star trek gilbert and sullivan

The Musical Easter Egg You Missed In Star Trek: SNW S2E2

"Star Trek" is known for its focus on science and edge-of-your-seat explorations, but it's not afraid to toss in some pop culture references from Earth every now and then, including some Sherlock Holmes adventures during "Star Trek: The Next Generation." And one musical reference from Earth has been used throughout the franchise, including "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," Season 2, Episode 2, "Ad Astra per Aspera." 

The episode finds the U.S.S. Enterprise crew working to help Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) amid a case regarding whether she lied about being an Illyrian. Spock (Ethan Peck) testifies in the hopes of helping his friend. When asked if he thought that Una was hiding anything, Spock notes that she briefly hid her appreciation for Gilbert and Sullivan musicals. Fans will find this to be a fun nod to Una's singing of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" in "Star Trek: Short Treks," Season 2, Episode 1, "Q&A."

Gilbert and Sullivan music can also be heard in other parts of the franchise, including "Star Trek: Insurrection," which finds Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Worf (Michael Dorn), and Data (Brent Spiner) singing "A British Tar" as Picard and Worf work to get a hold of Data after he spins out of control.

As for Una, her appreciation for Gilbert and Sullivan is an interest that she and Romijn share.

The Gilbert and Sullivan moment that Romijn inspired

Michael Chabon, who wrote "Star Trek: Short Treks," Season 2, Episode 1, "Q&A," told Syfy Wire  in 2019 that it was Rebecca Romijn's idea to sing "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General." The fast-paced tune is a famous moment in Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance," which first premiered in 1879. 

Chabon found out about Romijn's musical ability while searching for a fun secret that Una could share. "So I asked her if there was anything that Rebecca might be capable of that I didn't know ... and that's one of the first things said [that] she was a trained Gilbert and Sullivan singer," he said. Her history with their music goes back to her childhood. Romijn told Trekmovie.com  in 2022, "I was in the Gilbert and Sullivan troupe as a kid. I was in like six different Gilbert and Sullivan operettas ..."

And the song is also a "Star Trek" Easter egg. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) tries to tackle the tune at the request of Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Season 5, Episode 5, "Disaster." Chabon told Syfy Wire that it's a moment he subconsciously remembered from "The Next Generation" while putting together his "Star Trek: Short Treks" episode. "But it was not the first thing I thought of. The first thing I thought of was I instantly see this cool, reserved woman who doesn't ever show anyone anything just suddenly busting out in this incredible patter song ..." he said.

Screen Rant

“gilbert & sullivan” spock in number one’s star trek strange new worlds trial explained.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Doctor Who's Timeless Child Fully Explained: The Doctor's Origin & Toymaker Retcon

Forgotten young sheldon character returns (potentially for george’s funeral) in new set photo, you season 5 set photos confirm return of fan-favorite character.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 2 - "Ad Astra Per Aspera" A reference to Gilbert & Sullivan musicals made by Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) during the court-martial of Number One (Rebecca Romijn) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a deep-cut reference to another Star Trek show. "Ad Astra Per Aspera" is an instant classic of a Star Trek courtroom drama, confronting Starfleet with its problematic attitudes toward those with genetic enhancements. It also provides a considerable amount of backstory for one of Star Trek 's more enigmatic characters, Number One, a.k.a. Commander Una Chin-Riley, previously played by Majel Barrett in Star Trek : The Original Series ' unaired pilot episode, "The Cage."

In Star Trek 's original pilot episode, Number One's defining characteristic appeared to be that she was the only woman that Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) was comfortable with on his bridge. Thankfully, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds substantially expands on Number One's backstory, and has a far less problematic Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Pike is forced to take a backseat during the legal proceedings of Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 2 . It's therefore up to Spock to be the most senior USS Enterprise officer to defend Una in court, where he wryly reveals that she's guilty of suppressing her enjoyment of Gilbert & Sullivan musicals.

Spock's "Gilbert & Sullivan" At Number One's Trial Is A Short Treks Callback

The Star Trek : Short Treks episode "Q&A" depicted Ensign Spock's arrival on the USS Enterprise and his first meeting with Number One. Observing that a Science Officer should constantly be curious, Una ordered Spock to continue asking her questions during a turbo lift ride to the bridge. The lift breaks down and, when Spock's questions begin to grate, Una asked Spock a question of her own. Number One recognized Spock's more emotional side, which is uncharacteristic of his Vulcan heritage. Observing that he shouldn't be afraid to suppress his eccentricities, she serenades him with the "Major-General's Song" from Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance , showing off one of her own quirks.

When they're rescued by an engineer, Number One orders Spock to swear on his honor as a Starfleet officer that he never heard Una's singing. This promise by the young Spock makes his reveal in Strange New Worlds ' trial scenes so funny. While on the stand, giving evidence under oath, Spock's honor as a Starfleet officer effectively forces him to reveal Una's " affinity for Gilbert and Sullivan musicals ". It's a fun moment that reveals Spock's wry sense of humor while also proving his friendship and loyalty to Una.

How Number One Changed Spock In Strange New Worlds

It's interesting to revisit "Q&A" after the events of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 2, "Ad Astra Per Aspera", as certain lines of dialog have added relevance. For example, when Una expresses surprise and mild discomfort at the young Vulcan's more emotional side, Spock offers to suppress it. Una replies that she would never ask someone to " suppress or conceal their nature ", a statement that becomes more loaded now that SNW has revealed Una's own struggle to conceal her Illyrian heritage. As Spock's human emotions are more prominent in Strange New Worlds , it's clear that Una is to thank for this openness.

During Number One's trial, Spock makes another callback to Star Trek: Short Treks when he says that he has learned a great deal about leadership from Una. Number One gave Spock many words of wisdom about a career in Starfleet while they were stuck in the turbo lift. Spock has clearly continued to learn from Number One and demonstrated his exceptional leadership qualities during Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' season 2 premiere. Spock is, therefore, absolutely right in his belief that " the loss of Una would be destructive to Starfleet . "

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

Den of Geek

Strange New Worlds Easter Eggs Call Back to a Major Star Trek: Wrath of Khan Character

With “Subspace Rhapsody,” the Enterprise crew has sung their way into several deep-cut references, including a callback to Carol Marcus from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan!

• Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
• Share on email (opens in a new tab)

This Star Trek: Strange New Worlds article contains spoilers.

When Strange New Worlds premiered last year, nobody expected the show to become a series of strange new genres. And yet, the most retro Star Trek series of the modern era has proved to be the most flexible. In a race to see which Star Trek show would have become a musical first, nobody could have guessed SNW would have beat Lower Decks to that particular punch. But here we are. The first official musical in the history of Star Trek has arrived, and like a lot of SNW season 2, “Subspace Rhapsody” contains multitudes. 

Here’s every big easter egg from the Strange New Worlds musical and how some of the deeper cuts actually will change the way you think about Star Trek history…

“Triple the Speed of Subspace Communications”

Uhura and Spock are pumped about finding a “naturally occurring subspace fold” because they think it can speed up current subspace radios. This is a small tip of the hat to the idea that in The Original Series era the Enterprise was very often out of communications range of Starfleet Command, meaning Kirk had to make decisions on his own. In the The Next Generation era, it was far more common for Picard to have real time conversations with his superiors via subspace.

Ad – content continues below

More broadly, the idea of “subspace” in Trek goes back to TOS , and simply refers to a part of space that is separate and apart from normal space. Technically speaking, warp speed happens in subspace, but faster-than-light communications are also sent through subspace. Interestingly, in Discovery season 3, we learned that the Gorn destroyed parts of subspace prior to the 32nd century. Later in the episode, Spock says, “With our current relay network it takes weeks to send a message across the quadrant.” That’s pretty much still the case in TOS , which is in the future of SNW .

