Gilbert and Sullivan was dedicated enough, and when she missed a rehearsal, he dismissed her. "Princess Ida" was the first of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas that, by the partnership's previous standards, was not a success. A particularly hot summer in London did not help ticket sales. The piece ran for a comparatively short 246 performances and was not revived in London until 1919. Sullivan had been satisfied with the libretto, but two months after "Ida" opened, Sullivan told Carte that "it is impossible for me to do another piece of the character of those already written by Gilbert and myself." As "Princess
National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company Sullivan companies performed around the world. After 1961 other professional groups began to perform the operas in Britain. In 1994, the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival was founded by Ian and his son Neil Smith partly to fill the gap left by the closure of D'Oyly Carte, and it has been held every August since then in England. On weeknights, the festival features a competition among amateur companies from all over the world. On weekends, however, the festival offers professional performances given by companies such as the Carl Rosa Opera Company, Opera della Luna, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan