Ward Holmquist, artistic director for the Lyric, wasn’t always a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan. "I was working with the Houston Grand Opera, and I was asked to conduct ‘The Mikado,’ so I decided to be open and perhaps discover what so many others see in these works. Jonathan Miller directed the production, and Eric Idle of Monty Python played Koko. Needless to say, after that experience, I became a fan." Holmquist is lavishing the same care and attention on “Pinafore” that he would on “Tosca” or “La Traviata.” “I think it’s important to treat Gilbert and Sullivan with the same respect as any of the other works we perform,” he said. Full Article at KansasCity.com