State Theatre, until July 4
IT MAY be light and fluffy, but this sumptuous souffle of a ballet is possibly one of the best the Australian Ballet has produced.
First presented in 1975, The Merry Widow was adapted from the well-known operetta for the then fledgling national company by Sir Robert Helpmann and his talented artistic team.
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Helpmann's genius can be seen in the scintillating scenario and entertaining theatrics, which make this opulent tale a well-cut ballet classic. Desmond Heeley's stunning designs fizz with colourful Belle Epoque glamour, John Lanchbery's creative arrangement of Franz Lehar's music sparkles, while Ronald Hynd's choreography is swept along by swoony waltzes and dizzying ballroom scenes.The lavish sets and costumes complement fine acting and great stage direction, enabling the loveable characters to deliver a complex storyline with humour and clarity.
It's a heightened, romanticised world, but one which we all recognise, and perhaps even long for.
As Valencienne and Camille, Madeleine Eastoe and Andrew Killian are passionately sweet in their extramarital flirtations, and Colin Peasley and Paul de Masson are charmingly hilarious in their comic roles. Kirsty Martin and Robert Curran are romance itself in the lead roles of Hanna (the widow) and Danilo, twirling and embracing as though dancing on air.
Martin's exuberant performance is bittersweet: this season is her last with the company before she retires.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/dance/the-merry-widow-20110626-1glld.html#ixzz1QRu6oBHw
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