Evanston-based theater group the Savoyaires premiered their production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” in Chute Auditorium on Friday.
The operetta was written in late-19th-century Britain to mock Victorian-era morals and follows Nanki-Poo, the son of the Emperor, who falls in love with a girl named Yum-Yum. Unfortunately for Nanki-Poo, in the play’s Victorian society, the punishment for flirting is death.
“It’s really very funny in an edgy way. I mean, the whole story is about death,” said stage director Kingsley Day.
The Savoyaires’ satirical operetta modified Gilbert and Sullivan’s original story, switching the show’s setting from Japan to “Hay-pan” and replacing stereotypically Japanese costuming with a Western style.
Modern critics have said the show promotes overt and harmful stereotypes of Japanese culture. Day said his changes to the story intended to remove the stereotypes while keeping the fantasy of the setting. His abstract setting is no less real than Gilbert and Sullivan’s imagined version of Japan, he said.
Music director Lindsey Baer (Bienen M.M. ’06) said the show keeps Gilbert and Sullivan’s original libretto intact, complete with its criticisms of 19th-century British society.
“It’s been fun to keep the music the same inside of this fairytale container,” Baer said.
The song “I’ve Got a Little List” exemplifies the fast-paced, energetic feel of the operetta score. Baer said he found the song’s patter style particularly fun to work on.
For actor Henry Odum, rehearsing the songs was as challenging as it was rewarding. He portrays Ko-Ko, Yum-Yum’s betrothed and the person in charge of punishing people who break society’s rules by flirting.
“I’ve got to hit a very high note, so I have to make sure I’m vocally in good shape so my voice doesn’t crack,” Odum said.
The Savoyaires were founded in 1964 with the mission of bringing Gilbert and Sullivan to Chicago’s North Shore communities. The professional theatre group only performs operettas from the duo, and in 1980, they became the first U.S.-based company known to have performed Gilbert and Sullivan’s entire 14-work cycle.
The Savoyaires also have strong ties to many communities in and around Evanston. In addition to their professional actors, the group often gives opportunities to college students looking for additional performing experience.
“We draw talent from not only Northwestern, but we have professional singers from Roosevelt, DePaul, and we have graduates who have come back and might be here with us for the summer,” Baer said.
The production features NU students and alumni, including Bienen junior Tejas Gururaja. Baer herself is an NU alum, and Day is a former lead publications editor for NU.
One reason performers keep coming back, Odum said, is the environment. He described the Savoyaires as having a collaborative spirit, with performers supporting each other.
“It’s always a very congenial group of people you’re working with,” Odum said.
The play will show next Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and next Sunday at 3 p.m.
Email: matthewmanacek2029@u.northwestern.edu
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