Utopia, Limited
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Utopia, Limited or, The Flowers of Progress, is the second-to-last collaboration between composer Arthur Sullivan and librettist/satirist W.S. Gilbert. The operetta premiered on October 7, 1893, at the Savoy Theatre, and it enjoyed a run of 245 performances.
In this operetta, Gilbert satirizes a recent innovation of his time, the limited liability company. The character of 'Mr Goldbury' enthusiastically describes the chief advantage of a limited liability corporation, namely that the owners are not personally responsible for its debts...
"Though a Rothschild you may be in your own capacity, As a company you've come to utter sorrow. But the liquidators say, 'Never mind, you needn't pay.' So you start another company tomorrow."
It is also a send-up of English institutions and the status quo, ranging from the Navy to Government by Party.
Utopia Ltd is performed much less frequently than the other Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. It is expensive to produce, requiring a large cast of excellent singers and dancers; the subject-matter and plot are obscure for modern audiences; and although it contains some fine music, it perhaps has less than than Sullivan's usual quota of unforgettable tunes. That said, the 1975 revival by The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was rapturously received by afficionados.
Overall, Utopia Ltd differs significantly from shows like H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance. Those operettas are still immensely popular, thanks to their themes of love and duty which have transcended time.
External Links
- The whole operetta online (http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/utopia/html/utopia_home.html)