Chris Carr as Pish-Tush, center, leads the village men in song.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Fans out, men of the Japanese village of Titipu declare, "We are gentlemen of Japan."
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Chris Carr as Pish-Tush, (from left) Joshua Kohl, as Nanki-Poo, and David Kravitz, as Poo-Bah, advise Nanki-Poo not to pursue his beloved Yum-Yum.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
"You must not woo. It will not do, " says David Kravitz, as Poo-Bah.
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Behold the Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko, played by Robert Gibby Brand, enters brandishing an axe.
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Robert Gibby Brand plays Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, reading his list of people who will not be missed.
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As the holder of many high offices, David Kravitz, as Poo-Bah advises Ko-Ko, played by Robert Gibby Brand, on his upcoming wedding plans.
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Yum-Yum, played by Sarah Jane McMahon, arrives to much fanfare.
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Yum-Yum, played by Sarah Jane McMahon, received a kiss from her soon-to-be-husband Ko-Ko, played by Robert Gibby Brand.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
David Kravitz, as Poo-Bah, protests as he is kissed by ladies of the village of Titipu.
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Joshua Kohl, as Nanki-Poo, woos Yum-Yum, played by Sarah Jane McMahon. As they talk, Nanki-Poo reveals his secret to Yum-Yum. He is the son and heir of the Mikado.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Reading an order from the great Mikado, Ruler of Japan, Ko-Ko, played by Robert Gibby Brand, (from left) and David Kravitz, as Poo-Bah, Chris Carr as Pish-Tush, discover that a citizen must be executed.
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Ko-Ko is declared to be the most convenient choice for the execution. But Koko, played by Robert Gibby Brand, suggests that it would be, "Extremely difficult, not to say dangerous", for him to attempt to execute himself.
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Koko, played by Robert Gibby Brand, schemes to wed the two lovers for one month. Nanki-Poo, at the end of the month must face the executioner.
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On the eve of the wedding, Katisha, played by Denyce Graves, attempts to disrupt the wedding by taking the groom for herself, but is foiled by Pitti-Sing, played by Elizabeth Tredent.
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Denyce Graves, as Katisha, vows to return.
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On Yum-Yum's wedding day, Elizabeth Tredent, as Pitti-Sing, (from left) Sarah Jane McMahon, as Yum-Yum, Joshua Kohl, as Nanki-Poo, and Etta Fung, as Peep-Bo, are distraught remembering that Nanki-Poo is condemned to death.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Sarah Jane McMahon, as Yum-Yum, prepares for the wedding.
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Denyce Graves, as Katisha, returns to to the village of Titipu with Dale Travis, as The Mikado.
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Ruler of Japan The Mikado arrives in search of his son.
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Dale Travis, as The Mikado, is told that his son has been executed.
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Believing that her beloved Nanki-Poo has been executed by Ko-Ko, Denyce Graves, as Katisha, takes out her anger on Ko-Ko, played by Robert Gibby Brand. Ko-Ko throws himself on her mercy.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
In the end, the execution was a hoax. The citizens of Titipu join together in celebration.
Love conquers all in "The Mikado," a comic opera by Arthur Sullivan and W. S. Gilbert introduced in London in 1885. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City presents the satirical comedy in five performances through April 28.
Composer Kirke Mechem grew up in Topeka, Kansas, but he's lived in San Francisco since 1963. He says he still considers himself a Midwesterner: "You can take the boy out of Kansas, but you can never take Kansas out of the boy."
The Prairie Village native and mezzo-soprano was the star of a TV special titled "Homecoming" produced by Kansas City's KCPT and PBS Arts. The concert with the Kansas City Symphony at the newly-opened Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts was broadcast nationally, and now, she has a new disc out titled "Drama Queens," which she recorded in Italy in July.
Under a full moon, Kirk Eichelberger, as Ferrando, tells the story of a Gypsy woman burned at the stake many years ago.
