Can ‘The Mikado’ Be Saved From Its Yellowface History?

“The setting was no longer England (or Japan). It was now going to be in Milan during the Renaissance. … And Brooks and Barbara Heroux (the theatre’s artistic director emeritus) have combed through the script, changing character names, modifying any reference to Japan, and removing anything that could be construed as an ethnic slur. For example, the character of the Mikado is now Il Ducato, emperor of Milan, and the line, ‘We are gentlemen of Japan’ has become, ‘We are gentlemen of Milan.'”