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"That's Daddy's song!" has become a familiar refrain from my children over the last month. I've been singing a lot around the house lately. It's opera season and rehearsals are in full swing for Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado."

I have my wife to thank for my participation in this year's opera. One year ago, as some of my readers may remember, she signed me up for auditions with Juneau Lyric Opera. It turns out that I did very well, and soon thereafter was offered the part of Koko, Lord High Executioner of the town of Titipu.

But just as in theater, real life had its own twists to throw into the plot. Mikado was to be the first performance on the stage of the new Thunder Mountain High School. As the original start date of rehearsals drew nearer, it became clear that the space would not be finished, and the show was postponed.

Now the auditorium is ready, and "The Mikado" is still cast to be the first theatrical production on its stage. With any luck, I will also be ready in time.

Besides the music my kids have become so accustomed to, they've also learned to live with a father who goes through the house talking in a rather loud voice, repeating himself over and over and over again. Not that this is so unusual in any house with small children - as most parents will attest - but in my case I am not admonishing the kids to do one thing or to stop another; rather, I am working on memorizing dialog, and lots of it.

Koko is a particularly challenging role for me for several reasons. I've never had any formal training in singing. My one acting class was thirty years ago. I've been out of the theater for a few years too, mostly devoting my time to home and family.

To say that I am rusty would be an apt observation.

I am also working with Hal Ryder for this show, a director who does this sort of thing for a living and has a very clear idea of what he wants out of his performers. I like Hal - I like everybody in the production - but being told what to do and how to do it down to the barest of detail can be awkward at times.

In previous shows, I have always been given a broad license to develop characters as I've seen fit. This has made my previous roles easy to acquire, but has restricted them to my own limited interpretation.

Not so with Hal. In the past few weeks I have been given more direct instruction and advice than in all the dozen or so prior productions I've been a part of. In short, Hal expects me to act!

Has this been difficult? Yes. Have I enjoyed the process any less as a result? No.

In my own estimation it was remarkable that I should be able to walk into an audition after a long break from performing and land a lead in a very demanding show. As such, I decided from the beginning that I would be helpful and cooperative to the best of my ability, and try not to cause any trouble for anybody.

With that frame of mind, I have found my unexpected crash-course in acting to be very satisfying, even when the directions run counter to my own instincts. What, after all, do I really know about acting?

And so I have been genuinely happy throughout the rehearsals; my happiness is not an act at all.

It is wonderful to be working in the company of friends again. Among the cast are people I have known since "Carmen" in 1994, my first opera. The newer people and those with whom I have never previously worked are all just as pleasant, and in the past few weeks I have been treated to hear some terrifically talented singers.

I feel privileged to be among their ranks.

"The Mikado," a comic opera written by Gilbert and Sullivan, will be performed in the new Thunder Mountain High School auditorium on the first two weekends of November. Further details can be found at the Juneau Lyric Opera Web site www.juneauopera.org.

• Michael Wittig is a stay-at-home parent and long-term Juneau resident.