The Merry Widow: Australian Ballet, Sydney, May 2018

[jmb]

The Merry Widow is venerable in Australian Ballet terms. It was the first full length ballet comissioned by TAB in 1975, the gift ... it turned out to be the parting gift ... of Robert Helpman. (Helpman for me will always be the chivalrous, courteous and dignified Don Quixote of Nureyev's filmed production with TAB. Deluded, yes, but dignified. For me, no other Don Quixote comes near him.) But back to the Merry Widow. It's a glorious romp, Deceptively complex choreography (Ronald Hynd), sumptuously costumed, to great music (thank you John Lanchbery, who did a seamless job of rearranging Franz Lehar's music) and wonderfully danced. The night I attended, Hanna Glawari was danced by  Kirsty Martin. Who? Oh, shame. Kirsty Martin turns out to be, not a principal dancer, but perhaps the principal dancer of TAB ten years ago. Retiring in 2011, she now teaches at the Australian Ballet's school, and came back for two performances of this ballet. Her return was facilitated by the fact that, although Marilyn Rowe was the first Hanna (and was repetiteur for the present production), Hanna's role was also designed with an aging Margot Fonteyn, who danced the role in the New York premiere in 1976, in mind. Together, seasoned principal Adam Bull and Martin gave us a couple by turns astonished, hurt, flirtatious and finally, recognizing their love.

Leanne Stojmenov, as Valencienne and Andrew Killian, as Camille, were delightful, as was Colin Peasley as Valencienne's elderly husband. Colin  first danced the husband's role at the premiere in 1975, and has danced it many many times since. Gives a whole new meaning to growing into a role.

An amazing wealth of dance styles, from waltzes, polonaise, and mazurkas (why do mythical ballet kingdoms always get placed somewhere in eastern Europe? How about central Asia, for once? Great dances and no mazurkas) finishing with a great cancan (Chez Maximes) and a final delicious waltz which resolves everything and gives us a happy ending.

I cannot tell a lie. I went along with no great expectations, and was completely won over. It may be fluff, but it's great fluff.

[Jan McNulty]

Thanks for your evocative report jmb!

[alison]

Thank you, jmb.  It's always good to hear about performances other than in the UK (and sometimes, other than in London, as well!)

 

This production is going to be shown in cinemas in the UK at some stage, I believe, although I can't remember when exactly.

[jmhopton]

It is in the Odeon cinemas on September 30th. The 2 cinemas I checked (Preston and Blackpool) are showing it at 6.30pm. For anyone who loves traditional ballet it is a definite must see. As jmb says it has brilliant music, sets and choreography and is a great light hearted ballet, much underrated. I wish a UK ballet company would do it as it has great corps dances and brilliant roles for 2 leading couples. I have a dvd of Australian Ballet doing it from a while back and also a transferred video to dvd of National Ballet of Canada with Karen Kain. I think Hynd is a much underrated choreographer and I would like to see more of his work.

[Sophoife]

I was lucky enough to manage four shows in the Melbourne season: Brett Simon and Amy Harris as Danilo and Hanna with Brett Chynoweth and Jade Wood as Camille and Valencienne, Adam Bull and Kirsty Martin with Andrew Killian and Leanne Stojmenov, Simon and Harris with Andrew Wright and Dana Stephenson, and Ty King-Wall and Lana Jones with Chengwu Guo and Ako Kondo.

 

This season in both Sydney and Melbourne notable for three returns: Martin as Hanna, Steven Heathcote (the video Danilo) as Baron Zeta, and David McAllister (AD, retired in 2001) as Njegus, Zeta's secretary. For Martin, it was her first time on stage since 2011, and for McAllister, his first since 2001. I am told he was surprised how badly his makeup had deteriorated and he had to buy all new! Heathcote was wonderful, better even I think than the ageless Colin Peasley this time around. The "other" Njegus was Franco Leo, always making a role his own in the details.

