THE MERRY WIDOW OF MALAGAWI. Directed by Janice Honeyman for Cape Town Opera. Design Michael Mitchell, costumes Birrie le Roux, lighting Mannie Manim, choreography Sean Bovim. The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tim Murray. At Artscape Opera House until September 12. Fiona Chisholm reviews.
JANICE HONEYMAN’S new look, new feel transformation of Lehar’s hit operetta – which turned the composer into a dollar millionaire – has resulted in the merriest, funniest, sassiest production of The Merry Widow which has probably ever graced the Artscape.
Sung in English and with English surtitles, this joyful battle-of-the sexes has been relocated from Paris to the embassy of fictitious Malagawi in the metropolis of ‘Africania’. It features stunning high fashion costumes, three glorious party settings, a huge exuberant cast of singers, zesty dancers and musicians on stage and in the pit.
The cherry on the top is Alan Committee, who as First Secretary Njegus, in a non-singing role, is wonderfully funny.
It’s a well-balanced act. His pithy and topical political comments enhance the plot but don’t overshadow the performers. He draws parallels between the bankrupt state of South Africa and Malawagi “where there won’t be a budget speech because there is no budget” and in throwaway remarks refers to the EFF, rugby transformation, fire pools and many more topics that hit the button. He also has a solo before the final two scenes, giving the audience his own comically complex version of the Fan Farce, a complex secondary plot.
The main story is the need to prevent the millions of the rich widow Anna leaving the coffers of Malagawi in the back pocket of any of the foreign diplomats and representatives of neighbouring states who are vying for her hand in marriage, and her money.
As Anna British soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn is lovely. She radiates a warm and friendly personality whose sense of humour is bubbling just below the surface in her dealings both with her admirers and the man she truly loves, the ne’er-do-well Prince Daniloh Daniloh-Loh. Behind their vehement denials of affection, lies a case of a youthful romance cut down as she was considered beneath him.
Llewellyn effortlessly reaches the high notes in the famous solo Vilja, but her voice errs on the soft side. She makes up for lack of projection by putting her heart and soul into the role, interacting easily with all the other women in her Act II party, as well as singing like a true Malagawian with verve.
I was impressed with Aubrey Lodewyk as the idle Daniloh. His baritone is rich, his diction excellent. He has a commanding presence and acts so naturally that when he and Llewellyn finally get to waltz and kiss, it looks like the real thing.
The other couple in the Fan Farce, Filipa van Eck, as adulterous Valencienne and Lukhanyo Moyake as her honey-voiced lover Khumal Doh-Rassa-Yon, provide the intrigue. Versatile Van Eck pretends to be a “highly respectable wife” but in fact is a shrewd vixen happy to string the adoring Khumal along but quick to jump back to her husband when necessary. She also dances well. Mandla Mndebele as Chief L’Zitho, her huge amiable husband, is a delight. Vocally strong he stands out even among the seven fine singers in the all-male chorus of Women women women!, one of the best numbers in the show.
A feature of this production is how responsive the audience is. Hoots of laughter follow any naughty Xhosa comments from the cast. It underscores Honeyman’s inspired reason for localising the original Eurocentric operetta to bring it closer to home for the specific singers who will perform it.
“It’s uncanny”, she writes in the programme, “how many aspects of political manipulation, commercialism, lust, greed and problems of being a woman in a man’s world have been transferred so easily from early 20th century Vienna to 2015 Malagawi! My interpretation is suitable for this group and they have given us a wonderful realisation and rendition of this ‘homegrown’ adaptation of the operetta.”
Lehar’s wonderful music, fluently played by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under Tim Murray, has not been altered. The original director of the Theater an der Wien in 1905 was so horrified by the sensuality of the score that the management gave it the cheapest possible production with tatty costumes and old sets hoping it would quickly die. It didn’t. With Die Fledermaus it is the most performed operetta in opera houses.
The main reason for CTO’s huge investment in this makeover involving so many creative people is because it wants to add an operetta to its successful touring repertoire. Without touring the company would not survive. If Malagawi takes off overseas, as it truly deserves to do so, CTO should happily waltz into the future for years to come.
l 0861 915 8000, 021 4217695.