HMS Pinafore

H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas. It opened at the Opera Comique, London, on May 28 1878 for a run of 578 performances. This work was Gilbert and Sullivan's fourth operatic collaboration.

Drawing on several of his earlier "bab ballad" poems, Gilbert imbued H.M.S. Pinafore with mirth and silliness to spare. The opera's gentle satire reprises and builds on a theme introduced in The Sorcerer – love between members of different social classes. The opera also pokes good-natured fun at the Royal Navy and, in themes to be repeated in the later operas, parliamentary politics and the rise of unqualified people to positions of authority. The title of the work itself is humorous, as it juxtaposes the name of a little girl's garment, pinafore, with the symbol of a fearsome naval war ship.

The plot revolves around a middle-class naval captain's daughter who is in love with a lower-class foremast hand (a common sailor, well below officer rank), even though she is betrothed to the upper-class First Lord of the Admiralty, the government official in charge of the Royal Navy. As with most of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, a surprise twist changes everything dramatically near the end of the story.

Background

Pinafore initially looked as if it would be a failure. It received lukewarm reviews in the press, and ticket sales were poor. It was several months later, after Sullivan used some of the music during a successful Promenade Concert at Covent Garden, that Pinafore became a great success. It ran for 571 performances and became a source of popular quotations, such as the exchange:

What, never? No, never! What, never? Well, hardly ever!

Also popular was the verse:

For in spite of all temptations To belong to other nations He remains an Englishman.

Popular songs include:

"I'm called Little Buttercup" (a solo introducing the round and rosy, but mysterious nurse who later confesses to switching the babies)
"A British tar" (a glee describing the ideal sailor, composed by Sir Joseph, as he put it, "to encourage independent thought and action in the lower branches of the service, and to teach the principle that a British sailor is any man's equal, excepting mine")
"Never mind the why and wherefore" (a trio for the Captain, Josephine, and Sir Joseph)
Sir Joseph's patter song "When I was a lad" (a brazen satire on the career of William Henry Smith, the newsagent who had risen to the position of First Lord of the Admiralty in 1877).

Pinafore was pirated so much in the United States that Gilbert and Sullivan made a special effort to claim American rights for their next work, The Pirates of Penzance, by giving the official premiere in New York.

Pinafore remains one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular works, perhaps because of its infectious tunes and generally well-constructed libretto.

Production history

From the beginning, H.M.S. Pinafore has been one of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular comic operas. After its initial success in London became clear, Richard D'Oyly Carte dispatched touring companies into the British provinces. There was a company playing Pinafore under his aegis close to continuously between 1878–88. The opera was then given a rest, returning to the touring repertory again between 1894–1900, and then most of the time between 1903–1940.

In the winter of 1940–41, the scenery and costumes for Pinafore and three other operas were destroyed in enemy action. The opera spent seven years out of the repertory before a London revival in the summer of 1947. It was then included in the D'Oyly Carte repertory in every season from then on, until the company's closure in 1982.

In America, Pinafore was an instant success. The first American production was given at the Boston Museum on November 25 1878. According to Reginald Allen (1979, p. 2), some 150 companies played the opera (all without royalties to the authors) before Gilbert, Sullivan, and D'Oyly Carte arrived to present the "authorised" version, which opened in New York on December 1 1879.

The following table shows the history of the D'Oyly Carte productions in Gilbert's lifetime:

Theatre	Opening Date	Closing Date	Perfs.	Details
Opera Comique	May 25 1878	December 24 1878	571	Original run in London. (The theatre was closed between December 25 1878 and January 31 1879.)
Opera Comique	January 31 1879	February 20 1880	571
Crystal Palace	July 6 1878	July 6 1878	1	Special performance at the Crystal Palace, conducted by Eugene Goosens.
Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York	December 1 1879	December 27 1879	28	Official production in New York, prior to the opening of The Pirates of Penzance
Opera Comique	December 16 1879	March 20 1880	78	Company of juvenile performers, matinees only. (This company went on a provincial tour between August 2 and December 11, 1880.)
Opera Comique	December 22 1880	January 28 1881	28
Savoy Theatre	November 12 1887	March 10 1888	120	First London revival.
Savoy Theatre	June 6 1899	November 25 1899	174	Second London revival. Played with Trial by Jury as a forepiece.
Savoy Theatre	July 14 1908	March 27 1909	61	Second Savoy repertory season; played with five other operas. (Closing date shown is of the entire season.)

