REVIEWS

OPERA DOES 'BAT' DANCE | DIE FLEDERMAUS | HAIR - THE MUSICAL

Opera does 'Bat' dance
By PAT ST. GERMAIN -- Winnipeg Sun

Manitoba Opera is having a ball with comedy Die Fledermaus -- a ribald
masquerade ball featuring Johann Strauss Jr.'s Champagne Waltz and
Donner und Blitzen Polka.

Last performed here in 1987, the operetta is full of surprises: It's
sung in English instead of the traditional German. It features actor
David Warburton (The Tempest) as a drunken jailer. And it boasts a
contingent of professional dancers who bust a few moves at a Russian
prince's soiree.

"The dance sequences are short but they're fiery and they just explode
on to the stage," choreographer Brenda Gorlick says. "I've got every
trick in the book in there."

A triple-threat herself, Gorlick's dancers include Jeffrey Kohut -- she
played the Wicked Witch while he was Scarecrow in Rainbow Stage's
Wizard of Oz last summer -- along with former RWB stars Sarah
Murphy-Dyson and Stephane Leonard.

Gorlick has worked with the opera in the past, but Die Fledermaus (The
Bat) was her first full-blown dance for the company. She even has local
soprano Nikki Einfeld braving a lift from her ballet boys and says she
gave jock baritone Greg Dahl a hot tip on waltzing.

"I said, 'It's just like skating, you glide.' "

The Winnipeg-bred, Toronto-based Dahl has danced in the past but he
says, "I'm not a triple-threat -- I'm a two and a half threat."

As a younger singer, Dahl has also performed several new works in
English. He says Die Fledermaus director Ann Hodges changed a few
lines, but nothing is lost in translation. Audiences are well
acquainted with the music, performed by the WSO, and the farce is fun
for the actors.

As Dr. Falke, Dahl pulls a prank on his friend Eisenstein by secretly
inviting Eisenstein's wife Rosalinde to a ball, where Eisenstein flirts
outrageously, thinking she is a Hungarian countess. Rosalinde also has
a suitor named Albert -- who is masquerading as Eisenstein -- but the
couple break with opera convention. Instead of a murder-suicide at the
end, they kiss, make up and blame the booze.

Dahl says Strauss also broke with opera convention. The librettists
presented a concept, and he wrote the music before they completed the
opera -- which explains why it sings.

"It's brilliantly written, there's not a dull moment in it.

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November 27th, 2006

Concert Review by Gwenda Nemerofsky
The Winnipeg Free Press

Die Fledermaus
Manitoba Opera
Centennial Concert Hall
Nov. 25 Attendance 1,894
4 stars out of five

MOVE over, Seinfeld. Johann Strauss Jr.'s operetta Die Fledermaus has
hit Winnipeg -- and it's got audiences in stitches.

How can you lose with a cast of characters like this? A sweet-voiced
lover, his objet d'amour -- a married woman who can't resist his high
Cs -- her philandering husband, their ambitious chambermaid, and a
fellow bent on revenge, to name a few. Add a lavish party with dancing,
cavorting and lots of champagne and you've got a recipe for pure,
unmitigated entertainment.

Manitoba Opera (MOA) launched its 2006/7 season Saturday night with a
splashy production of the 1874 hit, Die Fledermaus, a light-hearted
story of revenge. Director Ann Hodges' inspired vision came to life
within seconds of the curtain rising.

Filled with familiar arias and Strauss's infectious waltz tunes, it
also features comical dialogue, wonderfully carried off by the
ensemble. Although the production is in English, surtitles are still
projected.

The story revolves around a grudge that Dr. Falke (played by
Winnipeg-born baritone Gregory Dahl) harbours against his friend,
Gabriel von Eisenstein (American tenor, Mark Thomsen). After a fancy
dress ball, Eisenstein left Falke, still dressed in his bat costume, to
sleep off his drunkenness on a park bench. Falke awoke the next day to
the teasing of a pack of schoolchildren, who chased him and nicknamed
him Dr. Fledermaus (Dr. Bat). Determined to get back at Eisenstein,
Falke schemes to discredit him with his wife, Rosalinde (Robin Follman).

The cast is marvellous, with the Eisensteins' chambermaid Adele, sung
by gifted Winnipeg coloratura Nikki Einfeld, a clear standout. Her
rendition of the famous "Laughing Song" (Mein Herr Marquis) was
flittingly light, with the highest notes floating to the top balcony,
clear and purely crafted. Accompanied by her amusing body language and
facial expressions, it was truly delightful.

Canadian tenor Stuart Howe was a hilarious Alfred, the lover who
wouldn't quit. His lilting voice and sparkling eyes had Rosalinde
swooning - and it had a similar effect on many female audience members.
Expressive and accurate, he manoeuvred through the most demanding arias
with ease and style.

Dahl gave a strong performance as the title character. He has great
stage presence - totally commanding. His rich-toned voice carried
throughout the hall more than any other performer, staying impeccably
in tune and assured.

Thomsen, on the other hand, was not always clearly audible. His light
tenor left some listeners straining. An accomplished actor, however, he
played the flirty Eisenstein to perfection.

Follman was a convincing and appealing Rosalinde, showing great
versatility in her disguised role as the Hungarian countess in the
"Cs?rd?s" aria, where she sings dramatically of her beloved homeland.
Full of pathos and enhanced by magisterial movements, it was an
engaging masterpiece.

The party scene held at Prince Orlofsky's opulent residence was full of
fun and sarcasm, with the entire opera chorus onstage performing a
variety of stunts, including a semi-clothed can-can by the men. Seven
dancers, led by former Royal Winnipeg Ballet diva Sarah Murphy-Dyson,
kicked up their heels in some high-energy numbers choreographed by
Brenda Gorlick, lending extra festive flair to the party.

David Warburton showed sheer genius in his portrayal of Frosch, the
drunken prison guard. His comic stylings with a rolling chair, bucket
and broom were hilarious. If only the simulated urination scene had
been omitted, this could have remained a totally tasteful production.
As well, Eisenstein proclaiming that "J'ai une baguette dans mon
pantalon" was an unfortunate lapse in propriety.

Veteran opera conductor Tyrone Paterson urged the most out of a very
bright and alert-sounding Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The smooth waltz
rhythms were especially fresh, with listeners' heads nodding even
before the curtain opened.

Sets were magical, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd. Costuming was
lavish and colourful, making this a superb got-it-all package.

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July 26, 2007
Grant Burr Uptown Magazine

Hair - The Musical
Winnipeg Fringe Festival production

The high-energy choreography is thoroughly enjoyable and notable numbers such as Hair and Let the Sun Shine In will have the hair on your neck standing on end.