Wayne State College Black and Gold Series
to Present "The Mikado"

[updated 2-8-2008]

The 2007-08 Wayne State College Black and Gold performing arts series continues Feb. 18 with the touring company Opera A La Carte performing Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado” at 7:30 p.m. in Ramsey Theatre on the WSC campus.

Based in Los Angeles, Opera A La Carte has been acclaimed as the foremost Gilbert and Sullivan touring repertory company in the country. Critical acclaim for their production has hailed it as "top-notch in every aspect imaginable." The Los Angeles Times described the company as "bright and fresh," presenting "The Mikado as it ought to be."

“The Mikado” is the most popular Gilbert and Sullivan work. The comedic musical has delighted audiences for more than a century, and represents Gilbert and Sullivan at the height of their creative geniuses. Setting the musical in Japan, an exotic locale far from Britain, allowed Gilbert to satirize British politics and institutions more freely by disguising them as Japanese.

The comedic plot centers on the results of the Emperor of Japan declaring that flirting will be punishable by death. No one in the town is willing to enforce the law. A condemned tailor is appointed Lord High. When he must execute someone, he selects a traveling minstrel for execution.

Tickets for general admission are on sale at the WSC Business Office for $10 each. Tickets will be available at the door, but purchasing tickets in advance is recommended. For ticket information please call (402) 375-7517.

For more than 50 years, the Wayne State College Black and Gold performing arts series has presented cultural programming to serve the northeast Nebraska region. The 2007-08 series will continue April 27 with The St. Petersburg Ballet performing "Swan Lake."