Roles

The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, First Lord of the Admiralty (comic baritone)
Captain Corcoran, Commander of the H.M.S. Pinafore (lyric baritone)
Ralph (pronounced "Raif") Rackstraw, Able Seaman (tenor)
Dick Deadeye, Able Seaman (bass-baritone)
Bill Bobstay, Boatswain's Mate (first mate) (baritone)
Bob Becket, Carpenter's Mate (bass)
Josephine, The Captain's Daughter (soprano)
Cousin Hebe, Sir Joseph's First Cousin (mezzo-soprano)
Mrs. Cripps (Little Buttercup), A Portsmouth Bumboat Woman (contralto)
Chorus of First Lord's Sisters, His Cousins, His Aunts, Sailors, Marines, Etc.

Synopsis

Act I

H.M.S. Pinafore is in port at Portsmouth. It is noontime, and the sailors are on the quarterdeck, "cleaning brasswork, splicing rope, etc."

Little Buttercup, a Portsmouth "bumboat woman" (dockside vendor) — so-named because she is the "rosiest, roundest, and reddest beauty in all Spithead" — comes on board to sell her wares. She hints that she is hiding a dark secret. The Boatswain disbelieves her, but the villainous and ugly Dick Deadeye says he's often thought that.

Ralph Rackstraw, "the smartest lad in all the fleet," enters, declaring his love for the Captain's daughter, Josephine. His fellow sailors (excepting Dick) offer their sympathies, but can give Ralph little hope that his love will ever be returned.

The Captain greets his crew and compliments them on their politeness, saying that he returns the compliment by never (well, hardly ever) using bad language, such as "a big, big D." After the sailors have left, the Captain complains to Little Buttercup that Josephine has not taken kindly to a marriage proposal from Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Buttercup says that she knows how it feels to love vain. As she leaves, the Captain remarks that she is "a plump and pleasing person." Josephine enters and confesses to her father that she loves a common sailor, but she is a dutiful daughter and will marry Sir Joseph as her father wishes.

Sir Joseph comes on board, accompanied by his sisters, cousins, and aunts. After telling everyone how he came to be "ruler of the Queen's Navee," he delivers a lesson in etiquette. He tells the Captain that he must always say "if you please" after an order; for, as he says, "A British sailor is any man's equal – excepting mine." He has composed a song to illustrate that point, and he gives a copy of it to Ralph.

Elated by Sir Joseph's views on equality, Ralph decides that he will confess his love to Josephine. His shipmates approve heartily, except for Dick, who is forced to listen to Sir Joseph's song before the sailors exit, leaving Ralph alone. Josephine now enters, and Ralph confesses his love. Although she finds Sir Joseph's attentions nauseating, she knows she is obligated to marry him. Keeping her feelings to herself, she haughtily rejects Ralph's advances.

Ralph summons his shipmates, and tells them he is bent on suicide. He puts a pistol to his head, but as he is about to pull the trigger, Josephine enters, proclaiming she loves him after all. Ralph and Josephine plan to sneak ashore to get married that night. Dick Deadeye warns them that their actions will lead to trouble, but he is ignored by the joyous ensemble.

Act II

Later that night, under a full moon, Captain Corcoran confesses his concerns: all his friends are deserting him, and Sir Joseph has threatened a court-martial. Little Buttercup offers sympathy. He tells her that, if it were not for the difference in their social standing, he would have returned her affections. She prophecies that things are not all as they seem, and that a change is in store, but he does not understand her.

