PULLMAN, Wash.–Pullman’s Summer Palace opens its second Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera this season on Friday at Washington State University with “The Mikado.”
“It’s ‘Monty Python’ set to music,” says George Caldwell, play director. “The story is sheer lunacy, surrounded by some of the most memorable melodies ever penned.”
Caldwell says the production also boasts an exceptional group of voices trained by music director Julie Wieck, a member of the School of Music and Theatre Arts faculty.
The director said like all great farces, the story of “The Mikado” seems complicated, but is actually quite simple. The Mikado’s son, Nanki-Poo, played by Andrew Mielke, is madly in love with Yum-Yum, a young school girl in the town, played by Kate Roman. The dilemmas arise because they are both betrothed to others, and the comic intricacies involve the lovers’ absurd attempts to extract themselves from their engagements.
“If any comic opera was written to be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone at any age, it’s ‘The Mikado,'” says Caldwell. “That’s why it has been performed every night somewhere in the world, since its original production more than 100 years ago.”
“The Mikado” is set for 8 p.m. July 17-18, 24-25 and 31, and Aug. 1 in Bryan Hall Auditorium. Tickets can be reserved by calling the Bryan Hall box office, 335-7236, from 1-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
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