Sydney Opera House until 28th November
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
Let me commence this review by nailing my colours to the mast and admitting that I am, unashamedly, one of many who consider this sumptuous balletic staging of Lehar’s wildly romantic operetta, not only one of The Australian Ballet’s most beautiful productions, but one which superbly captures the delicious silliness and swooning romanticism underpinning the remarkable creation that is “The Merry Widow”.
I must admit that having fond memories of the original 1975 production, with Marilyn Rowe and John Meehan as the Widow and Danilo, and having seen several revivals since, I did give some serious consideration as to whether I really needed to see this current revival. But in the end curiosity got the better of me.
How glad I was that I had succumbed to temptation for as the first notes of the scintillating overture, with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra sparkling under Nicolette Fraillon’s brisk direction, I knew I was in for a treat, reminded immediately of how cleverly John Lanchbery had arranged and orchestrated Lehar’s lovely melodies into this ravishing ballet score.
Ronald Hynd’s choreography may not require great technical expertise, but it does capture, superbly, the essence of the music, and allows the dancers plenty of opportunity to develop individual characterisations, which this cast clearly embraced as they revelled in their beautifully detailed retelling of the familiar story of the ludicrous attempts of the officials of the mythical Pontevedrian Embassy to rescue their country from bankruptcy by engineering a marriage between the recently widowed, but fabulously wealthy, Hanna Glawari to the handsome, if worthless, Count Danilo.
As the widow Hanna Glawari, Rachel Rawlins is simply ravishing. Heart-breakingly beautiful in her costumes, refined and graceful in her dancing, confident and mature in her acting, she carried off her two beautifully staged entrances magnificently, and brought warmth and humour to her interaction with the other characters.
Robert Curran as Count Danilo
Photo by Jeff Busby
Perhaps it as the fact that he had just announced his retirement and was dancing one of his final performances in the role of Count Danilo that inspired Robert Curran to imbue his character with just a little more ardour and passion than usual, culminating in a final sweeping, bittersweet pas de deux with Rawlins which literally left the audience breathless. It was a performance to treasure.
Madeleine Eastoe was in sparkling form as the coquettish Valencienne, attentive to her doddering elderly husband, Baron Mirko Zita, while flirting outrageously with Andrew Killian’s dashing Camille.
Certainly one of the Australian Ballet’s living treasures, Colin Peasley gives a masterful performance as Baron Mirko Zita, delightfully funny while inhabiting his own story as the ballet whirls around him, but bringing a touching poignancy to the moment when he realises that he has lost his young wife to a much younger man.
Act 2 photo by Jeff Busby.
Desmond Heeley’s georgous Belle Époque costumes have been completely refurbished, and have never looked more gorgeous, especially those for the red, black and gold second act with its Hungarian inspired national dances, and for the stunning Maxims scene for the third act. His spectacular art noveau settings remain as spectacularly impressive as ever.
Given the care and attention that has obviously been lavished on this revival, and the obvious pleasure and precision with which the company dance this masterpiece, one would expect that this production will be around to continue to delight audiences for many years to come.
