Gilbert and Sullivan’s joyful “The Gondoliers” is the perfect excuse for a springtime visit to imaginary kingdom of Barataria, which, at least until Sunday, appears to be located just inside the doors of the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre.

The University of Michigan Gilbert & Sullivan Society opened the comic opera Thursday night.

A familiar Gilbert and Sullivan plot device drives “The Gondoliers.” Two boys, 1 the son of a boatman and the other the heir to the throne of Barataria, are mixed up at an early age. Since no one knows which is which, the pair decide to share power. Circumstances are complicated because the 1 who is truly the king was married by proxy to the daughter of a Spanish duke when he was an infant. When the daughter arrives in Barataria to claim her husband, she finds both lads already wed, making 1 of them an unintentional bigamist. The mess is sorted out eventually with the arrival of the true king’s foster mother, who knows which boy is, or isn't, the true king.

Josh Borths directs this production; Avlana Eisenberg serves as music director. The overture was absolutely perfect (and no one near me was talking during it — hooray!) and so was all that followed. Well done!

One of the composing duo’s most operatic works, the 1st 20 minutes or so of Act I, are sung through with no dialogue or pause for applause between songs. It was performed beautifully and with perfect pacing, an observation that could be extended to the entire show.

One of my favorite tunes, “In Enterprise of Martial Kind,” nicely delivered by the Duke of Plaza Toro (a perfectly pompous Richard Harper), shows up in Act I, but Act II offers some other similar gems, such as the patter song “Rising Early in the Morning,” which pokes fun at the “weightiness” of royal duty (the show also gets in some other good digs at the ruling class). The choreography was well executed for the all-too-short dance / choral number “Dance A Cachucha,” which was performed with casual abandon.

Costume designer Marilyn Gouin deserves a tip of the hat, as does scenic designer Laura Strowe. The tropical courtyard in which Act II is set was especially gorgeous, and that gondola that paddled in and out looked entirely seaworthy. I appreciated having supertitles, although I thought it odd that the song that wasn’t in English wasn’t translated. They helped decipher some of G&S’ rapid-fire lyrics, and was also to fun to know when the singers tripped up (rarely).

It is always a treat to see G&S veteran Alan Wineman, here as Don Alhambra, unleash his powerful voice and commanding stage presence. The boyish Ben Brady was perfect as devil-may-care gondolier Guiseppe, and both Samantha Winter (Gianetta) and Sarah Flammer (Tess) brought plenty of personality as well as terrific voices to their roles as brides to the young gondoliers.

Although not as well known as some of G&S’s other works, “The Gondoliers” was popular in its day, and it’s easy to see why. One thing I noticed more than once was the fun the cast appeared to be having romping around on stage. The joy was contagious, or at least I appeared to have caught the spirit of it. If, as in my case, you’ve never seen this show before, give it whirl. Like me, you might find it a thoroughly fun-filled frolic.

Roger LeLievre is a freelance writer who covers entertainment for AnnArbor.com.