Sir Joseph enters, and complains that Josephine has not yet agreed to marry him. The Captain speculates that she is probably dazzled by his superior rank, and that if he can persuade her that "love levels all ranks," she will accept his proposal. When Sir Joseph makes this argument, a delighted Josephine says that she is convinced. The Captain and Sir Joseph rejoice, but Josephine, in an aside, admits that she is now more determined than ever to marry Ralph.

Dick Deadeye intercepts the Captain, and tells him of the lovers' plans to elope. The Captain confronts Ralph and Josephine as they try to leave the ship. The pair declare their love, adding that "I am (He is) an Englishman!" The furious Captain is unmoved, and says, "Why, damme, it's too bad!" Sir Joseph and his relatives, who have overheard, are shocked to hear swearing on board a ship, and Sir Joseph orders the Captain to his cabin.

When Sir Joseph asks what had provoked this outburst, Ralph replies that it was his declaration of love for Josephine. Furious in his turn at this revelation, Sir Joseph has Ralph put in chains and taken to the ship's dungeon. Little Buttercup now reveals her secret. Years before, when she was a nursemaid, she had cared for two babies, one "of low condition," the other "a regular patrician." She confesses that she "mixed those children up and not a creature knew it.... The wellborn babe was Ralph; your Captain was the other."

Sir Joseph now realizes that Ralph should have been the Captain, and the Captain should have been Ralph. He summons both, and they emerge wearing one another's uniforms: Ralph is now middle-class, and in command of the Pinafore, while the former Captain is now a common sailor. Sir Joseph's marriage with Josephine is now impossible. As he explains it, "love levels all ranks...to a considerable extent, but it does not level them as much as that." He gives her to now-Captain Rackstraw. The former Captain, with his rank reduced, is free to marry Buttercup. Sir Joseph settles for his cousin Hebe, and all ends in general rejoicing.

Musical numbers

Overture

Act I

1. "We sail the ocean blue" (Sailors)
2. "I'm called Little Buttercup" (Buttercup)
2a. "But tell me who's the youth" (Buttercup and Boatswain)
3. "The nightingale" (Ralph and Chorus of Sailors)
3a. "A maiden fair to see" (Ralph and Chorus of Sailors)
4. "My gallant crew, good morning" (Captain Corcoran and Chorus of Sailors)
4a. "Sir, you are sad" (Buttercup and Captain Corcoran)
5. "Sorry her lot who loves too well" (Josephine)
6. "Over the bright blue sea" (Chorus of Female Relatives)
7. "Sir Joseph's barge is seen" (Chorus of Sailors and Female Relatives)
8. "Now give three cheers" (Captain Corcoran, Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe, and Chorus)
9. "When I was a lad" (Sir Joseph and Chorus)
9a. "For I hold that on the sea" (Sir Joseph, Cousin Hebe, and Chorus)
10. "A British tar" (Ralph, Boatswain, Carpenter's Mate, and Chorus of Sailors)
11. "Refrain, audacious tar" (Josephine and Ralph)
12. Finale, Act I: "Can I survive this overbearing?"

Act II

(Entr'acte)

13. "Fair moon, to thee I sing" (Captain Corcoran)
14. "Things are seldom what they seem" (Buttercup and Captain Corcoran)
15. "The hours creep on apace" (Josephine)
16. "Never mind the why and wherefore" (Josephine, Captain, and Sir Joseph)
17. "Kind Captain, I've important information" (Captain and Dick Deadeye)
18. "Carefully on tiptoe stealing" (Soli and Chorus)
18a."Pretty daughter of mine" (Captain and Ensemble) and "He is an Englishman" (Boatswain and Ensemble)
19. "Farewell, my own" (Ralph, Josephine, Sir Joseph Porter, Buttercup, and Chorus)
20. "A many years ago" (Buttercup and Chorus)
20a. "Here, take her, sir" (Sir Joseph, Josephine, Ralph, Cousin Hebe, and Chorus)¹
21. Finale: "Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen" (Ensemble) ²

