‘Widow’ good solid fun
Saratoga Springs There’s sumptuous music, plenty of fine singing and lots of playful antics in Opera Saratoga’s new production of Lehar’s “The Merry Widow,” which opened Friday night at the Spa Little Theater.
A sweeping rounded staircase serves as the grand entry point for soprano Cecilia Violetta Lopez, the coy and clever widow. A fleet of ardent suitors wearing tales fills the stage early on and act three is enlivened by the can-can girls.
“The Merry Widow” can easily come off as so much fluff, but serious effort went into making this a tight and professional effort. That made the fun times all the better.
The classic operetta includes plenty of spoken word and was performed in English. Director and choreographer John de los Santos always kept things moving along. Conductor Anthony Barrese led an orchestra that stretched across the back of the stage and played in fine fettle. During Act Two the scenes switch between speaking and singing with continuous musical accompaniment. It’s all handled with subtlety and ease. The chorus work in act one had a terrific blend and unity of sound.
Lopez’s agile and pleasing voice grew in strength and clarity during the course of the night. Though the widow is young and appealing, this is no ingenue role and a hint of shadow appears in Lopez’s tone color. The quality of mystery came to the fore in the final act when she switched to German for one arresting aria. Only her diction could stand some improvement.
Baritone Alex Lawrence as Count Danilo was a restrained and dignified figure who sang with elegance and allure. The final love duet between Lopez and Lawrence was meltingly beautiful.
Of the secondary cast, tenor Scott Quinn as Camille had an emotional urgency and poised luster to his singing. Leading a troupe of men in some physical humor was the hearty baritone Andy Papas. Though he was sometimes shouting his lines, his hi-jinks were hard to resist. The English translation includes a few brief interpolations about traffic and horses in Saratoga and scandals at the White House.
The fine musical performances were complemented by Cameron Anderson’s design, Glen Avery Breed’s costumes and Brandon Stirling Baker’s lighting. Besides the staircase, the single-unit set had a sculptural frame around the orchestra that evoked classic Parisian style. A lavish budget went into the costumes, which were formal at the start, a pastel parade in the second act, and all Folies Bergere in the finale.