Uhura as a Switchboard Operator 

Because the Enterprise computer is being hogged by computations connected to the subspace fold, Uhura is having to route comms to different people manually. This actually happens a lot in The Original Series , and in The Motion Picture , too. This is another nod to the “outdated” tech of the TOS era that is still very much the present in SNW .

The Description of Roger Korby

M’Benga describes Roger Korby as “the Louis Pasteur of archaeological medicine.” Spock uses this exact characterization of Dr. Korby in the episode “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” from season 1 of The Original Series . Relevantly, Dr. Korby will eventually become Christine Chapel’s fiancé — before disappearing. Spock and Christine have no way of knowing this at this point in the timeline, but it does make Spock’s song later in the episode, “I’m the X,” all the more poignant. Spock isn’t just losing Christine to a fellowship. She’s destined to fall in love with Dr. Korby! 

We Have No Idea Who the Captain of the Farragut Is at This Point

Interestingly, although the Farragut has been referenced earlier this season in episode 6 , we have no idea who the captain is at this point in the timeline. At some point, the captain of the Farrugut was Captain Garrovick, who died sometime in 2257. We know this because the backstory of the TOS episode “Obsession” tells us a younger Kirk served on that ship at that time. Confusingly, this means that the events described in “Obsession” take place either at the very end of the Klingon War, or smack dab in the middle of it. It’s possible SNW is messing with the timeline a bit, and that we’re supposed to believe that Garrovick is still in command. But, because the captain of the ship has specifically not been named, it seems like the show is playing a small canon tapdance.

Kirk Shadowing Number One

Number One mentions shadowing Pike before she became the First Officer. This seems to imply Number One was shadowing Pike when he was still the first officer of the Enterprise , under Robert April. Was Una promoted to First Officer before Pike was promoted to Captain?

Number One’s “New” Personality 

Kirk and Number One’s song, “Connect to Your Truth,” mildly lampshades the idea that Number One is a kinder and gentler on SNW than she was in “The Cage.” In the original conception of Star Trek , Number One was supposed to be more Spock-like and cold.

Gilbert and Sullivan 

In the same song, Number One makes a reference to “Gilbert and Sullivan.” This comes from the Short Treks episode “Q&A” in which she and Spock sang “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General,” while stranded in the turbolift. Accidentally, that Michael Chabon-penned episode also referenced the TNG classic “Disaster,” in which Crusher had Geordi sing the same song.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

La’an’s Watch

When La’an sings “How Would That Feel,” we see her watch from episode 3, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.” This was the watch she modified to find the secret facility during the time travel mission with the alternate Kirk.

The Ships in Starfleet, Circa 2260

When we learn that the musical reality is spreading to the “entire fleet,” we actually see several ships listed in Starfleet, including:

• Lexington 

All of these ships, including the Kongo, were listed as sister ships of the Enterprise in the book The Making of Star Trek . The TOS episode “Court Martial” established that the Republic was Kirk’s first ship before the Farrugut . The USS Lexington appears in the TOS episode “The Ultimate Computer” while the Kongo was listed in The Making of Star Trek and has appeared on several background readouts and charts, including Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

Klingon Planet Forcas

The star chart lists the planet Forcas here as a Klingon world. In the TNG episode “Parallels,” Worf has just come from a bat’leth tournament on Forcas III.

Deep-Cut Canon Planets

The same star chart also lists a few other planets, all of which are deep-cuts in Star Trek canon, including:

• Eminar: This references the system from the TOS episode “A Taste of Armageddon.” In that episode, Eminar VII was fighting a war with the planet Vendikar, but the war was waged entirely by computers.
• Delphi Ardu : This was a planet that was part of the long-extinct Tkon Empire, glimpsed in the TNG episode “The Last Outpost.”
• Gamma Tauri : Also first mentioned in “The Last Outpost” in TNG , it was later thought to be near the Cardassian border in Deep Space Nine .

“Secrets You Keep” 

The song, “Secrets You Keep,” refers to La’an’s time travel mission, Chapel and M’Benga’s actions in the Klingon War, and possibly, even Spock covering up the existence of his sister, Michael Burnham.

La’an calls Kirk “Jim,” which is what the alternate universe Kirk asked her to call him in “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.” Of course, throughout Trek canon, Kirk prefers “Jim” to “James.” But, oddly, almost everyone (including Uhura and La’an) in SNW has called him “James” except La’an.

Bruce Horak Returns!

In 2022, after Hemmer’s death in “All Those Who Wander,” Bruce Horak assured fans that he would return to Star Trek canon as a different character entirely. While one could argue this already happened in the episode “Lost in Translation,” in which Hemmer appeared as a kind of psychic memory, Horak appears here, again, as the Klingon captain .

K’Tinga Class and Aft Torpedoes 

The Klingon ships referenced in this episode are said to be “K’Tinga class,” which references the Klingon ships first seen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Although very similar to the D-7 Klingon ships from TOS , the big feature these ships seemed to have in TMP was…wait for it…the ability to fire photon torpedoes from behind.

“I Don’t Love Rules”

The idea that Kirk is a rule breaker by nature is a matter of some debate. Although we tend to think of Kirk as someone who breaks the rules all the time, at this point in the Prime Timeline, the biggest rule Kirk has probably broken is simply cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test as a cadet. Although we saw Chris Pine’s Kirk take this test in the 2009 Star Trek reboot, based on what we learned in The Wrath of Khan , we really don’t know how many rules Prime Kirk has broken. Especially not by 2260. But what rule does Kirk think he’s referencing? It feels unlikely that the Temporal Prime Directive existed in 2260, but maybe there is some early version of temporal regulations that Kirk is referencing.

Carol Marcus

Kirk reveals to La’an that he can’t pursue a relationship with her because he’s getting more serious with a woman named “Carol” who is a “scientist on Starbase I.” This referencing Carol Marcus from The Wrath of Khan , who, we learned in that film, had a son with Kirk, but specifically asked Kirk not to be in his son’s life, at all.

At this point in canon, David isn’t born yet, but we learn here that Carol is pregnant. Kirk says, “I tend not to stay in one place for very long, which is a growing problem because Carol is…pregnant.” The idea that Kirk couldn’t stay in one place is referenced in The Wrath of Khan when Carol says, “Were we together? Were we going to be? You had your world and I had mine. And I wanted him [their son] in mine, not chasing through the universe with his father…”

To be clear, the idea that Kirk was a low-key deadbeat dad was a retcon in 1982 in The Wrath . So, if it feels like retcon here, this has been going on for a long, long time.

Spock’s Big Feelings

The idea that Spock has emotions that are more intense than regular human emotions was established way back in TOS in episodes like “The Naked Time,” “Amok Time,” and “All Our Yesterdays.” The fact that Spock says, “I feel things differently, bigger,” is 100 percent a huge part of his entire arc in the classic films, starting with The Motion Picture , when he fails to purge all emotions in the Kolinahr. In a sense, this episode also sets up “The Naked Time.” Because Chapel is breaking things off with Spock, this, in theory, could lead Spock to be colder with her when she returns to the Enterprise in the time of TOS . Spock’s song, “I’m the X,” also seems to contain strains of that funky Vulcan guitar riff from “Amok Time.”

How Many People on the Enterprise?

The number of crewmembers on the Enterprise is mentioned to be “200.” Does this seem low? Well, in The Original Series , Kirk (and others) mentioned more than once that the Enterprise had over 400 crewmembers. In “A Piece of the Action,” he even tells mobsters that “there are over 400 there.” But, in the Pike era, the crew complement of the Enterprise is around 200. In “The Cage,” Pike said he was “tired of being responsible for 203 lives.” When the Enterprise appeared in the Discovery season 2 debut episode, “Brother” — the foundation for Strange New Worlds — the crew mentioned the Enterprise had 203 crewmembers.

“Our Prime Directive”

At one point in the big, showstopping, final song, “We Are One,” the crew sings about “our Prime Directive,” to which Spock says, “Well, not exactly.” The Prime Directive is about non-interference, of course. Not about uniting as one. But, whatever! Good thing Spock was there to “Well, actually” everyone in the middle of the song.