 

Brett Simon and Amy Harris, the first couple I saw, were gorgeous. Every time they looked at each other was another tug at the emotions. Simon (soloist) and Harris (senior artist) are two of those about whom one thinks "WTH? Why haven't they been promoted?". Too late for Simon now, as he's retiring on 30 June, at just 33. TAB seems to have a problem with retaining or attracting senior dancers, it would be good to see character roles filled by people in their thirties, forties, fifties even rather than (as in the current production) 20 year olds (however "into" the part they get) playing the maitre d' of Chez Maxime. Brett Chynoweth is one of the company's most beautiful dancers but due to his less than robust physical appearance and lack of height will probably never get to take that final step. All the better female dancers are too tall for him and the shorter ones such as Reiko Hombo and Natasha Kusch have left. Jade Wood was delightful but not quite at the standard of her Camille. The most glamorous chorus line in ballet (aka the men in tails, top hats, and white gloves Chez Maxime) showed a new generation can high-kick with the best of them.

 

Adam Bull danced beautifully, but being 6'4", has to do everything so much quicker than the shorter dancers, which perhaps leaves him less mental time to play a role. Martin was, of course, exquisite - this was her retirement role in 2011 and she brought to it all her artistry (IMHO she has more artistry in herself than at least four of the current principals put together). Divine. Stojmenov and Killian a gorgeous couple, he is not such a great classical dancer per se but is one of the company's best actors, and Stojmenov has developed into a beautiful dancer besides being probably the company's best actor, so they were wonderful together.

 

Simon and Harris (some Lego-like cast changes had to be done due to injuries) did a surprise extra show with Wright and Stephenson, particularly affecting for me as I have enjoyed so much the dancing of both Simon and Wright over a number of years, and they are both retiring on 30 June. Stephenson's Valencienne showed a very fiery attitude Chez Maxime, I really thought she was going to kick Wright in the face at one point! She's another who seems to have plateaued, having co-won the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award way back in 2010 with Ty King-Wall, who the following year was promoted to principal. She's still a soloist.

 

Simon and Wright have so often been passed over for others, we audience members will never understand why our preferred dancers don't seem to be preferred by the PTB. Harris is another who should long since have been promoted (in her case from Senior Artist to Principal).

 

The final show of the season was Ty King-Wall and Lana Jones, who had been a delightful Valencienne seven years ago. This time around, her Hanna was as good as I'd hoped it would be, and she even dragged a performance out of her Danilo, who is a beautiful dancer but due to frequent back and other problems is not seen as often as one might like (nor is he usually a very good actor - the only other time I've had an emotional performance from him was as Lensky in 2012). Guo and Kondo can jump high, turn fast and all that, but even though married in real life, weren't to my eyes a couple on stage in these roles.

 

Special mentions to Madame Bumblebee as performed by both Ingrid Gow and Ella Havelka, Drunk Lady (Nicola Curry and Ella Havelka), Smiley Can-Can Girl Jill Ogai, and Cutest Petite (I mean really tiny) Can-Can Girl Yuumi Yamada.

[Sophoife]

I actually wanted to make a couple of edits to my post above but don't seem to be able to:

 

All the better female dancers are too tall for him and the preferred shorter ones such as Reiko Hombo and Natasha Kusch have left.

 

(IMHO she has more artistry in herself than at least a specific four of the current principals put together)

 

(some Lego-like cast changes had to be done due to injuries) Meaning that at some shows it was Jones/King-Wall/Bemet/Rodgers-Wilson and others Jones/King-Wall/Kondo/Guo and others Jones/King-Wall/Stephenson/Wright and yet others Simon/Harris/Stephenson/Wright - the couples seemed to be slotted in rather like Lego bricks, wherever it worked! They did have seven Camille/Valencienne pairs but I think only five Danilo/Hanna variations.

[alison]

I'm afraid you only have 30 minutes within which to edit your posts, Sophoife.  But anyway, thank you very much for the detailed report.  I know we have a few UK readers who follow the AB quite assiduously, and will have appreciated it.  (Plus, we will have that cinema broadcast at some stage - I think late September).

[Sophoife]

45 minutes ago, alison said:

I'm afraid you only have 30 minutes within which to edit your posts, Sophoife.  But anyway, thank you very much for the detailed report.  I know we have a few UK readers who follow the AB quite assiduously, and will have appreciated it.  (Plus, we will have that cinema broadcast at some stage - I think late September).

 

Thank you alison for the information!