^{1^{See discussion, below.}}

^{2^{Includes reprises of several songs, concluding with "For he is an Englishman".}}

Cut music and dialogue

Ballad for Captain Corcoran, "Reflect, my child"

During rehearsals for the original production, Gilbert added a ballad for Captain Corcoran in which he urged his daughter to forget the common sailor she is in love with, who "at every step...would commit solecisms that society would never pardon." The ballad was meant to be sung between No. 5 and No. 6 of the current score, but was cut before opening night. The words survive in the libretto that was deposited with the Lord Chamberlain for licensing. Before 1999, all that was known to survive of Sullivan's setting was a copy of the leader violin part.

In April 1999, Sullivan scholars Bruce I. Miller and Helga J. Perry announced that they had discovered a nearly complete orchestration – lacking only the second violin part – in a private collection of early band parts. These materials, with a conjectural reconstruction of the lost vocal lines and second violin part, were later published and professionally recorded. ^* This piece has now been performed a number of times by amateur and professional companies, although it has not become a standard addition to the traditional scores.

Dialogue for Cousin Hebe

In the licensing copy of the libretto, Sir Joseph's cousin Hebe had lines of dialogue in several scenes in Act II. In the scene that follows No. 14 ("Things are seldom what they seem"), she accompanied Sir Joseph onstage and echoed the First Lord's dissatisfaction with Josephine. After several interruptions, Sir Joseph urged her to be quiet, eliciting the response "Crushed again!" Gilbert would later re-use this passage for Lady Jane in Patience. Hebe was also assigned several lines of dialogue after No. 18 ("Carefully on tiptoe stealing"), and again after No. 19 ("Farewell, my own.")

Late in rehearsals for the original production, Jessie Bond assumed the role of Hebe, replacing Mrs. Howard Paul (the original Lady Sangazure in The Sorcerer). Miss Bond, who at this point in her career was known primarily as a concert singer and had no experience as an actress, did not feel capable of performing dialogue, and these passages were revised to exclude her. Hebe's dialogue is occasionally restored in modern performances, particularly her lines in the scene following No. 14.

Recitative preceding the Act II finale

The dialogue preceding the Act II finale, starting with "Here, take her sir, and mind you treat her kindly," was originally recitative. The music for this passage was printed in the first edition of the vocal score as No. 20a. Shortly after opening night, the recitative was dropped, and the lines thereafter were performed as spoken dialogue. The recitative is rarely performed.

Pop culture references to Pinafore

In the "Cape Feare" episode of The Simpsons, Bart successfully stalls his would-be killer Sideshow Bob with a "final request" that Bob sing him the entire libretto of H.M.S. Pinafore.
The first story of episode #3 of Animaniacs ("HMS Yakko") parodies Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance in its story and songs. Also, a Pinky and the Brain song called Meticulous Analysis of History is set to the same tune as "When I was a lad".
In the film Insurrection, Captain Picard and Lt. Commander Worf sing lines from "A British Tar" to distract a malfunctioning Lt. Commander Data.
The character Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark sings Pinafore tunes such as "A British tar" when he is excited or overjoyed.
Family Guy's Stewie, in a cutaway during the episode "The Thin White Line", sings a parody of "My gallant crew", playing to frequent references that he's gay; and he sings the beginning lines to "Now give three cheers" in the movie The Untold Story.
Allan Sherman did a parody of the song "When I was a lad" from the point of view of a young man going to an Ivy League school and then rising to prominence in an advertising agency. At the end he thanks old Yale, he thanks the Lord, and he also thanks his father "who is chairman of the board".
The song "For he is an Englishman" is referenced both in the title's name and throughout The West Wing episode "And It's Surely To Their Credit".
"For he is an Englishman" is also referenced in the 1984 miniseries The Jewel in the Crown.
There is a reference to H.M.S. Pinafore in the "Major-General's Song" (from The Pirates of Penzance), in which the Major-General asserts that he can "whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore."
In the 1978 comedy movie Foul Play, when the bad guy is shot at the end, he falls into the rigging of the stage version of the H.M.S. Pinafore.
In the film Chariots of Fire, the main protagonist, Harold Abrahams, and others from "Cambridge" are seen singing "For he is an Englishman." This scene is juxtaposed after a scene in which Abrahams is beng grilled by two of the Cambridge dons for being too individualistic.