TOS Theme…Emerges From the Subspace Fissure?

As the closing number stops the subspace fissure, we hear the classic theme from The Original Series . Could we take this to mean that the Alexander Courage-composed theme to the classic show is…perhaps…created at this point in the Trek timeline? Now that a musical universe is possible within Trek canon, anything is possible.

Latest TV reviews

Star trek discovery season 5 episode 7 review: erigah reveals new breen secrets, inside no. 9 series 9 episode 1 review: boo to a goose, dark matter review: apple tv+'s next constellation.

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

• May 10, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Breens Out On “Erigah” With Commentary From Elias Toufexis Of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
• May 9, 2024 | Star Trek Franchise Wins Peabody Award
• May 9, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Gets Cool Under Pressure In “Erigah”
• May 8, 2024 | Chris Pine Talks “Big F-ing Deal” Landing Kirk Role; Surprised ‘Star Trek 4’ Has Another New Screenwriter
• May 8, 2024 | Star Trek’s Michelle Yeoh To Star In ‘Blade Runner 2099’ Series

USS Pinafore – The Live Mashup Of Gilbert & Sullivan and Star Trek [VIDEO]

| May 28, 2010 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 31 comments so far

USS Pinafore – Gilbert & Sullivan meets Trek in LA

 The new musical play "U.S.S. PINAFORE" is being billed as an "outer space operetta adapted from the works of Gilbert & Sullivan". The Crown City Theatre Company in North Hollywood, CA has re-imagined the musical theater of the 19th century into the 23rd century of Star Trek. Here is the official description:

USS Pinafore takes Gilbert and Sullivan farther than they’ve ever gone before…to outer space! The nineteenth century ironsides of the title has been fitted with anti-gravitation gear and lasers set to kill! It takes to the air in a brand-new version that is guaranteed to blast you out of earth’s atmosphere and send you to a solar system filled with laughter and delight. The trivial antics of G&S’s veddy British lords and ladies seem far less trivial when they’re fighting for their lives against alien lizard men! (okay… possibly slightly more trivial, but twice the fun!)

Here is a video preview:

USS Pinafore runs to June 27th on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm. The Crown City Theatre in North Hollywood California at 11031 Camarillo Street. Tickets cost $25. More information at www.crowncitytheatre.com

Star Trek and Gilbert & Sullivan

There were a couple of references to Gilbert and Sullivan in the Star Trek: The Next Generation era. First off Geordi LaForge was coaxed by Beverly Crusher into singing a bit from "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" from The Pirates of Penzance in the TNG episode "Disaster." But G&S were most prominent in Star Trek: Insurrection , when Capt. Picard distracted the malfunctioning Data by getting him to sing "A British Tar" from HMS Pinafore . Watch that below:

[ via thisisbrandx ]

Wow a mix of Pinafore, Mikado, and Star Trek… I would love this being an Opera singer and a Trekker. lol.

Too many Red Shirts – Bad Omen!

That last clip from Insurrection made me remember just how AWFUL the last few TNG movies were. A karaoke program with a bouncing ball over the lyrics on a shuttlecraft? Really? Sheesh.

G&S + Star Trek. I just realized have been waiting for this moment my whole life.

Everythings up to date in Regial City They gone about as fer as they can go.. Oh, sorry wrong song

Oh the Klingon and the Vulcan sould be friends…

G&S + Star Trek just don’t mix. Epic fail.

Oh Insurrection….

You worked so well as a 2-part episode, but failed so very miserably as a movie.

Three little maids from school arrrrrrrrr we Pert as a school-girl well can be Filled ta’ the brim wit’ girlish glee Three little maids from school arrrrrrrrr we…

Oh, uh… sorry, ye’ caught me in tha’ shower… what’s this article aboot’ then?

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…

Funny. Played in the pit on many a Gilbert and Sullivan. Fun but most of the usic seemed enterchangeable after a while.

Is this canon?

Surely the USS (nee HMS) Pinafore has cannon. So, thus and therefore….

about the Insurrection clip: as Picard said to Data in Nemesis, ‘A bit less florid, Data’ xD

Just watched Insurrection last week, about five years since i last viewed it ….I enjoyed it, for the first time, i just pretended it was a very expensive two part TNG episode, i can move on now lol

I’m not even sure Insurrection would have worked as a two-part episode. This was as boring as “Time’s Arrow”

didnt data also sing a gilbert & sullivan song at riker-trois wedding in nemesis?

#15, no that was Blue Skies by Berlin.

Wasn’t it Blue Skies by Irving Berlin?

@ 8, I’d hesitate to even say that it was a very good 2 parter

I liked Insurrection, and Nemesis, I can find faults with both but not enough to make me hate them. Just the same as i can find faults with the rest of the trek films.

I loved the the The Uss Pinafore bit.

Sorry, Wrath of Khan was perfect.

I find musicals abhorrant in general and this lame attmept at humor is quite a dramatic failure.

As a two-parter, Insurrection would have had a pretty good part 1 but confusing weak part 2. I can’t stand Nemesis. Having Picard freeze on the bridge because he has to kill his extremely effeminate clone is UNacceptable. He was assililated and unassimilated with less trauma.

This looks painful.

“HMS Trek-a-Star” used to a staple of TOS Filk, performed at Westercon in 1967 and Worldcon in 1968. Sounds like a great production though. All we need is Patrick Stewart to do a rendition of “I am the very model of a baldie-headed thespian”

@9: I would’ve expected BND to be singing the “Ruler of the Queen’s Nay-vee” song… :D

ahh yes it was Irving Berlin thanks for correcting me….I think Worf complained about Irving Berlin and Gilbert and sullivan hahaah

Did I mention that I once was the piano accompaniment to a production of HMS Pinafore?

Ah, the halcyon days of youth.

My best friend at the time — still my best friend for all these decades — played a lead role.

Where does the time go?

21. Dean Mellis – May 29, 2010

Sorry Dean. WOK was a great movie but it was hardly perfect. What would have made it closer to perfect was not having a bunch of so-called augments who looked like kids in their late 20’s. Not only were they obviously much older than the 15 years since Kirk resettled the “supermen” but they behaved like run of the mill flunkies. If they had acted like the young augments in the ENTERPRISE episodes it would have been more believable. I could then see them overpowering the entire Reliant crew. And the fact that Khan was the ONLY survivor of the adults just makes it look more obvious. I would rather have had him found alone as a last survivor (which would have really fueled his hatred of Kirk) than what we saw.

#21 “Sorry, Wrath of Khan was perfect. ”

It had some bad plot holes and some cheese. In my opinion, it’s a good Star Trek movie, but far from perfect.

I liked Insurrection and the G & S scene is hilarious.

Why do I get the feeling that only the captain will survive the end of the play?

Next up…. The Klingons Of Penzance …..

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo, I am the Klingon King You are, you are the Klingon King, And it is, it is a glorious thing to be the Klingon king…..

– W – * Smirks *

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

Gilbert and Sullivan

• View history

Gilbert and Sullivan were a human musical composition team in the late 19th century . Playwright/lyricist William S. Gilbert and composer Arthur S. Sullivan gained fame for their satirical take on British society during the Victorian era.