 

Re the cinema broadcast: Australia gets it the weekend of 3 November. The UK gets it, at least in Odeon cinemas, on 20 September! Also a warning on publicity photos: the one on the Odeon site (I believe originally taken by Jeff Busby) shows Olivia Bell from 2011 with a number of others who have also since left the company, and the poster with the (in my eyes) maroon background shows Adam Bull and Amy Harris, who I don't think danced together at all!

 

Edited June 20, 2018 by Sophoife
To try and arrange photos next to each other.

[Sharon]

Having recently seen Nunez perform excerpts from The Merry Widow in Argentina which she posted on line, I again wondered why this beautiful ballet is not performed here. It's a ballet that would have been perfect for SWRB year's ago... 

But it's not too late. KoH invite Ronald Hynd - one of your principal's already know it 😉

Would it be considered too 'old fashioned' for the RB now - what with costumes that look like underwear or choreography that has the dancers legs round their necks..

I though would love to see the RB or BRB perform this ballet - also it would be a lovely tribute to Ronald Hynd, former RB dancer and much underrated choreographer.

[Douglas Allen]

The Merry Widow has been performed in Britain - I assume people now agitating for it to be brought into the repertory of either the Royal or the Birmingham Royal Ballet companies can't have seen it. It was almost universally regarded as inconsequential and superficial and was accepted only as a vehicle for a mature Fonteyn who could look glamorous but wasn't called upon to dance many steps. Those who didn't share this view thought much less of it. The Palladium was thought to be a suitable location - big audience capacity but it didn't get in the way of serious ballet going in theatres where people who took ballet as a serious art form could attend. Hynd  has had other works of his in the rep of Festival (now ENB) Ballet. They didn't last, for a reason, pleasant, undemanding and boring - much underrated, I think not. If Merry Widow came into the Royal's rep, it would make Acosta's Carmen look a sensible use of money.

Edited August 9, 2018 by Douglas Allen
misplaced capital.

[jmhopton]

7 hours ago, Sharon said:

Having recently seen Nunez perform excerpts from The Merry Widow in Argentina which she posted on line, I again wondered why this beautiful ballet is not performed here. It's a ballet that would have been perfect for SWRB year's ago... 

But it's not too late. KoH invite Ronald Hynd - one of your principal's already know it 😉

Would it be considered too 'old fashioned' for the RB now - what with costumes that look like underwear or choreography that has the dancers legs round their necks..

I though would love to see the RB or BRB perform this ballet - also it would be a lovely tribute to Ronald Hynd, former RB dancer and much underrated choreographer

 

I too would love to see it performed over here as I love it and have never seen it live though have enjoyed Karen Kain's National Ballet of Canada recording and also the Australian Ballet recording. I did ask Tamara a year or so if she would ever consider it for ENB as I've always wanted to see her in the lead and I thought quite a few years ago there was talk of ENB dancing it though it never came to anything and was before Tamara's Artistic Directorship, but she seemed to think it was too old fashioned for the current ENB to dance (though I would have thought it no more old fashioned than Corsaire).

 

I think it would be a  great ballet for BRB or Northern Ballet as it emphasises acting and character dance as well as ordinary ballet though I can think of several fabulous RB partnerships as well I would love to see! Douglas Allen says it was 'almost universally regarded as inconsequential and superficial' but by whom? Just because it is a light, comic ballet it doesn't make it any less of a ballet; think Coppelia and Fille. Ballets don't have to be serious to be good ballets and what's wrong with a bit of light entertainment, anyway? You get enough seriousness and tragedy by watching the news.

 

Also I've just realised I put the wrong cinema date in my first post. It is being shown on Thursday 20th September and not the 30th.

[Jan McNulty]

4 minutes ago, jmhopton said:

 

I too would love to see it performed over here as I love it and have never seen it live though have enjoyed Karen Kain's National Ballet of Canada recording and also the Australian Ballet recording. I did ask Tamara a year or so if she would ever consider it for ENB as I've always wanted to see her in the lead and I thought quite a few years ago there was talk of ENB dancing it though it never came to anything and was before Tamara's Artistic Directorship, but she seemed to think it was too old fashioned for the current ENB to dance (though I would have thought it no more old fashioned than Corsaire).

