The Mikado Reviews
Chicago Reader- Recommended
"...Building a whole plot around a society's ban on flirting requires a special talent for subversive cheekiness—enter Gilbert and Sullivan. For the inhabitants of their 1885 operetta, premature seduction is an act punishable by death. Fortunately, there's very little actual death and much singing and merrymaking in this lighthearted version from the Hypocrites, where actors play their own instruments and audience members can opt to stroll alongside them (wandering minstrels we). Director/adapter Sean Graney gives us a Mikado that runs around 80 minutes."
Chicago Theatre Review- Highly Recommended
"...Younger theatergoers who never knew Gilbert and Sullivan’s satirical musical creations before this, as well as patrons familiar with their wonderfully comic characters and songs, will enjoy Graney’s fast-paced, 70-minute adaptation and marvel at his unbridled inventiveness. This slap-happy production grabs the audience from the moment they enter the three-quarter round theatre space and never lets go until a happy ending surprises everyone, with confetti and balloons filling the air."
NewCity Chicago- Highly Recommended
"...For those who missed Graney’s “Mikado” the first two times it was in town, now is a good time to go. As opposed to “H.M.S. Pinafore,” which is a new show and can sometimes feel overly manic, “The Mikado” has a calm, self-assured swagger that allows it to thread the needle with ease. And for those who have never seen “The Mikado” before in any form, I highly suggest you go out and see it. It’s probably the only time you’ll be able to take it in without also feeling a slight pit in your stomach."