A Study of Musical Theatre’s Gilbert and Sullivan Essay

Theatre, as we know it, always aims to provoke its listening with emotions, by invoking the m accustoms of prank and tragedy, and everything else in between. M either names are correspondent to the history and advantage of field of study, just none comes close to the iconic contri preciselyions of Britains most illustrious duo, collectively kn cause as gibibyte and Sullivan. Sharp, apt(p) wit and brilliant rhyme have imbed their rightful prescribes in the theatrical masterpieces composed by renowned playwright William S. gilbert, and his equ each(prenominal)y-profound partner, composer Arthur Sullivan.The 1870s marked the luff sequence of a bare-ass ideology in harmonyal theatre, as the fusion brought to the fore previously unheard-of put upards that were identified by a commix of intelligence in satire and silliness, as blowably as tuneful instrumentations that complement the passion and creativity of the written battle cry. Such was the success of the fuck off that sarin and Sullivan pieceaged to pioneer and influence generations of theatre innovations, and razetu everyy, become a hale pillar in twain British and American universal culture. musical theater comedy comedy sources, Broadway lyricists, literary precedents and composersand even important names in political relation and g all overnmentare just some(prenominal)(prenominal) of those who have credited gigabyte and Sullivan for a number of their industrial plant. Through the excellent vision of employment constitution Richard DOyly wit, the impressive collaborationisms of gibibyte and Sullivan were set to stage. The savoy cabbage Theatre in London, Cartes headquarters, became the setting for galore(postnominal) of the duos memor adequate to(p) musicals.Innovative from the beginning, The Savoy was the firstborn theatre in the world to utilize electricity, and summoned theatre-goers solely t experient over to sample this taste of technology as fountainhead as the brilliance of sarin and Sullivans works, which were later aptly named Savoy opera houses (Kenrick, 2000-2003). The gigabyte and Sullivan era spanned from 1871 to 1896, and between them they were able to create fourteen critically-acclaimed and hugely touristy masterpiecescounting The tenno, Pirates of Penzance, and H. M. S.Pinafore as the most widely-received. II. William gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, The generator The three-year- sr. William gigabit (1836-1911) was the son of a naval surgeon by profession, and a writer by interest. He jumpstarted his sons new-fashioned career by allowing the boy to accompany his articles with illustrations William soon found his own talent for writing, and came up with his own compositions. These writings, called Bab Ballads, would later find their way into somewhat of Gilbert and Sullivans most acclaimed musicals.Gilberts Bab Ballads were known for their whimsical use of vagary played break through logic (Classic Gilbert and Sul livan). Mike Leigh, side of meat film and theatre director, concludes this sort to be in spades one that had Gilberts signature, where the establishment of the strange, absurd, and different(a)wise unacceptable cin one pillowcasept would be expertly formed into perfect examples of reason and truthall through with(p) with a bite of silliness metamorphosing into deadpan prose.On the other(a) hand, the musical inclinations of Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) withal had strong parental influenceshis father was a bandmaster with the military, and the and so 8-year- old(a) Arthur had already become expert in all the band instruments. In 1856, later concluding his initial attempts of composing songs and anthems in school, Arthur proceeded to claim the first Mendelssohn Prize, and took encourage studies in composition and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, as well as in Leipzig.He performed his 1861 graduation piece, an ode to William Shakespeares The Tempest, at the Crystal Palace this earned him the prestige of being heralded as the countrys most promising young composer. Among Sullivans applauded works early in his career were The Masque at Kenilworth (1842), The Prodigal watchword (1869), On Shore and Sea (1871), and a ballet entitled Llle Enchantee (1864) (Classic Gilbert and Sullivan). William Gilberts and Arthur Sullivans paths crossed as they attend a rehearsal of the play Ages Ago, where the composer Frederic Clay make introductions.A duo of years after that, Gilbert and Sullivan do their first foray as co-creators of what would be a uniquely wonderful drift admired by the whole world. III. Gilbert and Sullivan and the Comic Opera A staple of English theatre during the Edwardian era, the jocund opera houses origins come from 18th-century Naples, in Italy. Known as intermezzi, short amusing routines were utilise to end the bigger acts, and enjoyed lots touristedity that they were later written to exist on their own.The final return wa s the comic opera, the concept of which was soon transported to Paris, where it easily claimed the acclamation of French dramatists and audiences. However, the alike could non be said upon its arrival on English territory, for theatre professionals and enthusiasts at the time were let off more interested in evolving the popular Ballad Opera and the newer form of Music Hall the latter was introduced to overgorge the need for a lighter, less(prenominal) serious entertainment style. Finally, in 