the Informer

"The Mikado," first performed in 1885, takes place in Japan.,Singing and laughing could be heard coming from Lincoln Theaterast weekend as the Theatre Division of The Hartt School presented "The Mikado." Henry Fonte directed the comic opera written by Sir William Schwenck Gilbert and Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan.

"The Mikado," first performed in 1885, takes place in Japan. Nanki-Poo, "The Mikado"'s son, enters the town of Titipu disguised as a wandering minstrel. He desires to marry Yum-Yum, the ward of the Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko. Unfortunately for Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko is engaged to Yum-Yum.

Recently after the arrival of Nanki-Poo, Ko-Ko receives an order from "The Mikado" that an execution must be carried out before the end of a month in order for him to maintain his position as Lord High Executioner. This stipulation results in a series of comedic misunderstandings entailing the details of Nanki-Poo's death and the evolution of various love triangles.

The performance itself did not present any extremely difficult technical feats. However, the technical aspects that were included in the show definitely added to its quality.

The set was well designed. The simple set design mimicked the courtyard of a wealthy Japanese citizen. The lighting was also well attended to. Spotlights constantly followed main characters and color washes changed to fit the mood of the scene.

The performance itself was well done. At times, the dancers were off from one another, but the singing was impressive, and the orchestra was very well prepared. I cannot say that I left the theater disappointed Friday night. Certain characters, however, stood out over others.

Kyle Brand as Ko-Ko and Kyle Rudolph as Pooh-Bah both stood out on stage. First of all, their appearance was hysterical. Brand wore an outlandish headpiece, adding an additional foot to his already tall figure, and Rudolph sported an ostentatious, flowing robe.

These actors had excellent chemistry with one another and easily extracted the most laughs from the audience.

Two other performers stood out to me, mostly for their control over the music, but also for their command of the characters they played. Both Cody Ryan (Nanki-Poo) and Abby Gershuny (Katisha) had impressive performances Friday night which demonstrated their musical talent.

Overall, "The Mikado" was an enjoyable experience, and I look forward to more musical performances presented by the Hartt School Theatre Division.