Princess Ida

In the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s production of one of the duo’s least-staged works, Gilbert’s satire on women’s education is nowhere near as wince-making as it could be, thanks largely to soprano Amanda Brownin the title role, combining charm, shrewdness, and Shakespearean gravitas as the proto-feminist/separatist who founds a women’s college despite her betrothal to a neighboring prince. Of course Gilbert doesn’t let his male characters go unskewered, either, and the production entertainingly plays this up: they’re mostly all either fops or dolts. With Dave Rossas a misanthropic king and some of Sullivan’s most sophisticated music, it makes for a smart and bubbly evening (which will get even smarter and bubblier once the cast polishes up their diction, both singing and speaking). 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., also 2 p.m. Sat. Ends July 28.