The Atlas Performing Arts Center is running a condensed version of the Japanese musical “The Mikado” in celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Produced by the Washington Savoyards and directed by Scott Kenison, “The Condensed Mikado” cuts the original down to under an hour, using only the main nine singers to tell the story of the fictional Japanese town of Titipu, where the ruler has decreed that its residents must perform an execution to avoid the town’s demotion to the rank of a village. Ko Ko, the Lord High Executioner, comes up with a comical plan.

The play runs until April 15 and starts at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Sundays at the Atlas, located at 1333 H St. NE. Matinees are at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. This Saturday, the evening performance will be at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.atlasarts.org.

— Emily Yehle