1871, the comic opera was launched in Londons Gaiety Theatre, through the employment of Thespis or the Gods Grown Old.This not save marked a new chapter in British theatre, only when in like manner the first entry of the long-running collaboration of musical theatres most prestigious confederacyGilbert and Sullivan. It all started with the efforts of John Hollingshead, then manager of the Gaiety Theatre, who employed Gilberts expertise to write the libretto of his theatres 1871 Christm as musical. They had worked to renther once before, on the burlesque Robert the Devil which also ran in Gaiety. To complete the emergency for the musical, Hollingshead contacted Sullivan, who was then still inexperienced in stage production.This first confrontation produced Thespis, moreover was initially wedded(p) such(prenominal) criticism and low assumption in the team. Four years later, the producer Carte would bring them pricker together to create Trial By Jury the exiting 300 performances tell it a resounding success, as well as a much-awaited approval of the partnership. Perhaps the foremost appeal of Gilbert and Sullivans works had much to do with their ability to poke fun and humor at establishment, as well as current friendly and political issues.This was a higher(prenominal) time for patriotism in Britain, and the British audiences verification of the comic operas sealed the career success of the duo. Much of the credit would also have to go to the newness o f concept and execution of each piece, that even inappropriate audiences understood and apprehended the essence of every performance. To this day, comic opera go away always be defined by Gilbert and Sullivanthey truly make it their niche, and those that attempted to surpass or equal their achievements failed to do so (Gillan, 2007).Of the fourteen collaborative works of the famed partnership, many were lauded as icons of comic opera. These were the storeyed productions of Thespis or the Gods Grown Old, Trial By Jury (1975), The maven (1877), and of course, the previously-mentioned The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and H. M. S. Pinafore. Thespis or the Gods Grown Old, being Gilbert and Sullivans first collaboration, had no genuinely indications of the phenomenal future awaiting its twain creators.Yet the varietyic Gilbert and Sullivan formatting was already applied in the work, by setting the opera in the mythical Mount Olympus. In the story, the gods have all grown old and the celestial buildings were all in a state of ruin. Then a base of actors and their leader named Thespis went up the mountain to have a picnic, and observe the sad condition of the place. Thespis gets into a deal with Jupiter, agreeing that his group would take on the work of the tired gods, provided that Mercury would re master(prenominal) to brief them of their duties.But things do not go as planned, and Mercury only noted all complaints. When the gods on break finally return, they collapse the unsatis particularory results and banish the group back to earth. 1875s Trial By Jury made use of an old judicial procedure as the main idea, specifically a breach of promise trial. This a lot took place in earlier times, when a man could be summoned to court and sued for taking back a man and wife proposal. The theatrical roles included a dashing, worldly bachelor and the charr who called for the hearing, a world-class dressed in wedding attire.An all-male jury and an unscrupulou s judge round off up the cast, with the woman directing her flirtations toward the jury but would end up receiving a proposal from the judge himselfas a way to dissolve the case. The storyline established prevailing comic themes that would later be designate in most of Gilbert and Sullivans works (1) true and unending love may come from and end in unexpected sources and directions (2) the innovation of politicians who achieved their public status by charming and lying their way through, and (3) averting for mature women, specifically those over 40which is, in truth, a gesticulate to patriarchy and sexism.Two years later, Gilbert and Sullivan produced The Sorcerer, which featured a man of magic who brings chaos and confusion to a tiny English resolution by creating a love potion. In many ways, The Sorcerer made a satire of class distinction and social propriety, which were standard elements in capital of Seychellesn nightspot. Yet in true Gilbert and Sullivan style, the outp ut was of unreproducible wit and class that the references were not declared offensive at allso much was its success that aside from its own numerous showings, The Sorcerer was represent even as far as America, albeit unauthorized.And while the operas theme could have been translated by the French through a multitude of sexual innuendos and references played out by unreal, fantastic characters, Gilbert and Sullivan designed The Sorcerer with roles that were utterly believable and crediblethe kind of slew that actually exist in everyday life, that the British audience could identify. The perceptiveness for poking fun at British social conventions became Gilbert and Sullivans running objective, and in 1878 they once over again succeeded in producing a successful show that audiences celebrated.H. M. S. Pinafore once again uses love as a theme, but a deeper reading would reveal that the opera tackles the discussion of Englands class society. With the narrative centering on the girlfriendfriend of a naval police captains rejection of the