| July 12, 2008 |
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 Family fun with a few naughty bits THE East Cape Opera Company is back next week for a third season at the PE Opera House with an operetta that is completely different – Gilbert and Sullivan‘s comical The Mikado. After a well-received and successful presentation of Mozart‘s The Magic Flute in 2007 and Misbehavin‘ in 2006, the company returns with what is considered one of the funniest English operettas ever written. Set in the mythical Japanese town of Titipu, the story follows the fortunes of its colourful townsfolk as they prepare for The Mikado‘s arrival who is looking for his son who skipped court to escape the amorous advances of an elderly and forceful lady of the imperial court. There‘s some high jinks (some of it in sumo wrestler gear or fighter-pilot‘s get-up) before it is all over. Directed by Neil Boyle, Gwyneth Lloyd and Mkhululi Milisi – the same creative team that staged MisBehavin‘ and The Magic Flute – and conducted for the first time by international conductor Graham Lea-Cox, The Mikado is family fun with subtle naughty bits tucked in for the adults. Lloyd, the vocal director of the Company, plays the role of Katisha – the elderly lady of the Mikado‘s court, desperately pursuing potential husbands. She has studied singing in Zimbabwe, Salzburg, London, New York and Cape Town and is currently lecturing in singing at Rhodes and Fort Hare Universities. She is the recipient of the Nederburg Opera Prize for her first two roles on the South African opera stage. Lea-Cox studied music at Oxford and was trained as a repetiteur (singing coach) at the English National Opera. His conducting debut includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the San Antonio International Music Festival and Smith Square in London. He has had extensive experience conducting operas including Mozart‘s Le Nozze de Figaro in Sweden and Wagner‘s Die Walkure in Amsterdam. Well-known singers in the cast include Milisi, Boyle, , Bonginkosi Msesiwe and Yemurai Matibe. Performances are next Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from Computicket at R75 with R35 concessions, and R20 for block bookings. For more information contact Siya at 041 586 2256.
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