“The Mikado” to have limited run
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From left, Randy Reyes, Isabella Dawis, and Phong Nguyen in “The Mikado.”
Minneapolis/Saint Paul — Skylark Opera and Mu Performing Arts will collaborate for the first time on a new adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. Performances are slated for June 14-23, 2013 at Concordia University’s EM Pearson Theatre.
The Gilbert and Sullivan operetta has been added as the final show of the 2012-2013 Mu Performing Arts Subscription series as well as part of Skylark’s Summer Festival 2013. It will play in repertory with The Fantasticks.
Flirting has been declared a crime and punishable by death. Yet there is a lot of flirting going on in the town of Ti-Tea-Pu in the mythical land of Ingland. In anticipation of the arrival of the monarch, The Mikado, a tailor has been appointed Lord High Executioner and must behead someone before he arrives. The tailor himself is involved in a love triangle and attempts to set up his rival, Franky-Poo, before he loses his own head. It’s fun and games with Gilbert and Sullivan with a modern Mu twist.
Mu’s Ivey Award-winning Rick Shiomi will direct the production and Skylark artistic director, Steve Stucki will serve as conductor. He has a new vision for this modern retelling of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.
“Our re-imagined production of The Mikado will deconstruct the unfortunate stereotypes while still retaining the humor and classic music; getting at the heart of the universal human experience through the lens of our diverse contemporary American culture,” says Rick Shiomi, founder of Mu Performing Arts Artistic. “The story will be reset in a fictitious island nation featuring a multi-cultural/racial cast performing in western costume. The setting allows us to explore claims that the opera was a thinly disguised critique of British society and the British empire as a whole, while the multi-cultural/racial casting gives us a layer of contemporary sensibility.”
Randy Reyes stars as Co-Co in Skylark Opera’s production of The Mikado. In collaboration with Mu Performing Arts, this re-imagined production updates names and locations while the memorable music and comedy remain intact. http://www.muperformingarts.org/
Recommended for ages 8+, Mu Performing Arts presents a limited run performance of “The Mikado” at the E.M. Pearson Theatre, of Concordia University, 312 Hamline Avenue St. Paul, MN 55104. The four performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on June 15, 19, 21, and 3 p.m. and June 23, 2013 as part of the Mu Season Subscription Package.
