The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of UBC

Words we like:
• Development, growth, promote, encourage, provide, learn,
• Community, group, club, society, region,

Mission:
To provide experiences in musical theatre and affordable entertainment for the UBC community through performances of Gilbert & Sullivan productions.

We Believe:
• Everyone in the community should have the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of musical theatre
• Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy and experience affordable musical theatre

We Value:
• Dynamic and enjoyable experiences.
• Both traditional and non-traditional approaches to Gilbert & Sullivan.
• Involvement and input.
• Both Gilbert AND Sullivan.

Goals:
• Providing opportunities to expand personal horizons
• Introduce people to the works of Gilbert and Sullivan

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Gilbert And Sullivan

"Did someone say Gilbert & Sullivan?"

A Quick and Painless Fact Finding Exploration of Gilbert and Sullivan

Gilbert and Sullivan were British collaborators of comic opera in the Victorian era. Their works are influenced by operatic and folk theatre traditions. William Schwenck Gilbert (1836 - 1911) wrote the libretti and was known as a "dramatic iconoclast" for setting stock characters in "topsy-turvy" situations. The Victorian language, wit and humour forms the nonsensical rhymes of his libretti. Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842 - 1900) composed the music and is viewed as a typical British minimalist who writes simple forms and harmonies. He draws upon folk songs, sea-shanties, the music of predecessors (Handel, Arne) as well as composers of grand opera.

The Fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan Operas:

Thespis
Trial by Jury
Sorcerer
H.M.S. Pinafore
Pirates of Penzance
Patience
Iolanthe
Princess Ida
Mikado
Ruddigore
Yeomen of the Guard
Gondoliers
Utopia, Limited
Grand Duke

G&S Fun Facts...
..."Oh what fun!" you say...

* Sullivan always composed the Overture last and there are stories of him handing wet pages of the music manuscript to players for the first rehearsal.
* Generally there was a repetition of an already familiar song for the finales to send the audience out with a memorable tune. This annoyed Gilbert because other than several catch phrases (mainly "What, never?") the audience seemed to remember Sullivan's tunes more than Gilbert's words.
* Both the Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore have been parodied in an episode of The Simpsons.
* Patience was a parody of Oscar Wilde and the aesthetic movement.
* G&S operas have been made into Hollywood films. For example, Kevin Cline starred in Pirates of Penzance.

References:
Jefferson, Alan. The Complete Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Guide. Webb & Bower Limited. Great Britain: 1984.
Wilson, Robin., & Lloyd, Frederic. Gilbert & Sullivan: The Official D’Oyly Carte Picture History. Alfred A. Knopf. New York: 1984

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For more information on Gilbert & Sullivan, we recommend the Gilbert and Sullivan Archive Home Page