The Merry Widow

Synopsis

Set in Paris in1905, a three act comedy which includes a can-can at Chez Maxim's. The plot centres around the past love affair between Madame Glavari (the wealthy widow of the title) and Count Danilovitsch - which becomes inextricably entailed with the appalling state of the Pontevedrian economy (they need her cash). Several sub-plots add to the drama - the Ambassador's fondness for young females and his wife's penchant for even younger men - all help to produce an evening of witty songs and lively music.

Our Review:

Ron Simpson - 20 October 2010

After the first act of Giles Havergal’s new production of The Merry Widow, the impression is of a handsome staging (Leslie Travers’ costumes and sets) full of poised and precise performances by a cast without a weak link. But the romance and the humour remain on a low flame, though the extended finale gives hope of more sustained delights.

In fact Franz Lehar and his lyricists have simply been taking care (maybe too much care) to set up the potentially complicated plot following the consequences of the arrival of impossibly rich widow, Hanna Glawari, at the Pontevedrian Embassy in Paris. The decidedly longer second act (in fact, Acts 2 and 3 of the original) is a different matter altogether, with a series of brilliant tableaux and what in a musical would be called production numbers.

Under Wyn Davies’ wily conducting the famous Waltz and “You’ll find me at Maxim’s” make their way insidiously into our conscious...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

No reviews yet

Click here to add your review