Number One was a lover of Gilbert and Sullivan. ( SNW episodes : " Ad Astra Per Aspera ", " Subspace Rhapsody ")

A production of HMS Pinafore was mounted aboard the USS Enterprise in 2269 , with Montgomery Scott in the role of Corcoran . ( TOS - The Yesterday Saga novel : Yesterday's Son )

Captain Hikaru Sulu was fond of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado , and hosted several performances while commanding the USS Excelsior . ( VOY - The Brave and the Bold, Book Two novella : The Third Artifact ) USS Enterprise -E officer Data had also performed The Mikado, and Deanna Troi used portions of his performance in 2379 to try to break captured Tezwan General Gyero Minza for information. ( TNG novel : A Time to Heal )

In 2368 , Beverly Crusher produced a production of The Pirates of Penzance , and tried to recruit Geordi La Forge for the part of the Major-General. ( TNG episode : " Disaster ")

In 2375 , Lieutenant Commander Data was to play a role in HMS Pinafore . When he malfunctioned on the Ba'ku planet, Jean-Luc Picard and Worf sang a song from that operetta in order to distract him. (Worf initially assumed Gilbert and Sullivan were members of the Enterprise crew.) ( TNG movie : Star Trek: Insurrection )

Known works/songs [ ]

• I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General
• A British Tar

External links [ ]

• Gilbert and Sullivan article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Gilbert and Sullivan article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 Odyssey class
• 3 Akira class

Inside the ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Musical Episode — ‘Picard’ Almost Got There First

T here have certainly been musical moments in “Star Trek” before: Uhura sang while Spock played his lyre in “The Original Series”; Data and Picard duet to Gilbert and Sullivan in “Insurrection”; James Darren played a holographic nightclub singer on “Deep Space Nine.” But it took “Strange New Worlds,” the critically revered Paramount+ series nearing the end of its second season, to stage an entire musical episode.

In “Subspace Rhapsody,” Anson Mount’s Capt. Pike falls to his knees singing an emo song to his girlfriend (somewhat embarrassingly in front of everybody on the bridge of the Enterprise); Paul Wesley’s Kirk strikes a Donny Osmond-esque pose; Jess Bush’s Nurse Chapel is hoisted aloft on her back like Satine in “Moulin Rouge!”; Ethan Peck’s Spock croons about his heartbreak; Christina Chong’s La’an gets her own Howard Ashman-style “I want!” song; and actual Grammy-winning singer/Broadway alum Celia Rose Gooding gets a full-on musical heroine arc.

The emotional clarity that drives suddenly “breaking into song” was actually an ideal fit for wrapping up most of the characters’ recent storylines, showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said to IndieWire in a new interview. “The thing that made it a comfortable fit is that it’s still essentially a ‘Star Trek’ episode, and not just a ‘Star Trek’ episode but the ‘Star Trek’ episode that needed to be the ‘episode nine’ of our [10 episode] season. We need resolution in order to get us into episode 10, which in this case, Henry was going to write part one of a two-parter.”

The episode, directed by Dermott Downs, also has a very clear in-universe reason for existing: a subspace rift has altered reality so that people can only communicate through singing when they’re feeling intense emotion — the kind of climactic emotions involved in season-long storylines being resolved. “Fundamentally, I’d be game to make every episode nine a musical,” Goldsman said, “because it’s a great way of getting right to the heart of the issues the characters are bringing into the show and to resolve it in a really emotional way.”

“We tried to bring in an attitude about it that the show shouldn’t just be silly,” Myers, who had worked on previous musical episodes on “Ugly Betty” and “The Magicians,” said. “The show should be emotional and the show should reach a place where you feel things. Not just as a left turn for a couple of minutes to show us something, but to actually reveal things. We tried to find moments for everybody based very loosely on what we knew to be people’s abilities and what we wanted to say.”

The cast encompasses a wide range of singing skill levels from the professional vocalist polish of Chong, Gooding, and Rebecca Romijn (who plays First Officer Una Chin-Riley) to Mount, whose most notable on-screen singing was in a car with Britney Spears in 2002’s “Crossroads” (but who brings an admirable rocker-y growl to some of his musical moments in “Subspace Rhapsody”). Vocal lessons were provided over one to two months to anybody who wanted them, as was the option to re-record once the final mix was in place. Most of the actors had spent so much time in prep, including putting in extra hours on the weekends, that many stayed with their on-set recordings. “The surprising thing was that everyone had worked so hard, they were pretty happy with what they came up with at that point,” Myers said.

Staging a musical episode requires a greatly expanded pre-production timeline and Myers started making calls to prospective songwriters six months in advance of the shoot, landing quickly on Tom Polce and Kay Hanley. The process from there had to be profoundly iterative, with Polce and Hanley sending multiple versions of each song to the episode’s writers, Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff, to make sure that they fit with what they wanted for the characters.

“It’s one of those things where even when you want to make changes and deal with notes, it ends up everything moves slower because you’re changing the entire song as opposed to just rewriting a scene,” Myers said. “This all had to happen before Tom had also come to Toronto [where “Strange New Worlds” shoots] to sit down with all of our actors and get a sense of their abilities and what they were comfortable with and not comfortable with. Part of that was just literally just designing songs for everyone that would speak to their strengths because we wanted something that everyone could participate in.”

The thing that’s especially remarkable about “Subspace Rhapsody” is that it’s the immediate follow-up to the darkest episode in the series to date, “Under the Cloak of War,” in which Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) seeks a fight with a Klingon defector, kills him, then covers it up (with Nurse Chapel helping the cover-up). “There’s a moment in ‘Subspace Rhapsody’ [during the song about people dealing with the things they’re holding onto] where you pass his face and you really see him, he looks at Chapel and they share this look that feels like it comes from that episode,” said Myers. “But we also wanted it to feel like its own thing because this is its own episode with its own tone.”

Tone is key. That question of tone is why fans and critics have loved “Strange New Worlds,” which was recently renewed for two more seasons , so much. Or rather, it’s the capacity of “Strange New Worlds” to encompass many different tones: Season 2 has featured a courtroom drama episode, a deeply romantic time-travel saga, a Vulcan comedy of errors, and an episode bordering on horror in which Uhura has terrifying visions. That recalls the days of ’90s “Trek,” when there were 26 episodes a season to encompass a truly wide range of genres and tones. You could have an incredibly dark episode about the Dominion War on “Deep Space Nine” and follow it up with an episode where they play baseball.

“We spent a lot of time talking about trying to bring back all the feelings of ‘Star Trek,'” Myers said. “A lot of those [like ‘Take Me Out to the Holosuite’] were ones that really spoke to me. I know that they spoke to Akiva as well, which was just that ‘Star Trek’ changes every week and tries different things. The baseball episode is one of my favorites. It’s shockingly good. It’s like shocking how good it is today. We really wanted to come at it like that. ‘Star Trek’ can be different every week. It’s something that we both missed is what I can say because we’re really delighted to be able to bring that kind of idea back.”

“Subspace Rhapsody” is definitely the culmination of that idea. And though the “Star Trek” of old had 26 episodes to take a chance on a big swing like a musical episode, Goldsman notes that the 10-episode format allows for greater resources to be applied as well as time for production that would never be possible with 26 episodes: “There would certainly not have been time to do it anywhere near as thoroughly.”

The funny thing is that there was one other possible opportunity for a musical episode in the streaming era of “Star Trek.”

“Michael Chabon and I did with ‘Picard’ for a minute,” Goldsman said. “We were sitting around in the Borg Cube [in Season 1] and Michelle Hurd and Michael and I were sort of just waxing rhapsodic about the possibility. Michael went, ‘I know Lin-Manuel Miranda. I’m going to call him.'”

“We were like, ‘Yes, call him!'”

“Then two days later we were like, ‘What happened?'”

“Michael went, ‘He didn’t call me back.'”

“Subspace Rhapsody,” the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” musical episode is now streaming on Paramount+. The Season 2 finale will stream August 10.

