Meche has a list...

First on the list is a big thank you to Regina Opera Company for 41 years of performances serving predominantly the Brooklyn Community, but at least one half-drowned Manhattanite who thoroughly enjoyed last Sunday’s performance of The Mikado, even after an hour plus spent underground and wading through flooded street corners.

Second on the list is a deep regard for the enduring joys of Arthur Sullivan’s captivating tunes and W .S. Gilbert’s catchy lyrics, wedded to one another in a manner never since equaled. Although the English language is difficult to sing, it is even more difficult to set; what this pair achieved will never grow stale. The rhymes and rhythms continue to delight the ear. It is customary to update some of the songs with references to topical issues which, in this case, were invented by the performers themselves to humorous effect and to the great delight of the audience.

Third on the list--the set design by Linda Lehr as realized by Richard Paratley was most effective in conveying a fantasy Japan-- an arched bridge, the suggestion of a carp pond (supported by the lighting design of Tyler Learned) and some sliding Shoji screens. Performers were finely directed by Ms. Lehr in every case so that all actions seemed suitably motivated. Costuming by Julia Cornely and Francine Garber-Cohen was colorful, although the over-the-top makeup and costuming for Katisha, by Albert Walsh and Patrice Miki, seemed excessively distracting, even for an over-the-top character.

Maestro Jose Alejandro Guzman’s energetic conducting kept the members of the orchestra in fine balance, although there were some intonation problems in the overture. Since there is no orchestra pit in Regina Hall it must be quite a challenge for the singers to project over the orchestra, even though Maestro Guzman did well to keep the volume down at crucial points.

That being said, several other factors interfered with the enjoyment of Gilbert’s clever lyrics. One factor was the variety of “mid-Atlantic” accents employed by the cast. Those who essayed a more British style were more comprehensible, as were the lower voices who had better diction. At the beginning of the performance, the libretto was projected overhead IN ITALIAN! I actually found it necessary to read and translate, so incomprehensible was the chorus. This device turned out to be a joke and the titles ended. April Fool!!!

Among the performances, the standouts were Jay Gould, an hilarious Pooh-Bah whose every word was understood; David Tillistrand, a most expressive Ko-Ko who got across every nuance, and Bryce Smith, a most regal Mikado with a big bass voice. Samantha Guevrekian sang Yum-Yum and Anthony Tolve sang Nanki-Poo. Laura Smith sang Katisha and might have done better with less mugging and more acting. Yum-Yum’s aria was well-applauded. Her two sisters were sung by Joan Callaghan and Bethany Richards. This cast will sing again for the Saturday matinee with a different cast singing on Sunday.

The petite Yoko Yamashita did triple duty as choreographer of the Japanese numbers, a member of the chorus and as a dancer; she was fine in all three positions. The chorus sang well although the diction needed improvement. The words of Mr. Gilbert are too precious to be flung off like so many rose-petals that were thrown onto The Mikado.

--Meche Kroop for The Opera Insider