choreographed, and simply hilarious. Much of the humor has been updated and although most is geared towards the Canadian audience, Americans will find it just as delightful. Even non-opera fans may find themselves pleasantly surprised and laughing aloud at this light-hearted and spirited take on the classic operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan.

77 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A big disappointment, January 17, 2000

By 

Chris "Music and movie lover" (South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe (Stratford Festival, Canada) (DVD)

I was very disappointed when, after waiting many weeks for this set to be issed, I found that the audio is NOT in stereo as indicated - but is in MONO! At the time these three recordings were made ie; 1983/4/5 stereo was the accepted norm for opera and musical items. To issue this in plain mono is unacceptable! The picture quality is also rather dull and lacks sparkle. I recently watched a BBC TV documentary here in South Africa about Gilbert and Sullivan, and the picture quality was superb in spite of the sound being in mono. I'm keeping these disks simply because I don't have anything else by G&S on DVD - NOT because they are a valuable addition to my collection. I really do wonder when the recording industry is going to produce high quality Opera and Classical music on DVD in Dolby 5.1 or even in Dolby Pro-Logic for that matter. Yes, I DO know there are some productions like this - but there are SO few at the moment and I can't see any reasonable excuse for this except to get some extra mileage from out of date productions.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Non-standard but great fun, April 13, 2001

By 

Carol Haynes (North Yorkshire UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gilbert & Sullivan - The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe (Stratford Festival, Canada) (DVD)

I have just received this DVD set and watched the Mikado (and sections of Pirates and Iolanthe).

Purists will be a bit shocked by the flexible treatment of the score (lots of repeats, and extra sections added to the orchestra to assist scene transformations)

The overwhelming impression in the Mikado (and the other bit I have watched) is a wonderfully humerous and inventive approach to the production. The Director is a dancer and it shows from the opening of the overture. The players play for all they are worth milking every bit of humour from the libretto (and as is the tradition adding and changing bits to make the humour relevant to a 2oth Century audience - albeit a Canadian audience ... I still got the jokes in the UK!)

If you like the D'Oyly Carte productions give it a miss but if you enjoy the over the top humour of G&S I woud heartily recommend this set.

On a technical note, the sound is good (even though mono). It is not encoded region 1 (it plays quite happily on my region 2 player). The only niggle I have is that some of the singing was obviously overdubbed during the production of the DVD and, whilst the singing quality is not affected, the synchronisation of sound and picture is not always perfect.