In a show unanimously described as “funny” and “hilarious” by its actors, WSU’s version of “Princess Ida” updates the operetta to hit a little closer to home. It takes place in the 1950s instead of medieval times, and features many clues that place it right in Pullman, down to rival footballers dressed in violet and crimson.
The operetta — an opera that includes spoken dialogue — has been in the works since the start of the semester and culminates in performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2:00 p.m. Saturday in Bryan Hall Theatre. Tickets are sold at the door, being $10 for students and senior citizens and $15 for general admission.
Changes to the original operetta go beyond the setting shift. It is also updated for its message.
The basic story revolves around Princess Ida and Prince Hilarion, who have been betrothed since infancy and are now set to marry some 20 years later. Princess Ida currently resides in a women’s university she founded, rejecting the patriarchy and disallowing men from entry. In order to convince her to marry him, Hilarion and his two friends, Florian and Cyril, disguise themselves as students and infiltrate the university.
The major themes surrounding sexism are altered from the original, gearing more towards finding a common ground between men and women, fostering a community of equal standing over dominance or subservience.
“At the end, they talk about finding that compromise, and that compromise is something that I think our world needs,” said Dr. Julie Anne Wiecke, director of the program.
A live pit orchestra will also perform with the actors. They practiced the 24 numbers separately until last week, when they brought the show together, said Ben Findley, trumpet player and music performance major.
The live orchestra for WSU Opera’s performance of “Princess Ida,” March 30.
The culture and energy surrounding production have been uniformly positive, according to its actors. MaKenna Wagnon, who plays Princess Ida, said they are like “a funny little family.”
Charlie Holmes, who plays Arac, shared the sentiment.
“There hasn’t been a single day where I’ve come into rehearsal in a bad mood and not left smiling,” he said. “We are in character a lot of the time, but a lot of it is just like an extension of our personalities.”
Saint Dumandan, who plays Melissa, said they bond over their love of music.
“That connectivity to telling a story and making emotions and creating bonds through music is really powerful in this cast,” she said.
Beyond the culture, many of the actors encourage students to come to the operetta because of its comedy and novelty. Zoey Green, who plays Ada, said the soldiers (as footballers) were a particular comedic highlight.
Dylan Sutton and Manny Caldwell, who play Guron and Florian, respectively, both mentioned how this is a great showcase of the arts and music program at WSU. Caldwell said this is a side of WSU many students have not seen before.
WSU Theatre dress rehearsal at Bryan Hall, March 30, 2026
“It’s a new experience that you can go to,” said Jack Murdock, Cyril’s actor. “You can see if you’re interested in doing something like this. We have auditions every single December.”
Patrick Brandl Suarez, who plays Scynthius, said this is an opportunity to see different versions of classmates.
Whether it be the laugh-out-loud hilarity, the effortless harmonies, or the lighthearted message, the WSU Opera program and MUS 428 students unequivocally encourage everyone to attend “Princess Ida.”
“I think [with] the state of the world, it’s an important way to express things and we can laugh at it and then we can kind of go, ‘oh wow,’” Wiecke said. “I think that the students who are probably really stressed out about now could use a chance to laugh and hopefully be inspired.”