Secretary of the Navythe highest-ranking man of uniformfor the affections of a common sailor, H. M. S. Pinafore showcases the reality of a person born into a grouchy class, and the availability of options based on this system.It is also a criticism of their societys double standard on the issue of marriage they subscribe literatures ideals about love conquering all, while in real life they disapprove of unions between people of different social classes. This time, audiences were not as forgiving as they were with The Sorcererthe prevailing bond paper and respect for the British class system cause low ticket sales. That, as well as the unrelenting hot weather pulled Gilbert and Sullivans celebrity downfor a moment.During Sullivans summer concerts, he came up with the smart system to include several medleys of his Pinafore score the result was a revived interest in the opera, and eventually sales and attendance reache d phenomenal heights. Such was the success of the opera that it encouraged Carte to strike Gilbert and Sullivan in the actual business, dividing all production expenses and sales profits among the three of them. From this point on, Gilbert and Sullivan were given decision-making authority in all their productions.However, because of the operas impact on the British audiences, many unauthorized production of Pinafore were staged, specially in the united States, where international secure laws were not yet in place. To assert ownership, Carte brought the production overseas where it enjoyed a brief yet successful run in Broadway, and made sure that Gilbert and Sullivans works were covered by copyright laws in the country. Carte had this foremost on his mind when Gilbert and Sullivan came up with yet other opera destined for iconic status, 1880s Pirates of Penzance.This time, Carte protected the production rights both in Britain and New York, which established the legal precede nts still observed today. The move has benefited playwrights and writers all over the world, with this initial case on intellectual property rights. Love as an ideal is again the running theme in Penzance, as the story explores the adventures of a young man named Frederick who, by no choice of his own, worked under the tutelage of a group of pirates.As luck would have it, he falls for the daughter of a Major Generala momentous experience that drove chisel him to make up for his previous deeds by eliminating the pirates he used to be associated with. The pirates in question actually turned out to be noblemen who made the wrong choices in life in the end, they, including Frederick, all take the Majors many daughters as their wives. There was no fillet the success of Gilbert and Sullivan, and they forged on to firmly claim their place in popular culture. some(prenominal) productions were created, among them Patience (1881), which told of the poets charm and magnetism, a surefire way to get his way with the women, ask out for the one he wantswho is but a simple milkmaid. Written as a comedy, Patience lastly tapered on aestheticism, which referred to an artists or writers obsession with beauty. Carte employed a brilliant marketing strategy to enhance the production, with the assistance of famed writer Oscar Wilde.The writer was tasked to do the annoy circuit around the United States, to provide a full telescope on this new ideology, and to ensure public awareness of the opera. Not surprisingly, this maneuver resulted in positive financial answer. With Patience, Gilbert and Sullivan introduced another innovation, this time with the characters of the opera narrative and the songs assigned to them. In their previous works, the duos main goal to put a message across was met the technical take of the story itself remained the way it was from their early projects.Not the kinds to stay within their comfort zones, Gilbert and Sullivan expanded their competencies as playwrights by integrating the characters with musicproducing songs and personalities that were scoop to each other, and the situations they were in. Comic opera was what people called the Gilbert and Sullivan theatre style in reality, it was the birth of the integrated musical. The partnership, while perfect on an intellectual realm, was slowly revealing its cracks caused by the personal differences of the two artists.Gilbert was simply so taken with the love potion temporary hookupwhich he successfully delivered in The Sorcererand wanted to create another opera using the said(prenominal) idea. This was not taken positively by Sullivan, who soon decided, on impulse, to focus more on serious projects. Of course, Gilbert did not take this well either, and the beginning of what would be a personal feud between the two took its place. Carte tried to remedy the situation by staging a rerun of The Sorcerer, only as a stopgap measure for further rifts that may damage company exist ence and operations.Fate once again played a major role in the succeeding events, because the partnership was saved by a mundane objecta Nipponese sword. It fell from the wall of Gilberts study and almost profit him, but instead of dismissing the incident, Gilbert took inspiration from it. This set the tone and plot for Gilbert and Sullivans most popular opera to date. The Mikado, staged in 1885, carried the same elements that had made the duo famous love, and social commentary with a generous helping of humor and wit.The plot itself was hilariousit was a scenario skeptical what would happen when the Emperor of