WSU dean playing title role in "Mikado"

Last Update: 11/05 6:01 pm

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WICHITA, Kansas -- This Saturday the Wichita Grand Opera kicks off the weekend with Gilbert and Sullivan's “Mikado”. But the story of the 12^th Century Japanese emperor is played by a 21^st Century dean from Wichita State University.

By day, Dr. Rodney Miller can be found sitting peacefully behind his desk, returning e-mails, and generally tending to his responsibilities as dean of WSU's School of Performing Arts.

But when his dean duties are done for the day, he becomes a whole different person.

“I am the Mikado, I am the title character,” Miller said.

Before becoming the dean of Fine Arts at Wichita State, Miller toured the world as a classically trained opera singer. Now he's back on stage, performing the title role in the Wichita Grand Opera's upcoming production of “Mikado”.

“I come across as a cross between Darth Vadar and Dom Deluise,” Miller said.

Miller left the pursuit of fame to pursue a stable family life years ago. But once the stage is in your blood, it's always going to be there.

“To be standing center stage and have the audience applaud for what you have just done is a very intoxicating thing,” he said. “Not exactly the same as standing in front of a faculty asking you difficult questions.”

Being back on stage has not only given him that unique intoxication again, but it's also given students in his department a whole new perspective on the man they've only known as Dean Miller.

“There are a couple of our students in the chorus and I guess they have appreciated what I have been doing, because they have contacted me and asked me to be on their Facebook,” he said.

And being allowed into the precious inner sanctum of a Facebook page for any adult is high praise indeed.

“Mikado” opens this Saturday at Century II.

For ticket information and show times, click on Newslinks.

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