London Coliseum
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The music is excellent and very memorable and there are, of course, some stand-out melodies such as the song about Vilja sung by Sarah Tynan's exuberant Merry Widow. The cast was superb. Sarah Tynan was brilliant in both her acting and singing. The role of Njegus, Baron Zeta's flamboyant court attendant, was played with comic expertise by Gerard Carey who provided a performance just as hilarious as when he played Malvolio in Twelfth Night at the Young Vic. American baritone Nathan Gunn as Count Danilo was a joy to listen to. The best way I could describe his voice is as the vocal equivalent of a dark chocolate truffle - luxurious, indulgent and like velvet, effortlessly gliding over the melodies.
The set was magnificent. It went from the grandeur of the Pontevedrin embassy to the hustle and bustle, the glitz and (not so) glam of Chez Maxim's - a burlesque club which Danilo frequents. My favourite location was Hannah's garden, decorated for a marvellous party. The evening sky was created through draping dark blue velvet curtains, and lightbulbs were hanging from the ceiling at different lengths, creating the magic of the twinkling stars. It was truly stupendous.
On the night I went to see The Merry Widow, there was a great buzz in the London Coliseum. It was on the night of a performance which was part of the 'Opera Undressed Scheme', so there were a number of younger faces in the audience and the whole place was brimming with excitement. Before the opera began there was a brief announcement on stage where we were told that the new initiative to give Under 18s free tickets in the balcony to Saturday performances has resulted in over 1500 young people coming to the opera, with an average age of just 11. It was a triumphant night for younger theatre-goers! So, the ENOs arms are open and eager to welcome new faces. If you want to join the buzz, then this is an excellent opera with which to start! Absolutely 100% recommended.
There are lots of ways to save when going to the opera, and there is a really handy summary of all the different methods of saving here: https://www.eno.org/your-visit/ways-to-save-offers/ . There is also the brilliant Opera Undressed scheme where you can get £20 tickets to see one of a selection of performances, (for this season The Magic Flute or The Merry Widow) and they include amazing seats, a free drink, and a pre-show performance talk. More information can be found here: https://www.eno.org/your-visit/ways-to-save-offers/opera-undressed/. Under 18's go free on Saturdays! - check the ENO website for more details.