 

I think it would be a  great ballet for BRB or Northern Ballet as it emphasises acting and character dance as well as ordinary ballet though I can think of several fabulous RB partnerships as well I would love to see! Douglas Allen says it was 'almost universally regarded as inconsequential and superficial' but by whom? Just because it is a light, comic ballet it doesn't make it any less of a ballet; think Coppelia and Fille. Ballets don't have to be serious to be good ballets and what's wrong with a bit of light entertainment, anyway? You get enough seriousness and tragedy by watching the news.

 

Also I've just realised I put the wrong cinema date in my first post. It is being shown on Thursday 20th September and not the 30th.

 

Northern Ballet did a production of La Traviata some years ago.  It had been choreographed by Veronica Paeper from South Africa.  I enjoyed it.

[Sophoife]

9 hours ago, Douglas Allen said:

It was almost universally regarded as inconsequential and superficial and was accepted only as a vehicle for a mature Fonteyn who could look glamorous but wasn't called upon to dance many steps. Those who didn't share this view thought much less of it. The Palladium was thought to be a suitable location - big audience capacity but it didn't get in the way of serious ballet going in theatres where people who took ballet as a serious art form could attend. Hynd  has had other works of his in the rep of Festival (now ENB) Ballet. They didn't last, for a reason, pleasant, undemanding and boring - much underrated, I think not. If Merry Widow came into the Royal's rep, it would make Acosta's Carmen look a sensible use of money.

 

I have to say, that's one of the more curmudgeonly comments I've read lately.  "Inconsequential and superficial" - that's a description that might, on a grumpy day, be applied by me to many things, but it doesn't stop them being enjoyed!

 

Yes, the title role was specifically made for a 57 year old Fonteyn so no, there isn't much breadth of steps required for Hanna.  However, that's why Camille and Valencienne are so prominent.  Their act 2 pdd is really rather lovely.

 

And what exactly is wrong with a ballet looking glamorous, and people enjoying it?  Get them in the doors and their bums on the seats with this, or (as jmhopton said) Fille or Coppélia.  They'll enjoy it, and be happy enough to come back and see something else.  Grow the audience and over time they will develop into more broadly-interested ballet-goers!

 

3 hours ago, jmhopton said:

 

I too would love to see it performed over here as I love it and have never seen it live though have enjoyed Karen Kain's National Ballet of Canada recording and also the Australian Ballet recording. I did ask Tamara a year or so if she would ever consider it for ENB as I've always wanted to see her in the lead and I thought quite a few years ago there was talk of ENB dancing it though it never came to anything and was before Tamara's Artistic Directorship, but she seemed to think it was too old fashioned for the current ENB to dance (though I would have thought it no more old fashioned than Corsaire).

 

I think it would be a  great ballet for BRB or Northern Ballet as it emphasises acting and character dance as well as ordinary ballet though I can think of several fabulous RB partnerships as well I would love to see!

 

Quite right.  The acting is one of my primary reasons for enjoying it!  There are times, dear friends, when we want to be whisked out of ourselves and into a frilly, frothy, glamorous world where Madame Bumblebee is funny, not annoying; where an old man married to a very young woman can accept that she loves him and honours him even though she also loves a younger, handsome man; where a peasant girl can marry a rich man and, widowed, reconnect with her first love; where that first love, embittered by his parents' refusal of her, can rise from the bottom of a bottle to reconnect with her; where a man's touch on a woman's shoulders gives the audience ALL THE FEELS (see photo below); and where everybody returns to themselves as they leave the theatre, smiling, and perhaps humming one of the melodies.

 

 

Adam Bull and Olivia Bell in The Merry Widow, The Australian Ballet, 2011. Still from promo video on TAB's YouTube channel.

Edited August 9, 2018 by Sophoife
caption for photo, added a sentence

[Douglas Allen]

I think, if you want to put the Merry Widow into the same category as Fille and/or Coppelia, then words fail me and I don't think we share the same view about what constitutes ballet. To my mind Merry Widow isn't bad or objectionable, it's simply a pot-boiler and I can't take it seriously as a ballet, not because of its subject matter but because of its lack of any significant choreography. Hynd's previous choreographic ventures had been mixed - his quasi-dramatic Charlotte Bronte for the RB New Group was dire and quickly disappeared but his earlier Dvorak Variations for Festival Ballet at the very beginning of the 70s was,  as I remember it, quite attractive and had interesting combinations. It remained in the rep for only a few years (despite having Samsova in the lead) and wasn't revived, at least not in Britain, which was a pity.

