Bathed in extravagance and out-of-this-world costumes and set design, Franz Lehár’s “The Merry Widow” was a smash-hit on its opening night in Vancouver at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. This operetta is an indulgent treat! It is a marvellous display of talent, with singers that lull the audience into a spell-bound fantasy of another time. It made me want to jump up and join the cast in all their dance numbers.
“The Merry Widow” takes us to the Belle Époque (around 1870s to 1910, before the first World War) in Paris. An environment lavish with diplomats and members of the court, and of course, by the magnificent female protagonist, Hanna Glawari, the Merry Widow herself, played by the incandescent Lucia Cesaroni. The plot centres on the attention Madame Glawari gets for being a rich widow, including secondary storylines of love and lust.
Despite a slightly uncomfortable number about men figuring out what women want that really speaks to the age of this production, this operetta is a must see. Not only because of the spectacular display of the stage and its performers with three set changes and two intermissions, but also because of the Vancouver Opera debut of Conductor, Ward Stare. Stare was also in the Metropolitan Opera’s “The Merry Widow” production in New York City. He was jumping through parts of the performance and engaging the audience as his head bobbed from the orchestra pit!
All in all, whether you are an opera lover or a first-time operagoer, “The Merry Widow” is a rare find. This is the second time it has been performed in Vancouver for 28 years, and you don’t want to miss it!
– Maira Hassan