THE MERRY WIDOW is a substantial and well known work of the operetta genre. It is set in Paris and tells the tale of a rich widow, her womanising suitors, and the foreign embassy with its agenda to keep the widow’s inheritance away from Paris. In this version, lush sets and beautiful costumes ensure the production is always a visual treat.

Any revival for a fortunate twenty-first century crowd of Lehár’s charming music and colourful characters requires solid production values and choices to attract new and old fans alike. Here, a high energy performance results due to an active ensemble as well as showstopping  scenes of exceptionally good dancing from the night clubs or folk tradition. It is worthwhile attending just to witness such staging.

Rockdale Opera Company makes many worthwhile and successful choices in this production. Its quality cast of principals are in fine voice, and are always bubbling with high levels of stage chemistry. Sylvie Humphries’ glorious soprano brings widow Anna Glawari to well-characterised life in fine and seemingly effortless style. There is nothing out of place or harsh in her vocal contours. The famous “Vilja” unfolds exquisitely before us and will continue to be well received.

Count Danilo Danilovitch, as played by Michael Johnson, is the consummate character package. His ease of delivery and total comfort on stage is a commanding presence throughout the operetta. Tim Wotherspoon’s presentation of the spoken role, Embassy secretary Njegus, quickly becomes a highlight of any scene he rushes into. Wotherspoon’s considerable stagecraft cleverly endears Njegus to us and the cast with which he must interact as he assists in drawing the sprawling strands of this situational comedy together.

Valencienne (Stephanie Jennifer Poropat), the Ambassador’s wife and her secret lover Camille de Rosillon (Alistair Colgrave) exhibit a racy onstage partnership, smooth vocal blend and high sense of urgency. Their facial expressions and use of the stage have been well-directed, maintaining interest and a madcap momentum. They succeed in delivering to a modern audience familiar,almost soap opera style drama as we move through three acts of opereretta. The Baron Zeta (Garth Saville) is also a successful cuckolded comic force, hounded by national authorities and embassy staff alike.

One consideration for this company, or others attracting new and loyal audiences with English translations of opera or operetta, could be the logistics of using surtitles. At times the choice of large opera companies, it gives viewers the option to never miss any detail of the sung dialogue, supplying a backup record of the intricacies of the poetry or plot unfolding on stage via fully developed operatic voices.

These talented voices render the score well, supported elegantly by the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of Sadaharu Muramatsu.

A huge bravo must go to the ensemble cast for providing some thrilling moments of singing, quick costume changes and bringing not a little but a whole joyous lot of Paris from a bygone era to Rockdale.

We witness this creative team breathe a terrific amount of colour, atmosphere and character to this classic.

THE MERRY WIDOW plays weekends at Rockdale Town Hall until November 16.

For more about The Merry Widow, visit http://www.rockdaleopera.com.au