Say “Kon’nichiwa” to an entrancing world of gentlemen in ritzy suits and astonishing women who also know a step or two.  Want to know who they are? It’s none other than Glenelg Country School in the uproarious performance of “Hot Mikado.” But don’t get too comfortable—after all, flirting is forbidden!

He’s gonna marry Yum-Yum—or, at least, he wants to! “Hot Mikado” by David H. Bell and Rob Bowman is a musical comedy of fanfare.  In the city of Titipu, Ko-Ko escaped beheading to be promoted to the Lord High Executioner. Now, he’s betrothed to Yum-Yum, but she has a not so enjoyable secret—she’s sweet on someone else! This someone just so happens to be son of The Mikado, the greatest noble there is who’s demanding all this execution nonsense (for the entertaining sake of the law, of course). His son, Nanki-Poo, is posing as a trumpet player to avoid his fiancée, Katisha. This conundrum between Ko-Ko, Yum-Yum, Nanki-Poo, and Katisha is no square dance—rather, it’s all smooth jazz, thanks to Glenelg’s talented cast. Even so, in all this madness, someone’s bound to lose their head.

Glenelg fell short in no regard (as, thankfully, there were no beheadings). The creative choreography was executed flawlessly and enthusiastically by a thrilled cast, while the harmonies delivered balanced and exciting numbers. Additionally, brilliant lighting allowed for astonishingly realistic transitions.

Tessa More (Katisha) certainly had more to offer than a striking shoulder. She created an unforgettable character who was clearly quite conflicted. More projected this in her devastating side-long glances that were sometimes annulled by a confident and commanding stalking. Her counterpart, Brendan DeBonis (Ko-Ko), exuberated pizzazz with unique physicality, and together More and DeBonis complemented one another extraordinarily. Rhea Malviya (Pooh-bah) proved to be a jack of all trades—an entertaining actress, astounding singer, and outstanding dancer, similar to how her character filled almost all leadership positions in Titipu. The only thing she and her character didn’t have in common was gender— even so, Malviya succeeded in appearing as a conniving and pompous gentleman.

Kaila Friedman (Pitti-Sing) captivated the audience the instant she burst through the crowd with hysterical boldness in “He’s Gonna Marry Yum-Yum.” Friedman’s sass was well timed and much appreciated, helping to excite the rest of the ensemble. Taylor O’Connell (Peep-Bo) absolutely never faltered in ebullience, her both keen and amusing facial expressions taking dance numbers by storm.

Glenelg’s throng of joy only expanded in their musical numbers. Emily Ferkler and Simity Jalloh organized choreography to be both time-period-appropriate and manageable for their cast. Also incredible, Lois Ruffle’s lighting scheme transformed the stage in different hues to reflect moods and suggest scene changes— emitting beauty even in bellow.

For an hour (or two) of gladness, join Glenelg Country in their jocose yet precise rendition of “Hot Mikado.” However, hold onto your hats, ladies and gents—Glenelg will jitter and tap for your laughs, but you won’t ever be able to get them out of your head.

by Alyssa Williamson of Liberty