Historical casting

The following tables show the casts of the principal original productions and D'Oyly Carte Opera Company touring repertory at various times through to the company's 1982 closure:

Role	Opera Comique 1878	New York 1879	Savoy Theatre 1888	Savoy Theatre 1899	Savoy Theatre 1908
Sir Joseph	George Grossmith	J. H. Ryley	George Grossmith	Walter Passmore	Charles H. Workman
Captain Corcoran	Rutland Barrington	J. Furneaux Cook	Rutland Barrington	Henry Lytton	Rutland Barrington
Ralph Rackstraw	George Power	Hugh Talbot	J. G. Robertson	Robert Evett	Henry Herbert
Dick Deadeye	Richard Temple	Sgr. Broccolini	Richard Temple	Richard Temple	Henry Lytton
Boatswain	Fred Clifton	Fred Clifton	Richard Cummings	W. H. Leon	Leicester Tunks
Carpenter	Mr. Dymott	Mr. Cuthbert	Rudolph Lewis	Powis Pinder	Fred Hewett
Josephine	Emma Howson	Blanche Roosevelt	Geraldine Ulmar	Ruth Vincent	Elsie Spain
Hebe	Jessie Bond	Jessie Bond	Jessie Bond	Emmie Owen	Jessie Rose
Buttercup	Harriet Everard	Alice Barnett	Rosina Brandram	Rosina Brandram	Louie Rene

Role	D'Oyly Carte 1915 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1925 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1935 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1950 Tour
Sir Joseph	Henry Lytton	Henry Lytton	Martyn Green	Martyn Green
Captain Corcoran	Leicester Tunks	Leo Sheffield	Leslie Rands	Richard Watson
Ralph Rackstraw	Walter Glynne	Charles Goulding	John Dean	Herbert Newby
Dick Deadeye	Leo Sheffield	Darrell Fancourt	Darrell Fancourt	Darrell Fancourt
Boatswain	Frederick Hobbs	Henry Millidge	Richard Walker	Stanley Youngman
Carpenter	George Sinclair	Patrick Colbert	L. Radley Flynn	L. Radley Flynn
Josephine	Phyllis Smith	Elsie Griffin	Ann Drummond-Grant	Muriel Harding
Hebe	Nellie Briercliffe	Aileen Davies	Marjorie Eyre	Joan Gillingham
Buttercup	Bertha Lewis	Bertha Lewis	Dorothy Gill	Ella Halman

Role	D'Oyly Carte 1958 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1965 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1975 Tour	D'Oyly Carte 1982 Tour
Sir Joseph	Peter Pratt	John Reed	John Reed	James Conroy-Ward
Captain Corcoran	Alan Styler	Alan Styler	Michael Rayner	Clive Harre
Ralph Rackstraw	Thomas Round	David Palmer	Meston Reid	Meston Reid
Dick Deadeye	Donald Adams	Donald Adams	John Ayldon	John Ayldon
Boatswain	George Cook	George Cook	Jon Ellison	Michael Buchan
Carpenter	Jack Habbick	Anthony Raffell	John Broad	Michael Lessiter
Josephine	Jean Hindmarsh	Ann Hood	Pamela Field	Vivian Tierney
Hebe	Joyce Wright	Pauline Wales	Patricia Leonard	Roberta Morrell
Buttercup	Ann Drummond-Grant	Christene Palmer	Lyndsie Holland	Patricia Leonard