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Michele Capalbo, as Leonora, shields Rafael Davila, as Manrico, from attack by the Count di Luna.
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Just as Rafael Davila, Manrico, prepares to kill Roman Burdenko, Count di Luna, Manrico is held back by a mysterious power.
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Nancy Maultsby, as Azucena, explains to Rafael Davila, as Manrico, that, although she has raised him, she is not his mother.
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The Count di Luna prepares to kidnap Leonora.
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The Count di Luna pursues Leonora.
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Rafael Davila, as Manrico, prevents Roman Burdenko, as Count di Luna, from kidnapping Leonora.
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Nancy Maultsby, as Azucena, is recognized and captured. The army prepares to torture her and burn her at the stake.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
After Manrico is captured while trying to rescue Azucena, Michele Capalbo, as Leonora, pleads with Roman Burdenko, as Count di Luna. When the Count does not relent, she offers herself to him.
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Imprisoned, Nancy Maultsby, as Azucena, and Rafael Davila, as Manrico, remember happier times.
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Michele Capalbo, as Leonora, begs Rafael Davila, as Manrico, to flee the prison.
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Michele Capalbo, as Leonora, confesses to Rafael Davila, as Manrico, that she has secured his freedom by promising herself to the Count. But she has poisoned herself to remain true to him.
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An anguished Roman Burdenko, as Count di Luna, discovers from Azucena that he has unknowingly executed his brother.
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Nancy Maultsby, as Azucena, has triumphed over the Count di Luna.
When it comes to the plot of Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore - which revolves around a love triangle, murder, and revenge - audiences are advised to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the music.
The geisha Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, reveals herself to Lt. B. F. Pinkerton on their wedding day in Nagasaki, Japan.
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Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero, arrives with much fanfare on her wedding day.
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Cio-Cio-San's uncle Yakuside, played by Jonathan Thomas, curses Cio-Cio-San for renouncing her ancestral religion and marrying Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania.
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Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, draws his sword on Cio-Cio-San's uncle Yakuside, played by Jonathan Thomas.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, flirts with Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania.
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Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, and Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, celebrate their wedding day.
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Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, comforts Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, on their wedding night.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, and Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, sing of their love together on their wedding day.
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Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, and Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, sing in the moonlight on their wedding night.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, and Suzuki, played by Elizabeth Tredent, patiently await the return of Lt. B. F. Pinkerton after an absence of three years.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, holds a letter from her husband Lt. B. F. Pinkerton.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, embraces her son Sorrow, played by Nick Rohaus.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, sings of her love for her long absent husband Lt. B. F. Pinkerton.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, is overcome with emotion upon learning of the return of her long absent husband Lt. B. F. Pinkerton.
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Upon his return to Nagasaki, Lt. B. F. Pinkerton played by Dinyar Vania, holds a flower Cio-Cio-San used to decorate their home. Pinkerton, however, has only returned to take their son back to America.
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Sharpless, U.S. consul, played by Weston Hurt, (from left) greets Lt. B. F. Pinkerton played by Dinyar Vania, on his return to Nagasaki.
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Sharpless, U.S. consul, played by Weston Hurt, (from left) and Kate Pinkerton, played by Angela Gribble, attempt to convince Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero to give them her son to raise in America.
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Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero, prepares to commit suicide in her sorrow at losing both her son and husband, and so that she may die with honor.
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Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero, bids goodbye to her son Sorrow, played by Nick Rohaus.
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Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero, commits suicide.
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Lt. B. F. Pinkerton played by Dinyar Vania, arrives too late to save Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero.
The tragic tale of love and betrayal marks the return of soprano Elizabeth Caballero to the Lyric Opera as the title character in "Madama Butterfly." Cabellero performed the role of Liù, a slave girl, in the Lyric's production of "Turandot" in 2011.
Prairie Village native Joyce DiDonato just won a Grammy for best classical vocal solo and travels the world performing in opera houses far and wide as one of this planet's best-loved mezzo sopranos.
