{"id":11868,"date":"2026-04-17T11:12:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=11868"},"modified":"2026-04-17T11:12:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:12:43","slug":"gems-from-gilbert-sullivan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=11868","title":{"rendered":"Gems from Gilbert & Sullivan"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post was written by Chance Jimenez, Performing Arts GRA.<\/em><\/p>\n

W.S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were a duo whose collaborations transformed Victorian-era theatre, producing fourteen comic operas from 1871-1896. After 1881, their operas were showcased at the Savoy Theatre, constructed by Richard D\u2019Oyly Carte, a passionate supporter of their art. These two items from the David and Annebelle Stone Gilbert and Sullivan collection highlight not only the influence of their work, but also the relationships they cultivated with the casts of their productions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Immortal Gilbert & Sullivan Operas Part 11: The Sorcerer<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

The Immortal Gilbert & Sullivan<\/em> magazine was published by George Newnes Ltd, a British publisher, and issued 24 editions. The magazine was the first iteration of the Gilbert & Sullivan operas in this format and begins with an appreciation by Henry Lytton, whose career with the D\u2019Oyly Carte Opera Company spanned five decades, including a performance in Ruddigore<\/i>. Each issue features the most renowned songs from the opera and details regarding the inaugural stage performance. Furthermore, they offer a narrative of the opera\u2019s plot along with the names of the original cast members. The eleventh issue explores the plot of Act I of The Sorcerer<\/i>\u00a0and the most popular numbers from that segment. Although the opera was first performed over a century ago, on November 17, 1877, one of the famous numbers featured in this issue, \u201cMy Name is John Wellington Wells,\u201d is still performed today! In a sense, the publishers resurrected the duo’s legacy through this publication, and it is intriguing to see how their influence persists in contemporary performances.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

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Ruddigore Costume Design<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sorcerer<\/em> marked the duo\u2019s first collaboration with George Grossmith, but it would be far from their last. Considering George Grossmith\u2019s \u201cA Personal Reminiscence,\u201d written after Sullivan\u2019s passing, it is clear that he and Sullivan developed a close bond after working together for more than a decade. After the duo saw Grossmith perform in Trial by Jury<\/i>\u00a0and other Sullivan works at charity benefits, he was offered a role in The Sorcerer<\/i>. A decade after his 1877 performance in The Sorcerer<\/i>, Grossmith created his eighth character in collaboration with Gilbert & Sullivan. In the 1887 opera, Ruddigore<\/i>, Grossmith plays Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, who assumes the alias\u00a0Robin Oakapple.<\/p>\n

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It is uncertain whether other costume design sketches go so far as to include the performer\u2019s surname, but there is something to be said for their burgeoning friendship when Grossmith receives a sketch bearing his name and the name of his character.<\/p>\n

Follow SCRC on Social Media and look out for future posts on our\u00a0Facebook<\/a><\/span><\/span>, Instagram<\/a><\/span><\/span>, and Bluesky<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0accounts. To search the collections\u00a0held at Special Collections Research Center, go to our\u00a0website<\/a><\/span><\/span> and browse the finding aids by subject or title. You may also e-mail\u00a0us at\u00a0speccoll@gmu.edu<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0or call 703-993-2220 if you would like to schedule an appointment, request materials, or if you have questions.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post was written by Chance Jimenez, Performing Arts GRA. W.S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were a duo whose collaborations transformed Victorian-era theatre, producing fourteen comic operas from 1871-1896. After 1881, their operas were showcased at the Savoy Theatre, constructed by Richard D\u2019Oyly Carte, a passionate supporter of their art. These two items […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101014,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,121],"tags":[455,540,626,92],"class_list":["post-11868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-acquisitions","category-scrc-interest","category-scrc-picks","tag-archives","tag-performing-arts","tag-student-reflections","tag-theatre"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Ep5i-35q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6149,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=6149","url_meta":{"origin":11868,"position":0},"title":"The Swing Mikado: Gilbert and Sullivan Reinvented in 1938","author":"admin","date":"February 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Here in the Special Collections Research Center, we are gearing up for #GandS2017 - our celebration of all things Gilbert and Sullivan, culminating in the opening of an exhibit of materials from the David and Annabelle Stone Gilbert and Sullivan Collection. One of Gilbert and Sullivan's popular comic operas is\u00a0The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/mikado_01.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5189,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=5189","url_meta":{"origin":11868,"position":1},"title":"Gilbert & Sullivan Come to Mason Libraries","author":"admin","date":"December 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"George Mason University has announced the intention of benefactor David Stone to bequeath his massive collection on Gilbert and Sullivan to the University Libraries\u2019 Special Collection & Archives.\u00a0 In a Mason News story by Corey Jenkins Schaut at http:\/\/newsdesk.gmu.edu\/2014\/10\/gilbert-sullivan-collection-make-home-mason\/, the collection is described as \u201ca treasure trove of Gilbert and\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"IMG_1784_small","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/IMG_1784_small.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11798,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=11798","url_meta":{"origin":11868,"position":2},"title":"From the Archives: The Corgi Skateboard","author":"Meghan Glasbrenner","date":"February 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This blog post was written by Maris Tiller, SCRC Research Services GRA. Maris\u00a0a Graduate student pursuing her Master's in Creative Writing with a concentration in fiction. \u00a0 Among the books and manuscripts found within SCRC's archives, there are also artworks and artifacts.\u00a0One such artifact is this prop, which belongs to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2019.022_Gilbert-and-Sullivan-less-than-16-mb-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2019.022_Gilbert-and-Sullivan-less-than-16-mb-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2019.022_Gilbert-and-Sullivan-less-than-16-mb-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2019.022_Gilbert-and-Sullivan-less-than-16-mb-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2019.022_Gilbert-and-Sullivan-less-than-16-mb-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2019.022_Gilbert-and-Sullivan-less-than-16-mb-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5279,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=5279","url_meta":{"origin":11868,"position":3},"title":"Exhibition, The Pirates of Penzance: Memorabilia of the 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries","author":"admin","date":"April 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"George Mason University Libraries benefactors, David and Annabelle Stone, have generously provided an exhibition in the Fenwick Library's A wing display cases to celebrate this spring's student performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. 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