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Now
this page will have something other than Rachel's idea of what I have to
write...how humiliating!
Mikado SAY_IT!
This is Emily's narration of the
story, TheMikado. It is an operetta written by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Four families from church put it on...
****: Edited for privacy. Or something like that.
The following message in parenthesis will be most
meaningful if you are family, or if you are my grandma or grandpa since it is
concerning a previous reply from you. If you are not my grandma of
grandpa (Whom I love so dearly) you can still read the part in parenthesis
only it may not, well go on ahead. Sheesh, it's not like you need any
help finding out if things make sense or not... and if I told you not to read
the parenthesied part you'ld probably read it anyway... and that wouldn't
matter at all because it only says what it says... I have no secret in it.
READ IT THEN!! don't be so difficult.
(yES, yes.
I was happy to find your e-mail address in a
forward from A. Nicky, otherwise, I had lost it.)
I had a splendicular time in Bend, and would love
to do it again.
As of now I am, well, I am well. I can't
think really of anything else. I am looking foward to seeing all the
family again, even if I DO have to wait till Christmas. I am
looking forward to going to Kentucky with my church. It gets more and
more exciting!)
On Saturday my family and I were invited to a
piano recital at **** for a friend of ours from church. She's been
playing for 16 years!!! Needless to say she played really really well. She
played GREAT! Whow.
After the recital we drove to **** to our pastors
house to see a drama that they and two other families got together to perform.
The name of it was The Mikado, by W.S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Have
you heard of it? I guess it's an older drama, written in England.
It takes place in The Town of Titipu, 18th
century Japan,(some scenes and actors and songs were taken out for lack of
time, players and such.) where we come apon Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner,
formally a cheap tailor. This is the highest rank one can achieve, only
problem is, is that before he can execute someone, he must execute himself.
To execute ones self is suicide, and suicide is a crime; so is flirting. See
the Mikado, Emperor of Japan, wanted to insure that the morality of Japan
improved and so flirting was to be punished with beheadedment. The citizens of
Titipu devised a way to avoid such a punishment by making Ko-Ko Lord High
Executioner and saying that he couldn't execute someone else until he had
beheaded himself and that would be suicide and suicide is a crime. ETC.
When Ko-Ko was turned into Lord High Executioner all the city officials
resigned, not wanting to serve under a cheap tailor; except for one...
Pooh-Bah. ( Ko-Ko is also the guardian and soon to be husband of fair
Yum-Yum.)
Pooh-Bah is the Head of Treasury, chief
justice, council, private secretary, Head of Police, and all the other
rolls that were abandoned with the rise of Ko-Ko. Pooh-Bah will do
anything for money and nothing without it. Ko-Ko always asks for Pooh-Bah's
advice as there is noone else of high rank to ask.
Some time back Nanki-Poo had the unlucky fortune of having Katisha (a lady
of the court, quite old)fall in love with him. His father somehow
decided to demand that Nanki-Poo marry Katisha or die. Nanki-Poo
desired neither of these to options and so created a third---run away, to
Titipu, whence he met Yum-Yum.
Nanki-Poo was in love with Yum-Yum before Ko-Ko was made Lord High
Executioner, and thought that since Ko-Ko would soon be dead he could marry
Yum-Yum and be happy. But his plans were changed when Ko-Ko changed from
soon to be dead to the dead maker, so Nanki-Poo left The Town of Titipu.
A month, or was it a day, I don't recall, but
Nanki-Poo had comethed back to The Town of Titipu a little bit before the
wedding of Ko-Ko and Yum-Yum. Now, Nanki-Poo was living in a disguise.
He played himself to be a musician (not very noble eh?) BUT he was really the
son of the Mikado!!!!!! (The Mikado is only the Emperor of Japan.)
When Nanki-Poo arrived back in The Town of Titipu
to see if Ko-Ko was dead yet, he heard the unhappy tale that Ko-Ko was not
dead, and would not soon be such. He also heard that Ko-Ko was still to marry
Yum-Yum. Not very friendly. Nanki-Poo tells Ko-Ko that he is in love with
Yum-Yum, and Ko-Ko agrees and says that he is in love with her too. He
then has Nanki-Poo sent away.
After a few songs and a lot of laughs, Ko-Ko
receives a scroll from the Mikado. The Mikado is wondering why Titipu
has had no executions since Ko-Ko has taken his position as Lord High
Executioner, and gives him one month to find someone to execute or else...
Ko-Ko will die.
Ko-Ko seeks advice from some of his officials.
He asks Pooh-Bah, the Chief of the Treasury or whatever he is, and he asks
Pooh-Bah, the chief justice, and he asks Pooh-Bah the head of police, etc.
Each Pooh-Bah (yes they are the same man) gives him an answer most unpleasant.
It seems that before Ko-Ko can execute, he must behead himself, or find a
substitute.
More desressed Ko-Ko wanders about and runs
into Nanki-Poo who is presently measuring out some rope. Ko-Ko finds
that Nanki-Poo is going to hang himself because he can not marry Yum-Yum.
Ko-Ko is appalled by this idea and tries to dissuade Nanki-Poo from this,
takes away the rope and tells Nanki-Poo of his problem with The Mikado.
Nanki-Poo is happy that Ko-Ko is to behead himself and tells Ko-Ko this.