Japan, know as the Mikado, passes a decree declaring flirt as illegal, and punishable by law. The townsfolk of Titipu refused to follow the new ruling, and wherefore appointed Koko, a condemned tailor, as Lord High Executioner. Strangely, the condition for this adjustment was for Koko to be decapitate, as he was proven guilty of violating the new law, unless he finds s omeone to behead first.Koko manages to find someone to execute, and that was the traveling minstrel named Nanki-Poo, who actually agrees with Koko only if he is allowed to marry the beautiful Yum-YumKokos fiance. Nanki-Poo was given a month to enjoy the wedded life before he was beheaded and Koko can finally marry Yum-Yum. But soon an old woman named Katisha appears, a representative of the royal court, and announces that Nanki-Poo is really the crown princeguilty of the crime, as he had flirted with her and tried to flight execution by hiding in the small town.Eventually, the Mikado himself arrives and declares that his goal for decreeing such an inane ruling was to let the penalty fit the crime. More misunderstandings and deceptions came afterwards, but in the end everyone lives merrily ever after. Gilbert and Sullivan decided to use Japan as a setting to create a satire about the British penchant for all things Japanese, during the 1880s. And because it was brilliantly written and the references to British pretensions and petty customs clear-sighted and discreet, audiences failed to make any negative observations and promptly applauded the performance.Exporting The Mikado to the United States was the right thing to do, for it replicated the success of H. M. S. Pinafore and drove Americans into a Japanese frenzy. The Mikado is the sole musical by Gilbert and Sullivan that had been performed in a variety of languages, and is also their only work that spawned a diplomatic controversy. In 1907, the Crown Prince of Japan came over for a state visit, and immediately the British government ordered a ban on The Mikado only to discover that one of the Princes objectives in visiting Britain was to watch the musical.To this day, The Mikado is still widely produced and staged ecumenic. However, the problem with having a major success in ones name is the pressure to produce another one of equal or greater impact. In 1887, Gilbert and Sullivan staged Ruddigore, whic h entailed more melodrama than their previous collaborations. It truly was an accomplished piece, but audiences kept analyse it with The Mikado. Once more, Sullivan was dis philiaened by this turn of events and threatened to leave the industry altogether and focus on classical compositions instead.Gilbert tried to deviate his mind with a new libretto, one that was not an echo of their old work. With The Yeomen of the Guard, an operetta set during the reign of Henry VIII, romance was played out within the constraints of political controversies, as well as the possibility of execution. Sullivan, commodious with the proposition, proceeded to create a score punctuated with melodrama and emotion, while Gilbert reinvented himself and his style by veering from his usual whimsical comic dialogue. Serious was the best word to use to describe Yeoman, and this became a personal favorite of Sullivan.The monarchy did not escape the swell wit of the two, either. In 1889, Gilbert and Sullivan resurrected their signature comic style with the staging of The Gondoliers. A story of a couple of anti-royalist gondoliers from Venice who ironically discover that they have suddenly become kings of a country in the thick of a revolution, Gilbert and Sullivan once again mixed fun and comedy to discuss the idiosyncrasies of the royals and the issues of democracy. The Gondoliers became an instant international hit.No less than the public-shy queen Victoria requested for several private performances of The Gondoliers, which validated the immense contribution of Gilbert and Sullivan to musical theatre. But the personal differences between the two icons keep to get in the way of their professional relationship. Some were serious concerns, yet some were downright trivialsuch as the argument over the personify of newly-installed carpets in the Savoy Theatre. Carte and his wife ultimately chose to take Sullivans side, which resulted in their production of Ivanhoe, Sullivans grand opera .However, this project failed to achieve any semblance of financial success which was a mirror of Gilberts own experience when he went back to writing his own plays. Several years later, the three business partners tried to put everything aside and reconcile, but sadly, they were never able to bring back their glory days. Still, they managed to produce Utopia bound (1893), another satire of Britains unsuccessful efforts in its dealings with other countries and The majestic Duke (1896), featuring a theatre groups attempts to claim magnate in a problematic Germany.Both productions were of the same make and case as their previous ones, but neither enjoyed substantial performance durations because of pricy production costs. More than that, it was already apparent that Gilbert and Sullivan no long-dated had the fresh and intriguing style and creativity that had earned them the respect of audiences worldwide (Kenrick, 2000-2003). IV. Reviews Interesting to note are the reviews made for each of Gilbert and Sullivans operas, as made by many critics and journalists during the time.Some of the takes of these writers were documented and used as reference, in order to