Course Description

Instructor:  Peter Campos

William S. Gilbert and Arthur S. Sullivan collaborated to produce 14 operettas, many of which are still performed today. Their collaboration was anything but smooth and at several points the mutual arrangement was jeopardized by the actions of one of the pair. It took deft management by Richard D’Oyly Carte to maintain these huge egos in their joint creativity. In this class we will examine these “Topsy Turvy times” of their partnership as it proceeded from their first to their last plays. In the process we will learn how each play was conceived, executed, and received. Of course, we will enjoy musical selections from each  play, giving special attention to the “big three”: HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado. Unlike the class I offered three years ago, we will only reference Victorian culture, the development of British musical theatre, and other such topics in the context of the events covered here.