More from IndieWire

• Lionsgate's $500 Million eOne Acquisition Is Here - and It's Confusing
• Every Streamer That Raised Prices in 2023 (So Far)

• A Message of Solidarity and Commitment
• Board of Directors
• The Orchestra
• Gilbert & Sullivan Revised
• Our Collection of Whimsy & Fun
• Future Shows
• Summer Concerts
• Sing-Throughs
• Cabaret Performances
• Special Performances
• Rush Tickets
• Howard Conn Seat Map
• Directions & Parking
• Get Involved
• G & S Resources
• Gilbert & Sullivan: Their History and Legacy
• Gilbert & Sullivan Glossaries
• Archives & More
• Gilbert & Sullivan in Popular Culture
• Mailing List
• Trial By Jury
• The Sorcerer
• H.M.S. Pinafore

The Pirates of Penzance

• Princess Ida
• The Yeomen of the Guard
• The Gondoliers
• Utopia, Limited
• The Grand Duke
• Trial by Jury
• Gilbert & Sullivan in Film

As one of most popular of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas, The Pirates of Penzance is one of those most commonly referred to in popular culture.  It’s difficult to say whether, however,  H.M.S. Pinafore , The Pirates of Penzance or The Mikado receives the most cultural references.

References to The Pirates of Penzance can be quite modern, including the following 2010 take in which President Obama is told that he’s of not living up to the country’s expectations.  In response, he breaks into song, to the tune of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.”  

The most famous popular cultural reference to The Pirates of Penzance , however, may be Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements” song, written in 1959, and sung to the tune of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.”  

Better Call Saul

“The Elements” song made an appearance in Better Call Saul’s season 4, episode 3, “ Something Beautiful ,” first broadcast on August 20, 2019. Gus Fring, played by Giancarlo Esposito, is a major distributor for a Mexican drug cartel, who meets with Gale Boetticher, played by David Costabile, a chemistry graduate student at the University of New Mexico. Fring had asked Boetticher to analyze methamphetamine samples to determine their chemical purity. When Fring arrives at the lab, Boetticher has his back to the door, his headphones on, and is happily singing along with Tom Lehrer’s recording of “The Elements” song.

Along with the world of science, the many worlds of science fiction seem to have an affinity to Gilbert and Sullivan.  During the fourth season of Babylon 5, in an episode titled, “ Atonement ,” Captain Sheridan sends Marcus Cole and Dr. Stephen Franklin on a long, slow mission to Mars.  In order to pass the time, and to irritate his fellow passenger, Marcus sings “I am the very model of a modern Major General” to Dr. Franklin’s discontent.

It is somewhat surprising that British native Jason Carter misquoted Gilbert and Sullivan as he did.  It is, of course, the “fights,” and not the “facts” historical.  His shifts in key are, perhaps, more forgivable.  

Star Trek: The Next Generation

In the fifth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “ Disaster ” episode, Dr. Crusher is apparently casting a shipboard production of The Pirates of Penzance .  She asks Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge to sing.  He is reluctant but eventually does so, singing “I am the very model of a modern Major General …” in tuneless monotone, after which Dr. Crusher immediately casts him in the role.  If Geordi’s mediocre, half-hearted audition wins him the leading role in the operetta, one has to wonder about the rest of the cast and the quality of the production.

Star Trek Discovery

Star Trek Discovery included broadcasts of ten-to-fifteen-minute stand-alone short stories called Star Trek: Short Treks that allowed Star Trek fans to delve deeper into the key themes and characters in the Star Trek universe. In one such episode, aired on October 5, 2019, Ensign Spock’s. played by Ethan Peck, first day aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise doesn’t go as planned when he and the ship’s First Officer, Una Chin-Riley, or “Number One,” played by Rebecca Romijn, become stuck together in a turbo lift. To pass the time, Spock asks Number One a wide range of questions, ultimately leading Number One to tell him, “If you want to command, you’re gonna have to learn to keep your ‘freaky’ to yourself.” Number One demonstrates that her own “freaky” is being a Gilbert and Sullivan fan by singing “I Am The Very Model of A Modern Major General.” Somewhat dazed at first, Spock suddenly seems to understand Number One as he sings the chorus back to her. When their rescue from the turbo lift happens moments later, Number One orders Spock to forget that it ever happened. Spock swears that he will do so. Star Trek Discovery Writer Michael Chabon hit upon the idea of including the song after inquiring into what special skills actress Rebecca Romijn possessed. She listed badminton, skill at foreign languages, and the fact that she was a trained Gilbert & Sullivan singer! The rest is history … or the future, depending on your perspective!

Out of his deep loyalty to Number One, however, Spock must break his promise to her in Star Trek: Strange New World’s season 2, episode 2, titled “ Ad Astra per Aspera ,” aired on June 22, 2023. In this episode, the U.S.S. Enterprise crew is attempting to help Number One who is being court martialed as to whether she lied about being an Illyrian. Spock takes the stand and testifies in the hope of helping his friend. During the trial, the prosecutor, Captain Batel, played by Melanie Scrofano, asks Spock, “Did you ever get the sense that Commander Chin-Riley was hiding something?” Spock answers, “Yes, I did get the sense that she was hiding something.” Batel asks, “What was she hiding? Spock responds, “An affinity for Gilbert and Sullivan musicals.”

Despicable Me 3

The Despicable Me minions are yellow pill-shaped creatures who, in the Despicable Me film series, have served evil villains throughout history. They are characterized by their unique language and childlike behavior. In Despicable Me 3, the Minions are arrested for trespassing onto a talent show set. As a part of the competition, they sing their own unique rendition of ““I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.”

There were multiple references to Gilbert and Sullivan in the Frasier television series.

In They’re Playing Our Song , the thirteenth episode of the seventh season, which aired on January 13, 2000, Frasier proposes a new theme song for his radio show.  

Although it’s not included in the video, Daphne Moon comments on Frasier’s theme song with the response, “It’s like Gilbert and Sullivan, only frightening.“

In Fathers and Sons , the twenty-second episode of the tenth season, which aired on May 6, 2003, Frasier, Niles, and Leland Barton sing “I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General” together, leaving Martin to wonder if Leland, his wife’s research assistant, could be his boys’ father.

Later in the episode, Martin, who is reassured that Frasier and Niles are his sons, enters their home, sees the two together at the piano and proudly says, “My boys.”  Then, when they begin singing “Willow, Titwillow,” and exasperated Martin puts on his headphones and turns on the television.

The West Wing

Writer, Producer and Actor Aaron Sorkin is a well-known Gilbert and Sullivan fan.  In The West Wing, his series about the lives of President Bartlet’s White House staff, the episode titled “ And It’s Surely to Their Credit ,” included the story of Republican attorney Ainsley Hayes who was asked to join the otherwise Democratic staff, much to the chagrin of the man who was to be her supervisor, White House Counsel Lionel Tribbey.  While, no doubt, a brilliant attorney, Lionel appears to have a somewhat incomplete knowledge of Gilbert and Sullivan …

The best line in the argument over whether “He is an Englishman” is from H.M.S. Pinafore , The Pirates of Penzance or Iolanthe , of course, is when Ainsley states, in regards to Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas, “They’re all about duty!”

Later in the episode, after Ainsley has had a rough first day on the job, her colleagues kindly surprise her with a Gilbert and Sullivan themed welcome to the White House team.

In addition, the West Wing included a number of other Gilbert and Sullivan references.  While attending college, Sam Seaborn, Deputy White House Communications Director, had been the Recording Secretary of the Princeton University Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

In the Mandatory Minimums episode, Sam discovers that someone he trusted was actually trying to dupe him.  In a conversation with his supervisor, Communications Director Toby Zeigler, the following Pirates of Penzance themed exchange takes place:

Sam:  “He’s trying to practice on my … my …” Toby:  “Credulous simplicity?”

In the Lord John Marbury episode, White House Press Secretary C.J. Crege describes Lord John as “the Earl of Sherbourne, he is the great great grandson of a former Viceroy and for thirteen years served as the Queen’s minister to either India or Pakistan.  Lord Marbury is here to counsel the President, and if you think this is all starting to sound like a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, I don’t blame you a bit.”

Finally, in the Inauguration Part I episode President Bartlet described Deputy White House Communications Director Will Baily’s father as “the very model of a modern Major General.”

