Theatre Register

William S. Gilbert

Shows · William S. Gilbert

LyricistBook Writer 1836–1911

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with the composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most famous of these include H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and one of the most frequently performed works in the history of musical theatre, The Mikado. The popularity of these works was supported for over a century by year-round performances of them, in Britain and abroad, by the repertory company that Gilbert, Sullivan and their producer Richard D'Oyly Carte founded, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. These Savoy operas are still frequently performed in t…

Also credited on1 work

The Pirates Of Penzance

These come off the person record, which names a work and not a production. So we can say this name is attached to the work and we cannot say which staging, or in what capacity. For a composer or a writer that is the whole career we hold; there is no cast list to find them in.

In the literature3 passages

  • a new production of the 1879 British comic operetta music by Arthur Sullivan; adapted by William Elliott words by William S. Gilberttheatre-pdfs/More Opening Nights on Broadway - Steven Suskin.txt
  • walk into the first two notes of.a song as though she were walking over a cliff—a couple of gentle men named William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan were responsible for inventing the delectable naiveté that is so enchanting from square one. Lest we forget—Mr. Gilbert was funny first. As, indeed, was Mr. Sullivan. There. I just wanted to m…theatre-pdfs/More Opening Nights on Broadway - Steven Suskin.txt
  • Artistic Director & General Manager, Albert Bergeret; Managing Director, David Wannen; Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and Librettos by Sir William S. Gilbert: Associate Manager, Joseph Rubin; Costumes, Gail Wofford: Lighting, Brian Presti; Technical Director/Production Stage Manager, David Sigafoose; Assistant Stage Manager, Annette Dieli;…theatre-pdfs/Theatre World/Theatre World, 2011-12 Season, v. 68 (Willis).txt

Passages naming this person, found by keyword across 178 books. A keyword match is not a biography, and a common name will pull in the wrong one.

What this page does not know

  • What this person played. No cast list we hold records a character against a performer.
  • Any staging. This name appears in no production cast list we hold — 1,877 of 7,139 people are in that position, most of them writers, composers and designers rather than performers.
  • Any portrait. 1,626 of 7,139 people have one, so this is the usual case rather than the exception.
  • Which of the credits above the roles on this record — lyricist, book writer — apply to. The roles sit on the person and never on a credit, so a director who also acted looks the same here as one who did not.

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