[jmhopton]

Well I left the cinema tonight after seeing the screening of the Merry Widow on a real high having had a wonderful evening; as did the 4 ladies I went with. We all loved the sets, costumes, dancing and choreography ( I was really pleased when the Act 3 set at Maximes got a round of applause as it really deserves it just like Act 3 of the new RB Swan lake). To me the choreography didn't come over at all as a 'pot boiler'. Yes there were a lot of waltzes and character dances but I thought Hynd was very clever into transposing them into balletic movements with some really quite tricky movements. it's just it was all done so seamlessly and in period it wasn't so obvious as, for example, the  pas de deux in a Macmillan ballet which call attention to themselves. If Australian ballet ever come again it would be great if they would bring it and we could compare different casts.

[Bruce Wall]

1 hour ago, jmhopton said:

 If Australian ballet ever come again it would be great if they would bring it and we could compare different casts.

 

I doubt that TAB will be coming certainly to London again in the foreseeable future as we haven't (short of the Russians) had a major ballet company visit since they themselves appeared at the Coliseum.  [I don't include a commercial package such as the St. Petersburg Ballet Company in that mix.]   That said Les Etes de la Danse will be presenting both The Australian Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet next summer and the enticing combination of Dutch National Ballet and our own ENB during a similar sojourn in 2020 in Paris at Le Siene Musicale.  (This marks a definite move away from the American companies which has been a Les Etes de la Danse tradition since its creation.)   Perhaps TAB will bring The Merry Widow as part of their programme there for you to sample different casts.  That would be brilliant, Joan.  That said I have a feeling they may decide otherwise as they will probably want to showcase more recent creations/productions.  Still it is a popular title ... and the producers might be attracted by that.  

 

I very much enjoyed seeing Least We Forget again this evening - but realised just how squished some elements of these fine works were at Sadler's Wells when compared with the larger Barbican stage they premiered on.  That largess will be restored should they wish to do this programme in Paris as part of their rep.  I hope they do.  It is - in SO many ways - stunning and certainly shows off the 'Company that Tamara Built' very well indeed.  James Streeter in Dust was mesmeric and Cojocaru glistened in both of the first two ballets.   Looking forward to seeing it again.  

Edited September 20, 2018 by Bruce Wall

[Ian Macmillan]

No rush to see it again, but I rather enjoyed it - colourful, cheerful, well staged, lots of dancing from a company on which the piece clearly sits very comfortably.  Also, unlike other recorded events, this came with a BFFC certificate and a note mentioning "Mild sex references," though I must have missed them.

 

And is the Sydney Opera House stage not very wide?  My wife and I both felt things looked a bit constricted at times.

 

[Sophoife]

Aww, so pleased you enjoyed it, Ian and jmhopton!

 

Yes, the Sydney Opera House stage is a problem.  As originally designed, what is now the Concert Hall was supposed to be the ballet and opera theatre, and unfortunately what is now the Joan Sutherland Theatre has vestigial wings and a quite small stage. One reason we'll never get Mayerling apparently. Other regular venues performed in by TAB (Melbourne's State Theatre, every few years Adelaide's Festival Theatre, every few years Brisbane's QPAC) are bigger, but the company is locked in to a long-term contract to perform at SOH regularly, for longer seasons even than at its home theatre in Melbourne, so ...

 

By the way, from the publicity info, it's impossible to tell who was dancing the four main roles in the recording. Could someone please tell me? Thanks in advance.

[BMC]

Only four of us in my local cinema - such a pity as it was very enjoyable. Lovely dancing, wonderful costumes, loads of colour and the well known music. Plus it was very short which left me wanting more rather than out staying welcome. It's such a long time since I have seen the Australian Ballet - do wish we got to see them more.

 

The four main roles were:

 

Hanna: Amber Scott

Danilo: Adam Bull

Valencienne: Leanne Stojmenov

Camille: Andrew Killian

 

Always a particular pleasure I find to go and see dancers you don't know at all, therefore have no preconceptions, and just sit back and enjoy.

[Ian Macmillan]

Sophoife:  Thanks for the info on the stage - it explains a lot.  I'm afraid that the audience in the cinema at Cambridge last night was also disappointing - more than 4, but only a few handfuls, and many fewer than when RB or Bolshoi performances are shown.