Mad About You

Mad About You is a sitcom that aired from 1992 to 1999.  The show starred Paul Reiser, as Paul Buchman, and Helen Hunt, as Jamie Stemple Buchman, a newly married couple in New York City.  The series focused on the newlyweds dealing with everything from humorous daily minutiae to major struggles.  In Season 6, Episode 5, titled “ Moody Blues ,” Paul is directing his parents in a production of The Pirates of Penzance for charity.  The rehearsal scenes can be seen at the 3:30, 4:25 and 8:10 minute marks, while the performance occurs at the 16:25 minute mark.  The performance includes some impromptu “alternate lyrics” when Paul’s father forgets the words to “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.”  It should also be noted that Paul and Jamie also sing alternate lyrics about the show’s credits at the 20:35 minute mark!

Watch Video on Daily Motion

Hamilton is the extraordinarily popular Broadway musical about the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, with music, lyrics and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda.  The show was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton , by historian Ron Chernow, and has achieved both critical acclaim and box office success.  An admitted “musical theater nerd,” Miranda includes a number of subtle references to other musical theater works in Hamilton , from classics such as South Pacific , West Side Story and Camelot .  In Act I, Miranda makes an obvious reference to The Pirates of Penzance when George Washington introduces himself in, “Right-Hand Man,” during which he states, “Now I’m the model of a modern major general, the venerated Virginian veteran whose men are all lining up to put me up on a pedestal.”  This line can be heard at the 1:23 minute mark.

Never Cry Wolf

Never Cry Wolf is a 1983 American drama film, directed by Carroll Ballard, adapted from Farley Mowat’s 1963 autobiography of the same name. The film stars Charles Martin Smith, as Tyler, a government biologist sent into the wilderness to study the caribou population, whose decline is believed to be caused by wolves, even though no one has seen a wolf kill a caribou. The film was released on October 7, 1983, for a limited distribution, and in the regular theaters on January 27, 1984.

At one point during his stay in the wilderness, Tyler decides to “mark” the territory around his shelter. To provide the material necessary to do so, he drinks twenty-seven cups of tea, while singing a portion of “I Am the Captain of the Pinafore,” and then marks the territory around his shelter, while singing a portion of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.” The wolf responds by marking territory on the other side of Tyler’s, indicating that the wolf found the boundaries acceptable.

Chariots of Fire

The 1981 film, Chariots of Fire includes multiple Gilbert and Sullivan references.  The protagonist, Harold Abrahams, is a devoted Gilbert and Sullivan fan.  Abrahams sings “With Catlike Tread,” from The Pirates of Penzance , accompanying himself on the piano, during the channel crossing to Paris before the Olympic Games.  Chariots of Fire also features “He is an Englishman” from H.M.S. Pinafore , “The Soldiers of Our Queen” from Patience , “Three Little Maids from School Are We” from The Mikado and “There Lived a King” from The Gondoliers .

The Animaniacs

The Animaniacs was Steven Spielberg’s animated comedy television series, which aired on from 1993 to 1998.  Featuring three main characters, Yakko, Wakko and Dot, it was a variety show, with short skits, music, character catchphrases, and humor directed at an adult audience.

One episode from the first season was titled, H.M.S. Wakko / Slappy Goes Walnuts / Yakko’s Universe and included a parody of “I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General,” rendered as “I am the Very Model of a Cartoon Individual.”  The episode also included allusions to “With Cat Like Tread” and “Away, Away,” as well as musical allusions to H.M.S. Pinafore .

Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers

The 2004 Disney film, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, was an animated adaptation of Alexandre Dumas novel, The Three Musketeers.  The film was a musical comedy which included parodied version of famous pieces, including works by Strauss, Offenbach, Grieg and Bizet, as well as Sullivan.  The L’Opera portion of the film featured part of the overture to Princess Ida and four songs from The Pirates of Penzance , including With Catlike Tread, Poor Wandering One, Climbing Over Rocky Mountain and I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.

The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants

The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants is an animated television series based on the Captain Underpants series of books by Dav Pilkey.  The series was produced by Dreamworks Animation and released via streaming on Netflix, on July 13, 2018.  The series revolves around the adventures of pranksters and comic book artists George Beard and Harold Hutchins, and their strict principal Mr. Krupp, who was hypnotized by George and Harold to become their creation: Captain Underpants, a brief-wearing superhero.  In the third season, George and Harold are in summer camp and have to deal with Mr Krupp as their camp instructor.  In Episode 5, they tell Mr. Krupp about the kind of camp they’d dreamed of to the tune of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.”

Phineas and Ferb

Phineas and Ferb was a Disney Channel animated musical comedy series which aired from 2007 to 2015.  The show followed stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb as they embarked on unrealistic, even impossible adventures during their summer vacation.  In Season 4, Episode 12, titled Love at First Byte / One Good Turn , first broadcast on August 2, 2013, the story includes a sub-plot in which Phineas and Ferb’s pet platypus, Perry, is working as a spy for OWCA, the “Organization Without a Cool Acronym,” to defeat the evil mad scientist, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.  After OWCA’s commander, Major Monogram sends Perry out on his next mission, he is joined by a chorus of animals and breaks into song for no apparent reason, singing, “I am the very model of a modern Major Monogram, I’ve information, vegetable and animal and hologram …”

In the Death Has a Shadow episode, Brian the dog sings a brief snippet from “Sighing Softly to the River.”

Car 54, Where Are You?

During the Christmas at the 53rd episode of Car 54, Where Are You?, broadcast in December 1961, in which the police officers put on a Christmas review, Officer Francis Muldoon sings “A Policeman’s Lot Is Not a Happy One.”  Many will better remember Officer Muldoon actor, Fred Gwynne, from his role as Herman Munster, in The Munsters television series that ran from 1964 to 1966.  

Parodies of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General”

“I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General” may be the most popularly parodied Gilbert and Sullivan song.  Alternate lyric versions have been written in regards to Biblical Scholars …

… Psychopharmacologists …

… Boy Scout merit badges …

… and Network Television, to name only a few!

Mass Effect 2

Yet another reference to “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General” occurs in the action role-playing video game, Mass Effect 2, sung by Salarian scientist Mordin Solus.

Pretty Woman

In the 1990 film, Pretty Woman, the character of Edward Lewis, played by Richard Gere, engages a prostitute named Vivian Ward, played by Julia Roberts, to portray his girlfriend for an extended period of time for business purposes.  As the two unexpectedly grow closer, Edward takes Vivian to see a production of La Traviata.  Vivian is moved to tears by the story of the prostitute who falls in love with a rich man, which further deepens Edward’s feelings towards her.  After the opera, a fellow audience member asks Vivian how she liked the opera.  She replies, “It was so good, I almost peed my pants.”  Edward quickly covers for her saying that she had said that she “liked it better than Pirates of Penzance.”

The Morning Show

The Morning Show is an Apple TV Plus drama series, first broadcast in 2019, about the lives, loves, ambitions and betrayals of the people who bring a top-rated television network morning program to the air. In the fifth episode of the series’ first season, “No One’s Going to Harm You, Not While I’m Around,” first broadcast on November 15, 2019, Alex Levy, the Morning Show’s senior anchor, played by Jennifer Aniston, is hosting a Broadway Development Fund Charity Fundraiser at which the guests are invited to sing their favorite musical theater show tune for a donation. When Alex asks the Morning Show weatherman, Yanko Flores, played by Nestor Carbonell, if he’d like to sing, he responds, “I’m thinking “Modern Major General, ‘cause I can talk-sing it … and I learned it in boarding school.” Alex responds, with a bit of satiric insincerity in her voice, “Ah, Gilbert and Sullivan. What a crowd pleaser. I can’t wait for that!”

Hart of Dixie

Hart of Dixie is a comedy-drama series that aired on the CW from September 2011 to March 2015. It tells the story of Dr. Zoe Hart, a new physician from New York, who comes to the small town of Bluebell, Alabama to take over a medical practice and struggles as a New Yorker to fit into the quirky Southern community. In Season 1, Episode 19, titled Destiny & Denial , first broadcast on April 23, 2012, the town stages a musical revue comprised of Gilbert and Sullivan songs, including, “I Am a Pirate King,” “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General,” “I’m Called Little Buttercup,” and “Three Little Maids from School.”

