But given the Savoyard tradition of topical updating, a modern production of "The Mikado" is only partly a 19th-century work.
The voice was in excellent shape when Move opened the discipline-crossing series "Live Ideas 2017: Mx'd Messages" at New York Live Arts with "Martha@20," a greatest-hits collection of Graham shtick sprinkled with topical updates.
The production, directed by Mr. Bergeret and Jan Holland, with choreography by Bill Fabris (including a third-act tap dance for Hildebrand's soldiers) had a simplicity that let the work speak for itself, and the topical updating was amusing and lightly applied.
Compared to last season's notorious topical updating of Verdi's "Aida" — and to the other works in this year's festival, which include a popular Broadway musical, a fascinating pair of staged vocal works not intended for the theater, and a rare Verdi flop — "The Flying Dutchman" was presented in an essentially traditional manner.
Mr. Crutchfield, leading the festival's resident Orchestra of St . Lukes and a well-balanced cast, gave a brisk, vibrant account of the score, but he also treated it as he would a Verdi or Donizetti opera, prizing fidelity to the text and avoiding the topical updating that has become a tradition of Gilbert and Sullivan performance.
That means generating how-tos, topical updates, press releases, case studies, thought leadership pieces, white papers and more.
A terrific (but gentle) parody of a show well in need of it, "Dickens" could be repeated every year, with occasional topical updates by co-writers Adrea Gibbs and Scott Martin.
It's not just the updated topical references (to things like cellphones and Bjork) that keep "Burn This" from feeling like a period piece.
The regularly updated topical squad-based shooter Kuma\War is set to add a series of missions based around Senator John Kerry's time in Vietnam.
Over the years, Ko-Ko's solo, "I've Got A Little List," has frequently been updated with topical and local references.
We have invited investigators to contribute original research articles as well as topical reviews that provide updated perspective and present exciting contributions.
