The Mikado
Opera Naples Summer Youth Program
Details
Come enjoy the Opera Naples Summer Youth Program performance of The Mikado. Talented students ages 13-20 participate in a two-week musical production training program, culminating in a professional level performance at the Wang Opera Center.
The program is led by New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players veteran, Louis Dall'Ava and Opera Naples Director of Education, Robin Frank. The Mikado is perhaps the best known of the Gilbert and Sullivan collaborations and was their last smash hit. This comical musical is set in Japan, but it lampoons the British civil service, class structure and bureaucratic red tape.
Ko-Ko, who was supposed to be executed but is now the town's top executioner, has a problem. Nanki-Poo comes to town and falls in love with Yum-Yum, who is engaged to Ko-Ko. The Mikado sends a letter saying someone must be executed soon. Nanki-Poo agrees to be executed in a month so he can marry Yum-Yum. But there's a catch: if a married man is executed, his wife has to be buried alive! Ko-Ko lies to the Mikado by pretending to execute Nanki-Poo. However, it turns out Nanki-Poo is the Mikado's son! Just in time, they find a way out of this tricky situation. Tickets just $28. Student $13 tickets are available by calling the Box Office (239-963-9050) or at the door. Student ID required for college students.
Event Dates
Friday July 19, 2024 | 7:00 pm
Saturday July 20, 2024 | 7:00 pm
Sunday July 21, 2024 | 2:00 pm
Venue
Stage Director
Louis Dall’Ava
Louis Dall’Ava has performed 23 principal roles in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas with companies including The New York Gilbert & Sullivan players, Manhattan Savoyards, Sorg Opera (OH) and Mobile Opera (AL), at venues including Wolf Trap, The Garden State Arts Center, and The International G&S Festival in Buxton England. He is the 2005-2006 recipient of NYGASP's Isaac Asimov Award for Artistic Achievement. Among various other musical theater roles, he has performed Charles and the Comte de Chagny on three international tours of The Phantom of the Opera and was named Best Actor in a Musical by Bravo Pix for his portrayal of Fagin in Commonwealth Opera's Oliver. He has also been the director and costume/set designer for numerous productions throughout the country and has been involved with Opera Naples in various capacities including directing youth productions, costumes, props, and performing since 2005.
Music Director
Robin Frank
Robin Shuford Frank is Director of Education and Community Outreach, Chorus Master, and Music Administrator for Opera Naples. She manages Opera Naples professional Resident Artist Program, Student Apprentice Program, Elementary School tours, and community engagement programs. An accomplished pianist, she is Musical Director for community and youth productions, a rehearsal pianist for main productions, and performs as a collaborative pianist. Frank is the accompanist for The Festival Singers of Florida and performs with the Naples Philharmonic and The Naples Players. She is a frequently sought guest accompanist for choral festivals and has performed and taught masterclasses in China and Indonesia. Frank is also an Adjunct Professor in the Bower School of Music at Florida Gulf Coast University.