Ghosts is a British sitcom first broadcast on BBC One in April 2019. Alison Cooper inherits the vast but crumbling mansion from a distant relative. The house is haunted by numerous squabbling ghosts from different historical periods who died on its grounds. Alison and her husband Mike decide to move in and renovate the property, with the idea of turning the house into a luxury hotel. The ghosts are not very happy with the plans and conspire to get rid of the newcomers. At first the couple is blissfully unaware of the ghosts. After a near fatal accident, however, Alison is able to see and hear them. As the Coopers cannot leave the house for financial reasons and the ghosts are bound to the mansion’s land until they can ascend into the afterlife, both sides eventually agree to coexist as best they can. In Season 1, Episode 2, titled Gorilla War , first broadcast on April 22, 2019, the ghost of a World War II army officer, The Captain, played by Ben Wilbond, sings, “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” to annoy Alison while she is trying to sleep.

Mars Trilogy

Kim Stanley Robinson’s award winning science fiction trilogy, “Red Mars,” “Green Mars” and “Blue Mars” envisions the colonization of Mars. In chapter 12 of Red Mars, the narrator describes the creation of genetically engineered plants to aid in Mars’ terraforming. He describes the process of synthesizing organisms, using various DNA strands with desirable traits. As the final step in the process, the selected cells receive a “short, sharp, shock” of electricity to bring them to life. In chapter 3 of Blue Mars, the socially inept, but brilliant Martian colonist physicist Saxifrage “Sax” Russell reflects on the fact that he has acquired a large following of young scientists who have been called “Saxi-clones,” all of whom admire him as “the very model of the modern Martian scientist.” Are these intentional quotes from The Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance or are they simply phrases that Mr. Robinson had heard … somewhere? Either way, they stand as a testimony to Gilbert and Sullivan’s pervasive influence in popular culture.

Those of us who know and love the delightful works of Gilbert and Sullivan hope that future generations will also come to appreciate their beautiful music and delightful humor.  One way that this might be accomplished is through educational materials.  A good example of this is ABCya.com, a website that provides educational games and activities for school-aged children.  The games on the website are organized into grade levels and subject categories such as letters, numbers, and holidays, all of which are covered in individual topic units.  Each unit is hosted by a cartoon character with its own, appropriate background music.  The unit that covers the concepts of longitude and latitude is titled “Treasure Hunt,” is hosted by a pirate, and its theme music is, “With Cat-Like Tread.”  Perhaps children using this program will hear this music in the future, wonder about its origins and may discover The Pirates of Penzance and the wonderful world of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Gilbert and Sullivan references can be cleverly or unexpectedly placed in modern contexts. Sometimes they’re just silly. In that spirit, we give you the Daleks singing selections from The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado .

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Jun 23, 2023

RECAP | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 202 - 'Ad Astra per Aspera'

There's nothing wrong with you; no hidden monster inside.

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

StarTrek.com / Rob DeHart

In the previous episode , Captain Pike is preoccupied with his Number One's upcoming trial, with both frustrated they've been unable to reach Una's defense lawyer of choice. Unwilling to lose his first officer, Pike assures her he will seek out the defense lawyer in person.

In Episode 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , " Ad Astra per Aspera ," Commander Una faces court-martial along with possible imprisonment and dishonorable dismissal from Starfleet, and her defense is in the hands of a lawyer who’s also a childhood friend with whom she had a terrible falling out.

StarTrek.com

• Una Chin-Riley (Number One)
• Christopher Pike
• Neera Ketoul
• La’An Noonien-Singh
• Erica Ortegas
• Dr. Joseph M'Benga
• Nyota Uhura
• Zus Tlaggul
• Robert April
• Christine Chapel

• Vaultera Nebula Colony
• Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Earth
• U.S.S. Enterprise

Gazing at a city’s sparkling lights, a young girl with a severe leg wound overhears her parents debate sending her to a hospital. Her mother assures her, all will be okay, as the girl’s injury gives off an orange glow. Afraid that a doctor’s visit will expose their family and ruin their lives, the girl’s father says her name — Una.

Commander Una Chin-Riley reflects on the memory as she stares at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge from her cell. Una meets with the prosecutor, Captain Batel, who offers the first officer a deal — plead guilty and Starfleet will accept her dishonorable dismissal without prison time or exile. Una balks, viewing this as Starfleet trying to cover its mistake. Una’s counsel advises her to accept, though she doesn’t have faith in him counseling her, as he works for the prosecution.

"Ad Astra per Aspera"

Captain Christopher Pike endures a chilly day on a planet in the Vaultera Nebula. The atmosphere is not suitable for humans, requiring Pike to don a respirator. Inside Counsellor Neera Ketoul's building, Pike calls her assistant’s bluff and lets his oxygen run out. Pike bursts into the lawyer’s office, gasping for air as she adjusts the environmental controls to suit human biology. Ketoul is Illyrian — genetically modified to survive here. She refuses to see how Starfleet’s unwillingness to let Una — another Illyrian — serve openly is her problem and denies having a friendship with her. Pike credits a recent mission with illustrating what happens to Illyrians who reverse their modifications to be accepted. Unimpressed, Neera voices dissatisfaction with Starfleet’s draconian race laws, confessing she has kept up with Una’s case. Before leaving, the captain mentions the counselor’s 10 cases against the Federation, which were thrown out due to insufficient evidence. Winning this trial could bring attention to Ketoul's other Illyrian clients. The lawyer remains steadfast, but does not say “no.”

Neera meets Una in her cell, breaking their 25-year hiatus from speaking with an “I told you so”-type quip. Uninterested in reuniting, the counselor has Una recap her story. Until two months ago, the officer’s record was spotless. The change? Someone reported her heritage to Starfleet. Una emphasizes she shouldn’t have to hide anymore — no Illyrian should. Neera relents and accepts the assignment, stating she is doing it for herself and all the Illyrians who can’t — or won’t — pretend to be someone they are not.

Captain Batel stands at the door to Pike’s quarters aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise , irritated by Una’s rejected plea deal. Pleased at the news, Pike feels betrayed by Batel’s role in his first officer’s arrest, despite assurances she sought to help Number One. The argument escalates, and Pike inquires, “What if the law is wrong?” Batel states the Judge Advocate General is looking into the case.

Ketoul and Chin-Riley, as well as Batel and her superior, Vice Admiral Pasalk, confer with Admiral Javas at Starfleet Headquarters. Additional charges, including sedition, are being filed, and the prosecution seeks a dishonorable discharge and 20-year prison sentence. The defense retreats to Una’s cell, where Neera declines Una’s desire to take the stand; the prosecution will seize the opportunity to implicate her friends.

Lieutenant La’An Noonien-Singh escorts Ketoul to Una’s quarters on the Enterprise, where the lawyer will live during the trial. Neera listens as the security officer brings up Starfleet v. Wyck , a case used as an example of “ fruit of the poisonous tree .” Evidence procured through illegal means is inadmissible in court. A determined La’An perceives this applies to Una’s situation and promises to investigate.

Captain Pike reads in the Enterprise ’s mess hall, pausing when Batel takes a seat. Batel intuits Pike’s disappointment over not being part of the defense’s witness list and asks how he met Una. The future first officer approached Pike after he gave a speech to her Starfleet Academy class to highlight an error. Batel interrupts Pike’s fond remembrance with a question, adopting a rigid prosecutorial tone and questioning when he learned Una was Illyrian. Pike concedes Batel’s point — taking the stand would center the case on the captain’s failure to report Una’s ancestry.