validate the creative contribution given by the duo. nonpareil review for Thespis on its opening night in 1871 commended Gilbert and the magnificent storyline he created, as well as the audiences superb reception of the play. Credits were specifically given to the talent showcased (Perry, 2001). A Trial By Jury review was not truly excitingwhile the critic commended the acting and singing done by the per springs, it was the lateness of the hour that possibly accounted for the audiences lackluster reaction (Perry, 2001).H. F. Frost reviewed The Sorcerer in 1877, and emphasized the effective combination of literary merit and dramatic consistency as created by Gilbert and Sullivan, except that their attempts to subtly mix burlesque and opera was not entirely acceptable. Points were given to the theme of exploring human natures weaknesses and imperfections (Perry, 2000). It is evident that H. M. S. Pinafore was a huge crowd favorite, as revealed by a review promulgated in 1878. Pinafore was commended for the use of burlesque but had more humor and charm over Trial By Jury and The Sorcerer.The satire and libretto were both noted, and gave Gilbert and Sullivan credit for managing to pull it off without great offense to the public. The actors were also adjudged suited to their roles, and the musical one that will remain in the bills for a long time (Perry, 2001). A review made in 1880 of Pirates of Penzance cut it as having several allusions to H. M. S. Pinafore, particularly in the similarities of some of the characters. But the audience was not put off by that observation, and still applauded the cynicism and wit of Gilberts words as well as the charm of Sullivans music (Perry, 2000). V. The Final YearsThough they never really regained their old camaraderie, Gilbert and Sullivan rem ained civil to each other until the end. In 1888, Sullivan was granted knighthood, and the former colleagues shared the same stage once more during revivals of their old classics were produced. Later, Sullivan collaborated with other writers to produce several critically-acclaimed operas, including The Emerald Isle in 1900. Sullivan finally passed away at the age of 58, due to a bout of severe bronchitis. Gilbert, on the other hand, got his second wind at the dawn of the new century, with a guiding light output of librettos and plays.He eventually received his knighthood in 1907, which was long overdue, but allowed him to experience being touted as a British national existent treasure. At age 74, while saving a girl from drowning in his own estate, Gilbert was struck by a fatal heart attack. This happened in late May 1911. The great producer Carte succumbed to the persistent effects of illness in 1901, but his opera company was continued by Helen, his wife, and their son Rupert a nd his wife. They revived the most acclaimed works of Gilbert and Sullivan passim the years, until the company closed in 1983 due to financial problems.But Bridget, Ruperts wife, left a considerable amount of money to allow a new group of theatre producers to form a new company, which still stages revivals of the famous musicals of Gilbert and Sullivan to this day. VI. The Gilbert and Sullivan Legacy The achievements of Gilbert and Sullivan were nothing less than national milestones, particularly in the reality of class-conscious Britain. The brilliant wit, humor, and music created by the duo gained popularity with all class levels of society, which was a feat it itself. apart from that, the teams theatre philosophy transformed the standard musical preferences to be more attune to popular music, and less concentration on the obscure and exclusive. However, Cartes company refused to grant performers and directors the freedom to interchange each productionevery staging had to adhere to the set guidelines of the real team. Critics and audiences could only imagine how fresh eyes and new voices would be able to interpret the tried-and-tested pieces (Wren, 2001). Britain respected the legacy of Gilbert and Sullivan, and their standards of musical theatre caliber into all productions made in the late 1800s.George Edwardes, a producer of comic operas, proved to be the duos strongest competitor. He started with the success of Dorothy in 1886, which included a ballad entitled Queen of My Heart, that skint all recordseven running longer than any of Gilbert and Sullivans musicals. But what made Edwardes a respected name was his discovery of a new technique with his production of The Gaiety Girls, a musical named after the famous London theatre. This musical comedy featured many of Gilbert and Sullivans standard elements, making it a manifestation of the partnerships influence on the art.The Gaiety Girls, like most of Gilbert and Sullivans operas, carried a theme of lo ve gained and lost. But these musicals only had two popular narrativesa poor girl in love with a profuse man, and wins him in the end, even in the presence of adversities and a poor girl who attempts to get out of a marriage she did not want, prompting her to guide other characters on a chase. The music and titles of these musicals all had the same essence, which were really just variations on a theme. Interestingly, the chitchatming monotony of these musicals were greatly appreciated by the audiences and critics, who preferred them exactly as they were.But these productions could never stand up against the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, particularly those that had traveled to the United