The Merry Widow. The secondary romantic coupling was, curiously, just that little bit more consistent, and thus endearing; Alexandra Flood was simultaneously dignified and coquettish as Valencienne, and John Longmuir gave us an ardently sung Camille de Rosillon. David Whitney as Baron Mirko Zeta and Benjamin Rasheed as Njegus were also a highlight… a funny and intelligently drawn double-act to rival the best of them. The remaining cast was faultless — the definition of a secure and mature ensemble.
Tag: Sydney
Jevgeni Onegin in Sydney. De productie van Tsjaikovski’s ‘Jevgeni Onegin’ door Opera Australia, geregisseerd door Kasper Holten, is een complete ramp – een mislukking van epische proporties.
Eugene Onegin in Sydney. Opera Australia’s production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, directed by Kasper Holten, is a hot mess — a misfire of epic proportions.
Madama Butterfly in Sydney. Oxenbould’s stylish single-set production is a reliable workhorse with no surprises, pulling all the right strings and ticking all the right boxes. Its balletic, “movement”-heavy approach to blocking frequently smacks of filling the moment for the sake of it, but if its ubiquity in the company’s rotation is anything to go by, such easily repeatable elements can compensate for a dramatic cohesion that often goes by the wayside when time (a.k.a.: money) and box office are of the essence.