Ko-Ko then tells Nanki-Poo that he will not do any such thing and so Nanki-Poo
takes out his dagger and prepares for the blow. Again Ko-Ko takes his
weapon of self destruction away... HE'S GOT AN IDEA!!! Nanki-Poo can be the
substitute! Since he wants to die anyway he can just be executed... after the
wedding (taking place that very day.). Nanki-Poo couldn't possibly
live through the day of the wedding day knowing that he wasn't marrying
Yum-Yum, and so they discuss and discuss. Nanki-Poo with his idea, that
Nanki-Poo marry Yum-Yum and after a month, before The Mikado comes, be
executed; either his idea or suicide. Nanki-Poo wins, he marries Yum-Yum
and then Katisha comes.
Nanki-Poo had told only Yum-Yum of his secret with
The Mikado and Katisha so when Katisha came to town and saw Nanki-Poo and
Yum-Yum together she was ENRAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She was just about to tell the town that Nanki-Poo was the son of The Mikado
but Yum-Yum distracted the Gentlemen and Ladies of Japan so they did not hear
what she said. She left them in fury and with a threat of her return and
revenge.
Only few days later The Mikado arrives, with
Katisha. Ko-Ko believes that it is to see if he has followed The
Mikado's demand and so tells Nanki-Poo that he must die now. Nanki-Poo says
that he can not for if a man, who is to be executed, is married, his wife must
be buried alive; and so will kill himself. Quick with a new idea Ko-Ko
shakes his money bag. Pooh-Bah listens carefully and agrees.
Pooh-Bah will sign that he (as all the officers he is)witnessed the execution
of Nanki-Poo. Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum are to leave town on their honeymoon
soon after. Ko-Ko runs to The Mikado and tells him of his heroic deed.
The Mikado is pleased but says that it is not why he has come, but will listed
to all the details anyway. Details?? A song is sung by Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah
and a friend of Yum-Yums.
The Mikado then proceeds to what his real motives
for coming are... to get his son and make him marry Katisha. "My
son is disguised as a minstrel, a second trombonist by the name of...
Nanki-Poo."
GASP! Katisha then lets out a squeal... IT WAS
NANKI-POO WHO WAS EXECUTED!!!!! The punishment for killing the son of the
emperor was VERY brutal... boiling lead. The Mikado and Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah, and
Yum-Yum's friend decided that their death would take place after luncheon.
Ko-Ko ran to find Nanki-Poo. He found him.
The only solution to his problem was to get Katisha to love Ko-Ko.
Katisha would then beg for mercy on him and The Mikado would let him go, happy
to be rid of Katisha. This would be a gross task indeed. Katisha
was ugly and old and ugly. (But it is said that she has a left shoulder
blade to die for, and that right heel, oh, it's something else!) Ko-Ko found
Katisha mourning the death of he betrothed. *This part was sooooo
funny because the part of Ko-Ko was played by one of the Harris boys and
Katisha was played by his mother. So he was telling her how much his
heart would break if she did not return his "love". He was grimacing
the whole time because Katisha is ugly but it was his mom tooo so it must have
been really funny and hard for him to be serious!! Ah yes.* Katisha
would hear none of it and was glad to keep him begging. She of course
succumbed to his woos, because she never loved Nanki-Poo any way, but she
wanted to be married sometime before she died, so Lord High Executioner was
better than none.
The Mikado had finished his luncheon and called
Ko-Ko Pooh-Bah and Yum-Yum's friend in and was sentencing them to death when
Katisha leapt in and asked him to have mercy on them all. (She must have been
in a good mood because she included Pooh-Bah and she did NOT like Pooh-Bah!)
The Mikado agreed but was distraught that he would have no one killed, and
that his son was dead. Nanki-Poo showed himself and The Mikado and
Katisha were aghast... but all turned out well and they all sang a song about
Nanki-Poo marring Yum-Yum and they all lived. (For a while)
That is my poor poor summary of a great
performance. They may do the whole play at the church but I'm not sure.
They did such a great job that I hope they do. I'll let you know.
A man from church video taped both nights performances and may be making them
into video for purchase and if he does then I'll buy one (He's a professional
video and photographer so it will be pretty good I'm guessing). Very
well done and it was so much fun to watch!!!
Love you both to bits!!
EH?
THE PARSLEY....Dun dun dunnnnnn....
A chilled sensation greets my
opened, grasping hand. I stroke the daintily leaved item, then wantingly
grasp a small twig- round, smooth, weak. Easily I tear through the green
fibers with my thumbnail, until the twig is mine. Gracefully, I
bring the straggly piece to my nose in hopes of smelling something
glorious. I inhaled deeply while the fragile extremities are sucked
into gaping holes of dark. No fragrance is found. In disappointment
I try again and again- breathing deeper and deeper. Without scent I find
parsley to be. Now my wonder mounts, I hurriedly open my
mouth. The hand that has been the keeper of this scentless creature lifts
it up to me. It is to be the end of this sprig. I fit the top of in,
the thin helpless being is crushed, crushed, and crushed again. An
almost citrus taste fills my senses. Unpleasing and strong. Every time
I chew it it gets stronger. I stop and swallow. I look in a mirror
and stick out my tongue. Frayed bits of the sickening plant still lay
there. I exhale through my mouth and now there is a smell. A smell
like the taste is bitter and unpleasantly raw. I close up the horrid
bag that harbored the deceitful plant and tossed it back into the cold box where
it well wait for another passer-by to reach in and feel the chilled sensation on
their open and grasping hand.
I can't think of anything new to
write, so I wont.
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