States. This fact awakened the British audience from their stupor, as they had to acknowledge the international response of their own culture (Morley, 1987). Needless to say, the Gilbert and Sullivan operas consistently received much acclaim from their American audiences the staging of H. M. S. Pinafore started a nationwide ferocity aptly called Pinafore-mania. Typical of Americans, the music and songs of Pinafore quickly entered the realm of popular culture, and were included in regular talk.The classic line What never? Well, precisely ever from Pinafore became standard replies of people all over, and the phrase short, sharp stock that was used in The Mikado to mean of severe punishment was borrowed by various writers, artists, commentators and bands. Perhaps the most celebrated American production of a Gilbert and Sullivan original was Pirates of Penzance, which found its way to Broadway in 1981 and enjoyed a run that broke production and staging records. Gilbert, in particular, would often be cited by popular American writers, such as Johnny Mercer, Larry Hart, Alan Jay Lerner, and Stephen Sondheim.Mercer was even quoted as saying, We all come from Gilbert, and Sondheim made a shelter to the famous librettist in Please Hello from his work Pacific Overtures (1976). I t is probably not far-fetched to assume that Gilbert and Sullivans work lent sophistication and class to the existing brand of musicals then soon after, new generations of musical talents appeared, putting the USA on top of the list. The Boston Ideal Opera Company, more popularly known as The Bostonians, made the rounds of theatres all over the country, and were received well for their outstanding performances.They included in the repertoire several original American musicals, but were known for their productions of Gilbert and Sullivan works. A itemisation of American originals that took after the Gilbert and Sullivan tradition is as follows El Capitan (1896) by John Philip Sousa The Begum (1887) and Robin Hood (1891) by librettist Harry B, Smith and composer Reginald DeKoven The marauder (1897), again by Reginald DeKoven (Gillan, 2007). VII. The Gilbert and Sullivan Influence The influence of Gilbert and Sullivan lengthy all the way to other forms of art ad communication, whi ch included literary works of famous writers.References to their collaborations are found in the work of writer Isaac Asimov, who wrote a number of stories centered on the puzzles and mysteries of the duos operas. One such story was of time travel, where one had to go back in the 1800s to rescue the score to Gilbert and Sullivans Thespis (Asimov, 1978). The Year of the Action employed a debate over the actual date of the action in Pirates of Penzance. A story in Asimovs famous I, Robot, Runaround, had a character singing parts of songs from Ruddigore, Patience, and Pinafore.Cleverly, Asimov concluded his homage to the duo with his story The streetwise Sorcerer, which was obviously a parody of The Sorcerer. Legendary British author P. G. Wodehouse was also known to cite Gilbert and Sullivan in his writings, and more often exclusively referred to Gilbert. His novels and short stories included numerous allusions to the teams work, many to Gilberts early Bab Ballads (Robinson, 2006). The film industry also found the works of Gilbert and Sullivan great material for a wealth of movies. many another(prenominal) of their musicals were adapted into films, including the actors who originally performed in the theatre versions. The Mikado was adapted into a movie in 1939, in full color, for which it won several awards. Also, many films made use of scores composed for a number of Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, including The Matchmaker (1958), I Could Go On Singing (1963), The Naughty Victorians (1975), The self-aggrandizing News Bears Go To Japan (1978), Chariots of Fire (1981), The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1989), The browning Version (1994), and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992).Television is also another middling that has embraced the Gilbert and Sullivan talent. From The Simpsons to Frasier, from Angel to The West Wing, the duos music has been showcased in a variety of scenes and episodes. There was even a show apply to spoofs of Gilbert and Sullivan music als, entitled The Star of Christmas. Video games such as Grand Theft Auto San Andreas also had visual references of Gilbert and Sullivans works, particularly of Pirates of Penzance.Outside of media, many personalities in politics also found legal material in the teams celebrated works to promote their platforms and ideologies. A short, sharp stock remains to be a popular mainstay in many manifestos and debates. VIII. On A Personal level Though their professional partnership was truly accomplished and proven time and again, it was the personal relationship of Gilbert and Sullivan that had suffered the most.Collaborations may or may not be successful if the participants are friends however, artists like Gilbert and Sullivan probably see no boundaries between who they are and what they do. Sullivan was not rich, and as he grew up he mad it a point to mingle with the rich and influential. He met Gilbert, and immediately discovered the parallels in drive and talent in both of them. Howe ver, he also saw something elsethat Gilberts friendship could be the means for him to make his career flourish. Sullivan had many other powerful friends, including Queen Victoria, who advi