I always saw Katisha as the soul of this. The most Seinfeldian iof the G&S works. Incredible singing and staging. Timings just perfect. Not my favorite but up there, each has his fave. The canadian and Aussie versions don't match the singing, but got the feel. everyone has their own favorite siiliness
Act 1 is chopped about 10 sec at the end. No basic info. This is the Miller production w Eric Idle. The almost invisible last frame shows 1987. 10K viewers have, I assume, figured that out for themselves.
Remarkable how much funnier it is in Western clothing. Back in the 1970's I heard Henry Williams, a theater professor from Dartmouth College, observe that The Mikado is obviously not about Japan or the Japanese, it's about the English and makes much the same comments about class, sex, money, etc. as all the other G&S operettas. By getting rid of (nearly) all of the pseudo-Japanese sets and costumes and makeup, they can make ironic reference to the supposed Japanese setting part of the enjoyment. And Eric Idle as Koko joins the ranks of the great G&S interpreters.
This is one of the versions that really portrayed Nanki-Pooh, Katisha, Ko-Ko,, Pooh Bah, Yum-Yum, Pish Tush, Piti-Sing, and Katisha in a more contemporary setting (the Roaring 1920s) for an even more intense cultural contrast. Nanki-Pooh as the still a bit innocent heir to the throne who is getting trapped by his "adherence to etiquette" by a "cougar" in Katisha (who blatantly thinks herself better looking than she is and wearing style that makes her look even older...) who is being even more inappropriate than most of the men around her (even Koko himself...) is even more relevant today thanks to post-modern feminism. Ko-Ko (not really being a "wolf" but rather being desperate not to be alone) is in fact much more pitiable in his "desire to marry" Yum-Yum, who is nowhere near as innocent as she pretends, but still is not wanting to leave Ko-Ko alone to get himself into trouble, something that portrays the codependency that often lead/leads to such marriages. Pooh-Bah in being "displayed as a unrepentant bachelor".. while moving very close to being well matched with equally head strong Piti-Sing who in overstepping shows how much she really cares for everyone. Lastly, Katisha is seen a bit more as a near tragic figure, obviously at the very least either a widow too often shunned or repeatedly jilted by men her own age.. thinking a younger husband she can "control" is the answer.