Before Saturday evening, I had never been to a live opera performance before, and therefore it had become a bit of a bucket list item for me…
So when I received the invite to attend the opening night of The Merry Widow of Malagawi, I of course said “hell yeah” without any hesitation.
Now from what I knew about operas, they’re usually quite serious and in a foreign language… So I was prepared for this. But to my surprise, The Merry Widow of Malagawi was neither.
I’t s a light-hearted (and quite funny) story about a wealthy widow who gets wrapped up in a political ploy to save Malagawi – a country going through a bit of a tough spot financially (to put it mildly).
So to summarise: She’s wealthy & eligible to marry… And they need her “assets”. 😉
There’s a love story thrown in the mix, along with adultery, skeeming, and many laughs thanks to the super talented funnyman, Alan Committie, in the role of Njegus – the 1st secretary of state.
The set changes and costumes are bright, African & absolutely gorgeous, the performances are top class, and overall I’m convinced that you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did.
Brought to you by the Cape Town Opera, The Merry Widow of Malagawi is directed by Janice Honeyman, and is accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra lead by Tim Murray as the conductor.
Here’s an excerpt from the official Cape Town Opera page:
Janice Honeyman, South Africa’s doyenne of wit, panache and wicked fun creates a fantasy world- a world of high fashion, bright colours, cocktails on white beaches, and lavish balls at grand embassies. Lose yourself in Franz Lehar’s masterful music, Sean Bovim’s unique choreography and a kaleidoscopic set created with a pallet saturated with uniquely African Designs by Michael Mitchell and Birrie Le Roux. The Merry Widow of Malagawi is an extraordinary transmutation of words on a page, an idea on a stairwell, a sketch from a designer’s pen, all rapidly turning into a work of art; an intoxicating elixir you could bottle and sell at every café in town.
Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Taken from the Cape Town Opera Facebook page
Taken from the Cape Town Opera Facebook page
Ticket prices range from R125 to R320 and can be purchased from Computicket over here. I urge you to book your seats now, because you really don’t want to miss out on this one.
As far as first opera experiences go – this was a really great one.
xxx