The Merry Widow

Seventy years after the death of Franz Lehár in 1948, now free of copyright restrictions, The Merry Widow has been transformed by Opera Australia into an exquisite jewel of a production - perfect to debut in the newly refurbished Joan Sutherland Theatre.

The first toast is to the translation by Justin Fleming – so crisp and witty that my date was surprised to be told it was originally written in German. All the tired creaky translations, which have occasionally tarnished this operetta in the past, evaporated from my memory. There were even a few Aussie jokes in the dialogue. One member of the embassy in Paris (from the small Balkan nation) described an act of infidelity as ‘tickling the trout in someone else’s stream.’.

The set and costumes of this production were as sparkling as Lehár’s soaring arias. The first act inside the embassy was framed with gold gilded swans, the second act, at a garden party, had a backdrop resembling Monet’s pond and the third act was set in a nightclub resembling Maxim’s was centred with a long staircase. Glorious gowns, dapper suits and exotic Balkan multi-coloured creations dressed the cast.

With this sumptuous platform the cast rose to the occasion. Australian born Danielle de Niese as Hanna, the young glamorous widow who had just inherited a fortune, was exotic and charming. She knew that being young attractive and rich made her extremely eligible and that her homeland would suffer if she married a French suitor rather than someone from her own country.

The trademark aria “Vilja” at her garden party was not just a pretty tune dedicated to her homeland, but imbued with a sensuous longing for her past flame Danilo Danilovich (Alexander Lewis).

There was a genuine chemistry between the two of them. No need to suspend belief because a leading lady or man are on stage only for their singing. Lewis in particular was utterly charming as the playboy determined never to marry, but gradually worn down by love.

Other affairs of the heart also made sense. It was not hard to see why the wife of the Ambassador Valencienne (Stacey Alleaume) would stray from her buffoon of a husband Baron Mirko Zeta (David Whitney) into the arms of the dashing Camille de Rosillon (John Longmuir).

This was a sexy production with some spectacular choreography as you would expect from Graeme Murphy. The dancing troupe’s occasional interludes onto the stage included swirling waltzes, knicker bottom smacks and waiters who did the splits. It was well disguised enough to give the impression that the chorus were great dancers.

This production was the first test of the refurbishments to the opera theatre. The orchestra pit is now slightly more visible to the audience and the net hanging over it has been reduced in size. I can’t say that the acoustics were noticeably better than in the past as suggested by Opera Australia – but certainly the glorious orchestrations of Franz Lehár were crystal from my vantage point. After seven months of renovations it was great for Opera Australia to be home again.

David Spicer

Images (from top): Alexander Lewis as Danilo Danilovich and Danielle de Niese as Hanna Glavari; Stacey Alleaume as Valencienne and John Longmuir as Camille de Rosillon; (Left to Right): Richard Anderson as Alexis Kromov, Tom Hamilton as Konrad Pritschich, David Whitney as Baron Mirko Zeta, Bradley Cooper as Raoul de St. Brioche, Alexander Lewis as Danilo Danilovich, Christopher Hillier as Dominik Bogdanovich, and Luke Gabbedy as Viscount Nicolas Cascada; and Danielle de Niese as Hanna Glavari in Opera Australia's production of The Merry Widow at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Photographer: Jeff Busby.