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presents its summer 2011 grand production
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu
by Sir W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan
directed by Ralph MacPhail, Jr.
musical direction by Jeffrey Jones-Ragona
June 9-19 -- 9 Performances
Evening performances Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Matinees at 3 p.m., June 12, 18 & 19.
Special Children’s Activities Sunday, June 12 at 2 p.m.
Travis High School Performing Arts Center / 1211 E. Oltorf (click for Google map)
For information, visit www.gilbertsullivan.org or call (512) 472-4772
For group sales of 10 or more, contact Michael Meigs at (512) 420-0888 or michael@gilbertsullivan.org
The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin is proud to present its Summer 2011 Grand Production of The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu. The Mikado has delighted audiences for more than a century and is perhaps the most popular comic opera ever written. This quintessential satire of human nature represents Gilbert and Sullivan at the height of their creative geniuses. The Mikado is filled with masterful Gilbertian lyrics and magnificent Sullivanian musical “hits,” conveyed with orchestral brilliance. Populated with memorable characters and colorfully exotic costumes and sets, The Mikado is wildly funny. Audiences of all ages will be captivated by its hauntingly beautiful tunes and its colorful pageantry.
The Mikado opened in London on March 14, 1885, and ran for a record-breaking 672 performances at the Savoy Theatre. This comedy about an executioner, while set in Japan, displays wit that is very much British, albeit kimono-clad. Victorian England is the target of Gilbert's satire, thinly disguised as a strange and distant land. The Mikado has had an extensive influence on popular culture, from “Pooh-Bah,” “Tit-Willow," “A Wand’ring Minstrel I” and “Three Little Maids” to the 1999 Mike Leigh film “Topsy-Turvy,” which tells the story of the creation of The Mikado.
Artistic Director Ralph MacPhail, Jr. returns for his 11th summer with the Society, along with Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, enjoying his 15th season as Music Director.
The cast includes Holton Johnson (Nanki-Poo), Tamsen Cohagan (Yum-Yum), Russell Gregory (The Mikado), Janette Jones (Katisha), Arthur DiBianca (Ko-Ko), Patricia Combs (Pitti-Sing), Robert L. Schneider (Pooh-Bah), Angela Irving (Peep-Bo), Jay Young (Pish-Tush), and a Chorus of 24 Noblemen and School-Girls.
A free Opening Night Gala with refreshments follows the Friday, June 10 performance. Special Children's Activities precede the performance on June 12 at 2 p.m. All performances will have supertitles.
Usually regarded as Gilbert & Sullivan's masterpiece, The Mikado has been translated into other languages and adapted more than any other of their works. The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Austin will continue its tradition of offering The Mikado that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote, demonstrating why the work has proved so enduring and endearing for 125 years.
Read synopsis and further information at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .
