So here we are, smack-dab in the middle of summer and entertainment reigns supreme. There’s literally something for everyone being offered up throughout the Upper Delaware River region at this time of year, be it outdoor movies, county fairs, live theatre, music under the stars and even an opera or two.

Wait! Don’t turn the page—I have good news! I asked the Google to explain the difference between “Opera” (serious, tragic), opera buffa (lighthearted, comic) and operetta, which is described as “short, light, also often funny—and includes spoken dialogue.”

Grasping that the World Wide Web was far better informed than little old (and I do mean old) me, I continued on my self-imposed quest to understand more, since I had made plans to catch a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s (G&S) “The Mikado” at the Delaware Valley Opera Center (DVOC) in Lake Huntington, NY last weekend, and I wanted to at least pretend that I knew what it was about.

Before taking my seat, I had read that the prolific pair had written 14 comic operas together between 1871 and 1896, and that “The Mikado” is a “funny story set in the imaginary Japanese town of Titipu” where (you guessed it) flirting is against the law—a device used by the writers to lampoon actual Victorian British laws and customs. Additionally, I read that “The Mikado” was “an ‘instant hit,’ written in English, and was performed over six hundred times in its first run.”

And now, thanks to the DVOC, I know why. It’s hilarious.

Thinking that I now had a firm grasp on all things G&S, I glanced at the synopsis of Act I to gain further understanding of the story, even though I know next to nothing of anything Japanese.

“Nanki-Poo loves Yum-Yum but she’s betrothed to Ko-Ko, the new Lord High Executioner. When the Mikado orders a beheading, Nanki-Poo and Ko-Ko try to come to an arrangement that doesn’t involve anyone losing their head!”

While I understood “love, beheading and betrothed” the rest went over my head, which is thankfully, still firmly attached to my body. Determined to power through, I checked out what Act II involved, while waiting for the curtain to go up.

“Ko-Ko discovers that the bride of a beheaded man must be buried alive, so Yum-Yum decides that she will not marry Nanki-Poo after all. It is announced that the Mikado will visit,” the description continued, “so Ko-Ko bribes the town dignitary Pooh-Bah to swear that Nanki-Poo has already been beheaded. He then tells Yum-Yum to go off and marry Nanki-Poo to keep him quiet.”

And it’s hilarious.

That’s right, hilarious. Under the highly skilled guidance of stage director Carol Castel, assistant director Suzanne Dvorken and music director Martin Yazdzik, this sparkling production sings, reaching all the high notes throughout. If the description of the action that I’ve excerpted above confuses you, don’t let it, because I understood every word, and I now have a firm understanding of why Gilbert and Sullivan have continued to gain a “cult following among  lovers of humor, opera [don’t let that word scare you!] and pastiches on society at large,” because some things are universal. And it’s hilarious.

As for the cast, once again the folks at the helm understood the assignment: import some ridiculously talented actor/singers from the world of opera, sprinkle in some home-grown equally gifted performers, and add a dash of eager locals chomping at the bit to participate in supporting choral roles—all of which combine to make the recipe work, because the proof is in the pudding, as it were.

As for the confusing, goofy character names mentioned in the synopsis, I’ll try to break it down: Landon Preiss (Nanki-Poo) has a beautiful voice and delivers a lovely performance as the earnest suitor disguised as a “wandering minstrel” hiding in plain sight to avoid the monstrous Katisha, played to the hilarious (there’s that word again) hilt by Janice Meyerson, whom local and world-wide audiences have come to love.

The object of his affection (Yum-Yum) is played by Margaux Frohlich, who has a gorgeous, lilting voice that enchants, along with her subtle interpretation of the shy, Japanese girly-girl batting her eyes behind the traditional fan.

The comic genius of Gilbert and Sullivan is vividly evident in the performances of Nicholas Wuehrmann (Ko-Ko) and Andrew Wannigman (Pooh-Bah), both of whom are on equal footing when it comes to singing, acting and a unique ability to wring laughter from even the slightest gesticulation. I could not take my eyes off either of these gifted performers for a second, because they each take full advantage of the material, eliciting laughs out of an arched brow, a bulging eye or a throwaway line that in the hands of these experts, evokes raucous laughter throughout. Hilarious.

As sisters of our beloved Yum-Yum, the other two wards of Ko-Ko deserve a shout-out of their own, because Ha Young Synn (Pitti-Sing) and Gabriella Santinelli (Peep-Bo) are simply a comical, musical delight.

By the time the Mikado himself shows up in Act II, the bar has been set pretty high and Nicholas Connolly has his work cut out for him. But he delivers a solid performance as the title character, with a wink and a nod, embodying the silly character (let’s face it, they’re all pretty silly), allowing the audience to be in on the joke all along.

I felt for poor Daniel Miller, who has the unenviable task of playing Pish-Tush, the least memorable character, in a cast of standouts. I’m unsure if I actually grasped what role, described only as “a Noble Lord,” he plays in the storyline, so Miller kind of faded into the background.

As inhabitants of the town of Titipu, the chorus is composed of folks from the local talent pool and too many names for me to mention individually in this space, but they all sounded great (the choral work is strong) and were memorable, each in their own right, no mean feat for supporting players.

“The Mikado” is a perfect choice with which to open the DVOC season, because it’s easily understood, far from stuffy, and a laugh-filled evening (or matinee) that you won’t soon forget. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or new to the scene, this Gilbert and Sullivan “light opera” is sure to please. In my humble opinion.

For tickets, visit www.myrivertickets.com and for additional DVOC info , go to www.delawarevalleyopera.org.