Conductor Andrew Greene
Director: Giles Havergal,
Designer: Leslie Travers
Presented by Opera Australia in association with Opera North,
Sydney Opera House until November 4th, 2011
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
I didn’t see Yvonne Kenny’s “Merry Widow”, nor Marilyn Richardson’s, but I did see Joan Sutherland’s, June Bronhill’s and Suzanne Steele’s , and I’m happy to agree that Amelia Farrugia’s interpretation of the Countess Hanna Glawari is up there with the best. She sings the role impeccably, acts it with intelligence, and with the exception of her unfortunate final outfit, which appears to have been run up from some old curtaining, looks lovely in her costumes. Easy to see why this widow would enchant the good citizens of Pontevedro.
But if you like your productions of “The Merry Widow” to be “charming, romantic, amusing, tuneful and sentimental” as Stuart Maunder suggests in his perceptive program notes, then you might be a bit disappointed in this plodding new production by Opera Australia.
It’s certainly tuneful. How could it be otherwise given Lehar’s ravishing score, which is given superb treatment by the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra under Andrew Greene. However this new production is very light on charm and romance, and somewhat lacking in elegance and style, and despite some lavish costumes, has the appearance of having being staged on a very tight budget.
All three acts are played out on a single, rather abstract setting, dominated by six large white lamps in the shape of nude females. The set is decorated with numerous black banners on which are painted white chandeliers. The banners are raised and lowered at various points as the lamps are moved around the stage indicating changes of location. This effect is initially interesting but soon becomes tedious.
Even the gazebo , around which much of the action revolves in act two, consists of three individual screens, flown in and out as required, but which don't hide what is going on inside from our view, making a nonsense of Baron Zeta’s confusion.
Though sumptuously costumed the chorus remain in the same evening dress for all three acts, giving the impression that the action is taking place over the course of the same day. Together with the principals they are called upon to execute inane choreography which would embarrass any self-respecting amateur musical society.
Danilo no longer heads off to Maxims after his spat with Hanna, because, following “Vilia” she announces that she has engaged the can-can dancers from Maxims to perform in her drawing room that night for the amusement of her guests. So Danilo just sticks around.
Perhaps none of this would matter if the production had achieved some consistent sense of style, but it was hard to escape the impression that each of the characters was doing his/her own thing stylistically.
Surprisingly, David Hobson, as the Count Danilo Danilovitch, appeared noticeably uncomfortable, both vocally and physically, vacillating curiously between nonchalance and gaucherie, which works against him creating any real chemistry with Hanna and therefore little to sustain audience interest in their relationship
Sian Pendry as the flirtatious ex-chorus girl, Valencienne, and Henry Choo as her passionate lover Camille de Rosillon were more convincing, while John Bolton Wood as Valencienne’s cuckolded husband, Baron Zeta, again proved his worth in this type of character role.
However despite the best efforts of the cast and orchestra this production never seems to take off, which is a shame for those in the audience who were hoping to be swept away by the charm, romance, amusement and sentimentality of this delightful operetta.
