Hot Mikado is on Fire!
Alright, so what happens when you take a bunch of talented people from around Bell High School and add a couple of flashy costumes, wonderful choreography, some swell music, fine directors and countless volunteers? Oh, and dare I forget- a whole lot of heart?
Yes, it’s Hot Mikado, Bell’s musical of choice in 2008.
So first a little back story on this play. As you may or may not know, this is a modern interpretation of The Mikado, a famous Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. If that last statement looked like Japanese to you, let me clarify. Mix a Japanese setting and culture with some 1940’s swing and song and a touch of sparkle. That’s Hot Mikado.
Early on in the story we find out the premise of this whole shin-dig. There’s this guy, Nanki-Poo (Dylan On) and he’s come to the town of Titipu with the intention of marrying Yum-Yum (Julia Blakey), the girl he met last year while he was playing as a second trumpet. Now, see, Yum-Yum was supposed to marry her guardian, Ko-Ko (Arthur Burrows), but since Nanki-Poo heard of Ko-Ko’s recent sentence to execution, he decides to seek out Yum-Yum. All is not well, though. It turns out Ko-Ko has avoided execution with the help of the Gentlemen of Japan and has now been made Lord High Executioner. And that’s only about half an hour into the story. More twists and turns ensue as cold, hard law contrasts spastic, outrageous human nature.
After that first half hour, it’s easy to forget that these are Bell students like you and I. Letting myself get into the entire thing was a snap, and I quickly found myself tapping in tune with the catchy songs. The entire thing was a feast for the soul: a mix of light, colour, and action. Sure, the plot was kind of sketchy at some points, and it was a little hard to follow at the end. However, it’s a musical, so who really cares?
So let’s see who helped contribute to this massive success. Starting from the side, we heard the pit band, led by Mr Stanutz. Dressed in black, they were wonderfully inconspicuous and added perfectly to the atmosphere. Then there’s the setting and lights, all coordinated excellently. Oh, and the costumes. You may think that watching forty-five people bounce around in fluorescent colours would be an eyesore, but somehow it worked.
But the thing that really made this work, was, obviously, the cast. Every gentleman and lady of Japan went up there and gave it their all. More than the bright costumes were the performers themselves who truly glowed.
Some notable leads here were the grand Pooh-bah (Carter Barnaby), who spent the entire time sauntering – in bright red, natch- around the stage. We have the three merry maids, comprised of Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing (Jenna Glatt), and Peep-Bo (Jennifer Olenic) who were as cute and coy as you would expect maids to be. Pish-Tush (Gord Stephen) was appropriately jittery. And the grandest of the grand, the Mikado (Marcus Skeete), had the booming presence you would expect of someone who could chop your head off on a whim.
And who could forget the romance? Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo carried out the entire thing with great chemistry and class. But being the unconventional soul I am, I would have to say that my favourite pair in the whole thing was not these two lovers, but the unforgettable pair of Ko-Ko and Katisha (Stephanie Jones). These two had the magnetism and charisma that was the icing on the cake to this show.
The music was catchy, and very well arranged- kudos go to Mrs Ward. Who didn’t enjoy watching Katisha belt it out, Nanki-Poo spill his heart’s desires, and Pitti-Sing add that right touch to some of the ensemble songs?
There are two more interesting things here which really would draw the average person in. Firstly, the humour. Hot Mikado wasn’t pretentious in the least, and it constantly made fun of itself, which is always refreshing to see. Secondly, the element of sparkle.
EVERYTHING was over the top and outrageous, which made it so much fun.
I can’t say a thing about this production that didn’t amaze me. Really, next time you see your Hot Mikado participating friend -whether as part of the band, cast, crew or countless other positions- give them a pat on the back.
And give a huge congratulations to the producer,(Mr Sparks) and the director (Mr Van Allen) who pulled it all together. Hot Mikado served to remind us that that kooky guy in your Math class, or that quiet girl in your English class may in fact be shining stars on the inside. Great Job, Hot Mikado Ladies and Gents, you have done Bell proud.