An office clerk loves entering contests in the hopes of someday winning a fortune and marrying the girl he loves. His latest attempt is the Maxford House Coffee Slogan Contest. As a joke, some of his co-workers put together a fake telegram which says that he won the $25,000 grand prize.
Jonathan Switcher, an unemployed artist, finds a job as an assistant window dresser for a department store. When Jonathan happens upon a beautiful mannequin he previously designed, she springs to life and introduces herself as Emmy, an Egyptian under an ancient spell. Despite interference from the store's devious manager, Jonathan and his mannequin fall in love while creating eye-catching window displays to keep the struggling store in business.
Viola Hastings is in a real jam. Complications threaten her scheme to pose as her twin brother, Sebastian, and take his place at a new boarding school. She falls in love with her handsome roommate, Duke, who loves beautiful Olivia, who has fallen for Sebastian! As if that were not enough, Viola's twin returns from London ahead of schedule but has no idea that his sister has already replaced him on campus.
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.
A New York girl sets her father up with a beautiful woman in a shaky marriage while her half sister gets engaged.
A female cat wants to board a French cruise ship. Prior to the ship's departure, she crawls under a freshly-painted gate and gets a white streak atop her back and tail. Enter enamored Pepé Le Pew.
Sylvester Cat scoffs at his son's idea that a pipe like that of The Pied Piper of Hamelin could lure mice into their home to catch. But when Junior tries it and Hippety Hopper, the baby kangaroo, comes along, Sylvester believes in the power of the pipe and that Hippety is a giant mouse.
An American gets a ticket for an audience participation game in London, then gets involved in a case of mistaken identity. As an international plot unravels around him, he thinks it's all part of the act.
Striving to be like all the high-class dogs in their fine coats, a little hairless pooch borrows a black and white fur coat of her owner, not realizing it makes her appear to be a skunk. Once she has it on, she finds everyone fleeing from her - everyone, that is, except for the amorous Pepé Le Pew.
Marsha Meredith, an attorney-at-law, is nominated for a federal judgeship, but her nomination is opposed by a 'Good-Government' group that thinks her divorce makes her unfit for the job. This evolves into situations, happening in Florida, New England, Washington D.C., and the Adirondacks, such as the misunderstood husband trying to win back his wife, and the misunderstood wife trying to make her husband jealous, and one case of mistaken identity after another, after another.
A former housemaid now works as a confidence trickster, but her plans for a big job in California go awry.
Phil and Claire Foster fear that their mild-mannered relationship may be falling into a stale rut. During their weekly date night, their dinner reservation leads to their being mistaken for a couple of thieves—and now a number of unsavoury characters want Phil and Claire killed.
In the French Alps, an out-of-control street-painter's wagon sprays a stripe of white paint atop a female cat's back. Enter Pepé Le Pew.
George Burns tries to buy a tie in a department store filled with assorted kooks.
Although Jason works as a department store clerk, he is also a reincarnated prince. Long ago, his beloved Jessie was snatched away from him by an evil wizard who used his powers to transform her into wooden statue. Now Jessie is in Jason's department store as a mannequin. When he encounters her, she awakens from her thousand-year sleep. They quickly revive their romance, but the evil wizard has been reincarnated as well, and he's up to no good.
Mike Lawton, Maurice Horton, and Melvin Orton are three men who come to Venice. One of them is a hit man sent to take out a mobster. Another is a lech looking for a little action with a woman he never met, whom he was set up with. And one of them was sent by his employer to inspect a property his boss wants to buy. All three men stay at the same hotel. But when the bellboy gets their names mixed up and gives info meant for someone else. So one of them meets a Realtor who will whatever she has to, to close the sale. And another follows a woman looking for romance. And another goes to the home of the mobster who thinks he's sent there to kill him.
Comic mayhem ensues when two lovely blondes, Dee and Dawn, are mistaken as international mob killers.
Bob is a car nut who's oblivious to his wife Sue's need for some amorous action and Barry's (his gay neighbor) unrequited affections. When Sue mistakes the legs sticking out under her hubby's car for Bob's and decides to take action, who can tell where events will lead?
Rich heir Lee Man, passionately in love with Pak Siu-ping, leaves the family defiantly after a dispute with his father Cheung-fat over an arranged marriage. Man walks into the barber shop owned by his splitting image Chiu Tak, throwing his wife Cheng Ying, friends and patrons into confusion. Believing that Chiu has strayed, the infuriated wife leaves home. Abducted to the nuptial hall, Chiu shuns the arranged bride, waiting and lurking for his escapade. The puzzle is solved when the two men finally meet face-to-face. Chiu and his wife rekindle their romance after Chiu's feigned death, plotted by Man to put their love through the ultimate test. Cheung-fat, who witnesses Pak's outpour of affection over the presumed death of Man, gives his blessing to the lovers. The barber shop enjoys a booming business with the capital brought in by Man.
After marrying their sweethearts Gianetta and Tessa, gondoliers Marco and Giuseppe learn that one of them is really the King of Barataria. But it's a mystery as to which one is which. The couples begin to fantasize about wealth and royalty, which brings about a delightful concoction of confusion, jealousy and true love. THE GONDOLIERS was the last successful collaborative work of Gilbert and Sullivan. This production was recorded at the Sydney Opera House.