Review: THE MERRY WIDOW Comes Up Singing at Lyric Opera

With artful direction and choreography from Susan Stroman, Lyric Opera's mounting of Franz Lehar's well-known 1905 operetta THE MERRY WIDOW sweeps audiences into a joyful waltz, complete with exquisite talent and a production with opulence to spare. This production debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in the fall of 2014 with commanding opera diva Renée Fleming at the helm as the titular widow Hanna Glawari. Fleming truly shines in this production, with the equally talented Thomas Hampson at her side as Count Danilo Danilovich.

Jeremy Sams' English translation of the original German makes this MERRY WIDOW an accessible and enjoyable experience for audiences. And as this is an operetta, THE MERRY WIDOW includes both music and spoken dialogue, making it a precursor for the great American musical. Many early musical comedies also borrowed from conventions from the farcical end of THE MERRY WIDOW-and this production willingly milks the comedic value of the piece for all it is worth. That aside, Stroman's production--and Fleming's performance--make clear the immense independence that Hanna exercises within the society of her native Pontevedro. Hanna possesses a formidable fortune--to the tune of 20 million francs--from her late husband. Though the Baron Zeta (Patrick Carfizzi) wants her to remarry a Pontevedrian to save the town from financial ruin, Hanna remains immune to the charms of her many suitors and only has eyes for Danilo. And while Zeta has a scheme of his own, he remains oblivious to the fact that his wife Valencienne (the incredible, crystalline-voice Heidi Stober in her Lyric debut) has been carrying on an affair with the Frenchman Camille de Rosillon (Michael Spyres).

The action takes place on Julian Crouch's sprawling and ornate set, with lighting by 2015 Tony Award winner Paule Constable, and the cast of more than 30 deftly handle all of the shenanigans within THE MERRY WIDOW. William Ivey Long's pitch-perfect costumes maintain a sense of both opulence and playfulness. When Hanna appears onstage for the first time, for example, she wears a sweeping black gown, liberally decorated with sequins so that it glimmers in the light. Indeed, a merry widow. On the whole, the production elements work together seamlessly to transport audiences to the decadent world of early 20th century Paris.

As with her work on many musical revivals, Stroman's choreography for THE MERRY WIDOW interweaves with the music and dialogue as a narrative device. The storytelling in this production remains clear and endlessly entertaining. THE MERRY WIDOW employs many dancers in its cast, especially to help construct the scene at Danilo's favorite nightclub, Chez Maxim's, with its famous grisettes. The dancers move with ease through all the complexities of Stroman's choreography, and Danilo and Hanna's classic waltzes are sheer joy to watch.

Of course, THE MERRY WIDOW widely remains memorable for its music--and every note of Lehar's score triumphs here. Fleming floats into each and every one of Hanna's high notes--though she is evidently working tremendously in this role, we in the audience have no sense of the effort behind the work. Fleming packs a great deal of emotion into her performance as well, relishing all of Hanna's playful moments in which she must fend off suitors and diving with sincerity into her love for Danilo. Fleming's rendition of the "Vilja song" in THE MERRY WIDOW's second act is a highlight of the show--she truly shines here, both as a vocalist and an actor. Hampson matches Fleming note-for-note and gives a strong acting performance as well, relishing the comedic flair of his character. Fleming and Hampson's duets are some of the most magical segments in THE MERRY WIDOW. Accompanied by a lush, full orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, THE MERRY WIDOW charms and delights in these musical moments.

Accolades must also be given to Stober as Valencienne. Stober not only has an incredible voice but also demonstrates considerable acting and dancing skills in this role. She plays up the sexy, youthful nature of her character--particularly in a well-executed turn as a grisette at Chez Maxim's near the end of the show.

The additional supporting actors in THE MERRY WIDOW add to the fun. Carfizzi nails the oblivious yet determined air of the Baron Zeta, while Spyres seems sufficiently swoon-worthy as Camille. And as Danilo's assistant Njegus, Jeff Dumas gives a delightful comedic performance and delivers many of the funniest moments in the show--he truly gives his all to the role.

This MERRY WIDOW is expertly executed with strong storytelling, while maintaining a sense of playfulness and fun throughout--just as Hanna would like it.

THE MERRY WIDOW plays on select dates through December 13 (Nicole Cabell will play the role of Hanna December 9-13). Tickets are $20-$299. LyricOpera.org or 312.827.5600.

Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg

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