With soaring temperatures and more colour than the Notting Hill Carnival, Opera Holland Park’s Merry Widow surely epitomises summer in the city. In fact, Franz Lehár’s 1905 comedy about bankruptcy, infidelity and social climbing has been transposed to a couple of other cities – NYC and Paris – plus a detour to Sicily.
The story has been updated, too, by D’Oyly Carte’s John Savournin (who also directs) alongside David Eaton, and is now in strictly Godfather (as in the film) territory. So, lots of lines about ‘sleeping with the fishes’ and comedic cement mixers. In the first act this tends to jar somewhat – this production takes a little time to take flight – and this is partly due to the fact that there’s too much talk and not enough singing. This is an operetta, but nevertheless the spoken dialogue needs cutting back.
After the interval, though, all the big numbers come up, there is a certain amount of dancing (could have been more though, to be fair, the staging doesn’t help here), the comedy embraces everything from frivolous subplots involving fans to broad slapstick to Benedict and Beatrice-style sparring between the two lovers who can’t quite declare their mutual devotion.
Paula Sides is an accomplished Hanna Glawari, the eponymous heroine, young beautiful and due to the death of her much older husband, mind-bogglingly rich. She’s surrounded by would-be suitors from gangland, while the Don, an ebullient Henry Waddington, is keen she marries “into the family” – specifically to the dashing Danilo (Alex Otterburn who switches easily from devil-may-care dissipation to heartfelt duets). Little does the Don know, however, they were lovers before Hanna’s marriage and their rift is a long way from being healed.
This isn’t the only thing he doesn’t know. His wife, here Valentina (rather than Valencienne) is besotted with the singer Camille de Rosillon (a fine comic turn by William Morgan in a series of colourful velvet smoking jackets). Rhian Lois is no stranger to this role – whatever the name change – having played it in ENO’s pre-Covid staging. With her Marilyn wig and Betty Boop speaking voice, she’s the perfect goodtime girl who comes, well, good.
This is a vibrant cast, supported as always by the great OHP chorus and, for this production, by the Scottish Opera Orchestra under Stuart Stratford – this is a co-production with both Scottish Opera and D’Oyly Carte. There are plenty of stand-out character parts (I particularly loved the pastiche Russian folk dance performed, unsmiling and wearing dark glasses, by the Soviet couple played by Matthew Siveter and Amy J Payne). Matthew Kellett excelled as the Don’s hapless sidekick and, as Hanna’s would-be suitors, Christopher Nairne and Connor James Smith were cartoon-Italian from a bygone age.
It’s not without its flaws; the plot is ridiculous and gossamer thin; the reinvention has moments that are a little too arch for the material. But the music is sublime. As frivolous as a champagne cascade, this is perfect summer-in-the-park entertainment.
Performances of The Merry Widow at Opera Holland Park are on 25th, 27th and 28th June at 7.30pm. For more information, and for tickets, please visit www.operahollandpark.com.
