Gioacchino Rossini's "William Tell". Wichita Grand Opera. February 22, 2014

With apologies to a beloved children’s story, the Wichita Grand Opera might well be referred to as “The Little Opera Company That Could.” Friday was the opening night of the WGO’s final production for the 2015 season – Jacques Offenbach’s “The Grand Duchess” – and this little-known comic gem did not disappoint. Offenbach’s operettas inspired and influenced the works of Johann Strauss, Jr. and Arthur Sullivan. So, even though his works are less familiar in the United States, fans of “Die Fledermaus” or “The Pirates of Penzance” will likely find this amusing work familiar territory.