Lyric Opera: The Mikado

Pictured: Toby Spence as Nanki-Poo, Andriana Chuchman as Yum-Yum

Photo credit: Dan Rest

Tune in for unrequited love, temptation and ample boiling oil in this Gilbert & Sullivan comedy.

Classical 91.5 continues its Saturday afternoon presentation of operas with Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado, airing Saturday, June 18 at 1 p.m. on Classical 91.5/FM-HD 91.5-1.

Nanki-Poo (wandering minstrel and errant son of the Mikado) longs to marry lovely Yum-Yum — but he's promised to the older Katisha — and Yum-Yum's supposed to be the bride of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner Beheading, boiling in oil...punishments galore are devised to make the "criminals" pay. But fear not — this is a comedy, and you'll be smiling the moment the curtain goes up and humming the tunes for weeks.

The opera stars James Morris as the Mikado, Neal Davies as Ko-Ko, Stephanie Blythe as Katisha, Andriana Chuchman as Yum-Yum, and Toby Spence as Nanki-Poo.

Lyric Opera of Chicago, founded in 1954, is one of the world's greatest opera companies. It is renowned internationally for its artistic excellence and financial strength. Over the past two decades the company has achieved unparalleled success in its ticket sales, averaging 100% attendance from 1988-2002, and more than 90% attendance since that time. Lyric Opera is also distinguished for having operated in the black for 22 of the past 23 years.