 

We got a last minute programme handed out, attached.  That will give you all of the named parts - loved the chap doing the Maitre d'!  And was the Njegus character played by the Director, or is that just a coincidence on names?

 

 

 

[Sophoife]

Thank you @Ian Macmillan and @BMC for the casting info. I absolutely ❤️ Leanne Stojmenov and Andrew Killian as Valencienne and Camille.

 

Yes, Njegus is former Camille, AD David McAllister, and Zeta the fabulous former Danilo, Steven Heathcote. Luke Marchant has been a great maître d' for some years now, and Brett Simon retired at the end of June, his last (only) principal role was Danilo (he learned it at 21 with Hong Kong Ballet from John Meehan). Amber Scott didn't dance in Melbourne as she is Otherwise Engaged. 

 

We of course have to wait until November to see it.

[serenade]

I went to see it too...I loved it!  Thought it was ridiculously enjoyable.

 

There was only about 5 of us in my local London Cineworld  which was a bit sad.  This particular Cineworld doesn't seem to ever do any of the event cinema so I was really surprised they put this on.  Unfortunately considering the turn out maybe it won't become a regular thing.

 

Anyway, it was so nice to see TAB. The last time I saw them perform was just over 10 years ago probably and they are looking just as good as I remember.  I thought Adam Bull and Amber Scott danced really beautifully but the whole company were really strong and acting was great.  It was so light and fun, and I loved all the PDDs and the character dances.  I really hope maybe the company will do some more broadcasts in the future...

[alison]

The trouble is there has been virtually no advertising of it by the cinemas.  How they expect us to go to a one-night showing when they don't tell us about it is beyond me.  Do they think I have nothing better to do than read through half-a-dozen cinema's programmes for the week just on the off-chance that there may be one showing of something I might be interested in?

[serenade]

I know, it was only by chance I saw Cineworld had it on just because I go to the cinema a lot so I was looking.  But a lot of people wouldn't be looking so no wonder there's a low turnout.

[Shade]

I wish I could have seen this - I love the music and it seems that it was an enjoyable performance.

[Sophoife]

If anyone would like to see this ballet live, it's been included in The Australian Ballet's July 2019 programme in Paris.

 

At La Seine Musicale for Les Étés de la Danse, July 10-13, 2019.

 

Dates are definite.

 

Book your travel and accommodation now 😉

[Sophoife]

 

On 20/06/2018 at 14:23, Sophoife said:

Brett Chynoweth is one of the company's most beautiful dancers but due to his less than robust physical appearance and lack of height will probably never get to take that final step.

On 20/06/2018 at 14:23, Sophoife said:

Harris is another who should long since have been promoted (in her case from Senior Artist to Principal). 

 

I was wrong about Brett Chynoweth, and couldn't be more pleased. He was promoted to Principal Artist on the closing night of the Spartacus season. Amy Harris was promoted on the opening night of Spartacus. I wasn't there but I was told by a friend who had been that there were a number of audible mutters of "about time"!!

[Shade]

Thanks to the balletcoer who posted the info about the Barbican cinema rerun. Managed to get to the screening and thoroughly enjoyed it. Act 2 made me think of Raymonda and Act 3 of My Fair Lady. It was only £10.50 for the ticket too- a bargain!

 

[Suffolkgal]

Not sure if this is the appropriate place- but just really enjoyed Australian Ballet in Merry Widow on Sky Arts.

[alison]

Turns out we actually had an existing thread, so I've moved it

 

I enjoyed it very much when I watched it: may still have it on the hard drive, for all I know.

[FionaM]

Or … you can still see the recording of Merry Widow from Teatro Colon’s YouTube channel.  I assume the same version as also by Ronald Hynd.

 

Marianela Nunez partnering Alejandro Parente in his farewell performance

 

 

[jmhopton]

3 hours ago, FionaE said:

Or … you can still see the recording of Merry Widow from Teatro Colon’s YouTube channel.  I assume the same version as also by Ronald Hynd.

 

Marianela Nunez partnering Alejandro Parente in his farewell performance

 

 

Brilliant! My favourite performance of one of my favourite ballets. The best thing to come out of the pandemic. I've watched it loads of times. I just wish a UK company would perform it as it's the only favourite ballet I've never seen live and there are some great lead roles.