Beautiful music highlights 'Mikado'

"The Mikado," Utah Festival Opera, Logan, (801-355-2787, 888-451-2787 or www.arttix.org); running time: 3 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission)

LOGAN — First of all, a hearty thank you to the audience of Utah Festival Opera who sat perfectly quiet and still during the overture to "The Mikado" Wednesday afternoon.

With a 44-piece orchestra in the pit underneath the Eccles Theatre stage, it would be an utter shame not to listen to and enjoy every note. I couldn't have been happier that the matinee crowd quieted down as soon as Karen Keltner held up her baton.

And what a treat! The music is beautiful, and it is beautifully played.

With a regal, orange-hued set by Nina Nikolic-McMillan, the scene of the town of Titipu is set.

But then Jordan Bluth (Nanki-Poo) begins singing, "A Wand'ring Minstrel I," and I found myself sitting with my jaw agape. What an absolutely beautiful tenor voice. It is a shame that out of 24 songs, only six belong to Bluth — more solos for this Nanki-Poo, please.

But he's not the only show-stopper in this musical, which features such characters as Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah, Pish-Tush, Pitti-Sing, Peep-Bo and other such colorful names.

"The Mikado," a Gilbert and Sullivan musical, is a bit difficult to sum up in just a few sentences … but here goes:

Yum-Yum is betrothed to Ko-Ko, but she does not love him, she loves Nanki-Poo, who makes a deal with Ko-Ko to wed Yum-Yum. Follow?

Moving on … throw in the threat of an execution, potential suicide and a live burial, and, as odd as it sounds, you have yourself a comedy.

Even though the bulk of these performers are associated with operas of much heavier subject matter, they are still able to pull off all the comedy in a Gilbert and Sullivan piece.

UFO founder Michael Ballam scooted out on stage as Ko-Ko and had an instant connection with the crowd. His hapless, not-so-lucky in love Lord High Executioner garnered much laughter, and Ballam's voice is still clear and strong.

The only thing that seems a little strange is that the object of Ko-Ko's affection is Ballam's real-life daughter, Vanessa. Though that part of the story isn't pursued much, I just found myself wondering if there weren't another talented female in the cast to play Yum-Yum so there wasn't this father-daughter connection.

That said, Vanessa was delightful. With a bright, expressive face and large, sparkling eyes, she is funny, endearing and has a lovely soprano voice.

The rest of the cast, especially the ensemble choral numbers, is outstanding.

Carey Hansen designed lush and striking costumes, and Michelle Diamantides' wigs and makeup were the Japanese icing on the cake.

Pay attention for plenty of local references thrown in — who doesn't love a nod to Panguitch?

With an impressive amount of talent packed onto the stage, this production of "The Mikado" is well worth the beautiful drive to Logan.

e-mail: ehansen@desnews.com