Across the mess hall, Lieutenant Erica Ortegas and Dr. Joseph M’Benga watch Admiral Pasalk and Spock chat. The two Vulcans display no emotion, leading Ortegas to guess they are engaged in a dull conversation about kal-toh . M’Benga disagrees, noticing subtle tension in their body language. Spock finishes with Pasalk and approaches them, apologizing that they witnessed his “outburst.” A former colleague of Sarek, Pasalk brings out the worst in Spock, at least so he believes. Flabbergasted, Ortegas and M’Benga share a quiet laugh once Spock departs.

Up on the Bridge, La’An petitions Ensign Nyota Uhura for communications — including personal logs — referencing Una from the last six months. Uhura hesitates, citing the regulation that only Starfleet Command can unseal private files. Aware La’An wishes to break rules to aid her mentor, Uhura denies the request to protect La’An. The ensign urges La’An to find another way to discover who turned Una in.

The trial commences on Earth, with Admiral Javas presiding alongside Space Command Representative Zus Tlaggul and Starfleet Commander Chiv. Pike and his senior officers follow along via the Ready Room’s viewscreen. Una pleads not guilty. Batel outlines the illegality of genetic engineering, recalling the tens of millions who died during the Eugenics Wars* to prove the folly of “playing God.” Ketoul remarks that slavery, apartheid, and discrimination against people for how they worshiped, who they loved, their gender, and their skin color were once legal. She asserts “a law does not make something just.” To Neera, the Federation became blinded by a centuries' old fear.

Admiral April testifies that he would not have sponsored Commander Chin-Riley's Starfleet application had he known about her modifications. The admiral claims this is based on the law, but Ketoul recites his willingness to violate General Order 1 — now known as the Prime Directive ** — to help pre-warp societies avoid extinction in 2246 and 2248. Apparently, Starfleet's rules only apply when a captain deems they do. The defense pushes too far, accusing April of basing his opinion on racial prejudice. The three judges — human, Tellarite, and Vulcan — cease the proceedings and strike April's answers from the record.

April heads to Pike's quarters, reminding the captain that he recommended Una for the Medal of Gallantry and regretting that the court did not get to hear that side of his story. Back in her cell, Number One is equally upset with her counselor, accusing Ketoul of seeking a "soapbox" to preach about the Federation’s views on Illyrians.

Returning to the courtroom, the defense calls expert character witnesses — La'An, Spock, and M'Benga. Outfitted in a dress uniform, Spock raises an eyebrow as he reveals the one thing he sensed Chin-Riley concealed — an affinity for Gilbert and Sullivan musicals. The trio describe her as a mentor, friend, and family member whose accolades include rescuing La’An from the Gorn.

La'An joins Neera in Una's quarters. Guilt-stricken, she thinks the angry personal log she recorded after learning Number One lied about being Illyrian was responsible for Una's arrest. La'An confesses her worries about her shared bloodline with Khan Noonien Singh, but the attorney assures her there is no hidden monster inside of her.*** Ketoul argues that “ genetics is not destiny ” and alleviates La'An's concerns — it takes 6 months to subpoena a personal log, so her entry was not to blame. It must have been someone who would gain from leaking Una’s identity.

The trial resumes, and Ketoul shocks the room by calling Chin-Riley to the stand. Number One cites Starfleet's pre-Federation motto, ad astra per aspera — "to the stars through hardship," as a reason she joined up. Una reminisces on her childhood at a colony, which agreed to the Federation’s condition that all genetic modification cease. Some families complied, but Una's practiced these customs as cultural traditions. Rituals were performed in secret. Others — such as Ivan Ketoul, her best friend's 10-year old cousin — were outed, ostracized, and arrested. The persecution of Illyrians encompassed everything from being called “Augments” and “Moddies” to fearing for their lives.

As a child, Una broke her leg while stopping a fight. It became infected, and the girl would have died had they not found an Illyrian doctor who valued discretion. The government divided the colony into two cities — Illyrian and non-Illyrian. Chin-Riley's family left those they knew behind and hid in the non-Illyrian settlement. Neera concludes by pressing Una about how someone so adept at disguising her nature was discovered by Starfleet. Una ultimately relents — she turned herself in.

Perplexed glances infiltrate the audience. A defiant Number One explains she wanted her crew to know her truth and Starfleet to better understand Illyrians. A Federation starship visited Una's colony when she was five or six, and the crew's diversity inspired her love for Starfleet. Her counsel rests, but Admiral Pasalk pushes Una to tell him when Captain Pike became aware of her status as an Illyrian. Chin-Riley reluctantly admits Pike knew for four months, well before her arrest. Pasalk declares it a conspiracy . The Vice Admiral delivers a harsh closing, but Ketoul has Batel read Starfleet Code 8514 aloud:

In extraordinary and extreme circumstances, if the following conditions are met —

• any person fleeing persecution or fearing for their life due to political or religious beliefs, cultural engagements, or biological truths may...
• seek safety within Starfleet and...
• upon revealing themselves to authorities and making a request may be granted asylum. Starfleet captains must exercise discretion and judgment when offering asylum .

This mirrors Una's flight from persecution and the asylum given by Captain Pike. If the court confirms it, Una and Pike will be absolved of all violations. The counselor maintains the law reminds us how to be our better selves, something the judges can do by accepting Una's asylum. Delivering the verdict, Admiral Javas agrees the genetic engineering issue is nuanced. Lines must be drawn, but they must also shift when necessary. Javas grants Una asylum and judges her not guilty .

Commander Chin-Riley returns to duty, beaming up to the Transporter Room and thanking Neera for saving her life. Those present — including Captains Pike and Batel — erupt with applause for the Illyrian lawyer, who sees the verdict and the crew's love for Number One as a good start for Federation-Illyrian relations. Ketoul beams away, and Una orders the senior staff back to their stations. Once the crew departs, Pike demonstrates his relief by embracing Una in a firm-but-friendly hug. The captain then pats his Number One on the arm and expresses appreciation for having her back.

* " Borderland " - This Star Trek: Enterprise episode discusses genetic engineering, Augments, and how the Eugenics Wars affected Earth.

** " The Return of the Archons " - The Prime Directive, first referenced in this Original Series episode, is clear — Starfleet is not to interfere with the development of a culture that is living and growing. Violations of the Prime Directive can have serious consequences, despite a crew and/or captain's best intentions.

*** " Space Seed " and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Both are two crucial entry points to learning more about the genetically-enhanced Khan Noonien Singh. It is his ambition that helped further the Eugenics War. Khan is the reason why Starfleet has banned enhanced individuals.

• Written by Dana Horgan
• Directed by Valerie Weiss

Get Updates By Email

Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

MIT Gilbert & Sullivan Players

• Current Production
• Past Productions
• The Operettas

HMS Pinafore

Spring 2018.

Gilbert & Sullivan

A lowly sailor and his Captain's beautiful daughter find their love thwarted by their differences in rank, an evil shipmate, and an incompetent Lord.

May 4,5,6 and 10,11,12, 2018

Performances

Sala de Puerto Rico

HMS Pinafore

• View history

An overview of acts, musical numbers and dramatis personae in the opera

HMS Pinafore was an English comic light opera in two acts written and composed by Gilbert and Sullivan in the 19th century . Songs in the operetta included " A British Tar " and "He remains an Englishman ".

In 2375 , Commander Data had been preparing for a performance of the operetta aboard the USS Enterprise -E prior to being dispatched to the Briar Patch . ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

Dramatis personae [ ]

• The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, KCB (First Lord of the Admiralty)
• Captain Corcoran (Commanding HMS Pinafore )
• Tom Tucker (Midshipmate)
• Ralph Rackstraw (Able seaman)
• Dick Deadeye (Able seaman)
• Bill Bobstay (Boatswain's mate)
• Bob Becket (Carpenter's mate)
• Josephine (the captain's daughter)
• Hebe (Sir Joseph Porter's first cousin)
• Mrs. Cripps (Little Buttercup) (A Portsmouth Bumboat Woman)

External link [ ]

• HMS Pinafore at Wikipedia