Former Clevelander, Ted Christopher is performing this season in two Gilbert & Sullivan works, however, he’s also taken on a new role—stage directing. Either he is a natural at directing, or he’s a virtual sponge, having picked up all sorts of tid-bits from the various productions he’s been in through the years. It was wonderful to see his version of my favorite “Die Fledermaus”. It was 99 44/100% perfection, as effervescent as the champagne that features so strongly throughout the masterpiece of Johann Strauss II.
Music Director J. Lynn Thompson conducted and kept the lighter-than-air production on the stage where it belonged. Mr. Thompson is in his seventeeth season at OLO, and knows exactly where the accelerations and ritardandos should be, and when the lilt was most important. Every detail received his meticulous attention.
The cast I saw on July 21 was excellent. Robin De Leon as Rosalinda and Oliver Henderson as her husband, Gabriel von Eisenstein were the flirtatious but very much in love couple at the center of the action. Vocally and visually, they were superb. As the mischievous Adele, Sarah Asmar tossed off her numerous high notes as though they were nothing. Michael Hix was the suave Dr. Falke, who engineers the plot within a plot, and Joshua Kohl was the adorably air-headed Alfred, the tenor. Rosalinda’s Csárdás, Adele’s Laughing Song and Orlofsky’s Chaçon a son goût were the musical highlights.
Alta Boover had a blast as Prince Orlofsky, giving us all a treat with her antics, and Jeremiah Butterfield was suitably gauché as Frank, the prison warden. Frosch the jailor, in the person of Kevin Blickfeldt was the only weak point. This role can easily bring down the house as the hilariously drunken jailor goes about his so-called duties. Unfortunately, the part was drastically shortened, and Frosch ended up neither drunk (poor him) nor funny (poor us).
Each of the three acts required its own set; all were designed by Kirk Domer, and all contributed to the overall ambiance. The costumes of Charlene Gross were a marvel; bright and colorful for the women, dignified (mostly) for the gentlemen. Lighting designer Shannon Schweitzer added his magic touch, providing day or evening as required.
Choreographer Carol Hageman worked her usual miracle: moving a fairly large cast around a not-so-large stage area without anyone falling off the stage or running into anyone else. The waltzing scenes at Orlofsky’s party were especially beautiful.
Freedlander Auditorium on the Wooster College Campus is possessed of a neat bit of machinery. The orchestra pit is on an elevator, allowing the orchestra to rise and be clearly visible at stage level for the overture and then lowered to pit level for the rest of the performance. Bravos all the way around!
That evening was the second half of our operetta double-bill—The White Horse Inn by Ralph Benatzky, acting as chairman of the committee that assembled this cream puff. The term ‘committee’ is used advisedly, considering that the program lists additional music by Robert Stolz, Bruno Granichstaedten and Robert Gilbert; original libretto by Hans Müller and Erik Charell (after the comedy by Blumenthal and Kadelburg) with original lyrics by Robert Gilbert. Whoo. The English version is by Richard Traubner.
Briefly, the story, which obviously takes place at The White Horse Inn, located on Lake Wolfgang in Austria is: Josepha, a youngish widow who owns the Inn, thinks she’s in love with Dr. Siedler, a lawyer from Berlin. Leopold, the head waiter at the Inn, is definitely in love with Josepha, but to her, he’s just there. Leopold gives the room usually reserved to Siedler to the Giesecke father/daughter, Wilhelm (a manufacturer of underwear) and Ottilie. Ottilie is intended for Sigismund, the son of her father’s business rival. Sigismund, of course, falls for Klárchen, the daughter of a tutor. The arrival of Emperor Franz Joseph both upsets and settles everything at the Inn, and the various couples finally get themselves sorted out, including Leopold and his Josepha.
Soprano Julie Wright stage directed the work, and also sang and danced the part of Josepha in an energetic performance. Her usual foil was the nimble Boyd Mackus as Herr Giesecke, although near the end Anthony Maida’s impassioned Leopold won out. Grant Knox was suitably officious in the role of Dr. Siedler, who promptly fell in love with the delightful Ottilie of Sarah Asmar.
The ‘second’ young couple nearly stole the show. A somewhat portly Gregory Brookes as Sigismund was extremely light on his feet in two charming dances with the Klärchen of Jessie Wright Martin. In one number, the two are in period swimming costume—his almost too form-fitting red and white striped, hers blue—and he uses her beach towel as a matador does his cape, swirling the two of them around in circles.
Jonathan Michie was a dignified yet humble Kaiser Franz Josef II, happily accepting greetings from his subjects and then handing out heart-felt advice to the lovelorn Josepha.
Conductor Steven Byess kept the music bubbling right along. Choreographer Carol Hageman once again had her troops moving smartly around the stage, including an Austrian ‘schuplatter’ song The Salzkammergut with much hand-clapping, knee-and ankle-slapping and rump-bumping.
In addition to providing the new English translation, Richard Traubner also designed the clever candy-box set. The colorful Tyrolean type costumes were designed by Daniel Jones and Shannon Schweitzer was in charge of the lighting, complete to the huge moon rising in the background. Gorgeous.
The season continues at Ohio Light Opera through Sunday, August 13. For tickets or other information, their web-site is: http://olo.wooster.edu/index.php or telephone 330-263-2345.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz ArtsWriter@Adelphia.net (:divend:)