In a first for Cape Town Opera, leading stand-up comedian Alan Committie takes to the Artscape Opera House stage in The Merry Widow of Malagawi, which premieres on 5 September 2015 and runs until 12 September.
Playing the spoken role of Njegus, Committie is thrilled to be working with Cape Town Opera. “For the sake of the audience, I am pleased that they haven’t asked me to sing in this show!” he quipped.
Better known for his starring role in Defending the Caveman and theatre productions including Little Shop of Horrors, A Load of Bull, Perfect Wedding and No, Seriously, Committie is also a writer, director and award-winning actor.
Joining Committie on stage is British soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn, noted for her “gorgeously toned and rapturous” singing (The Guardian) in the role of Hanna Glawari. South African/Portuguese soprano Filipa van Eck, praised in Opera Magazine for her “spirited, playful and technically rock-solid, delicious performance”, returns from the UK to sing as Valencienne, and Aubrey Lodewyk sings the role of Danilo, the elusive bachelor.
“We’re thrilled to have assembled such a captivating cast for this new production,” says CTO Artistic Director Matthew Wild. “Operetta doesn’t only require gorgeous voices; it also needs sparkling personalities and a cheeky sense of humour – qualities which our leads have in spades!”
Through generous funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Cape Town Opera is proud to present this new adaptation of Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, with witty new lyrics and dialogue written by Janice Honeyman. Replacing the fictional Pontevedro of the original story with the newly invented state of Malagawi, this new production plays out amongst the glamorous elite of a contemporary African metropolis. The themes prevalent in Lehár’s early 20th-century Vienna – women’s suffrage, the growth of industrialism and the movement from rural to urban economies – mirror many current situations on our continent.
The Merry Widow of Malagawi is a light-hearted theatrical and musical exploration of diplomatic intrigue, capitalism, and how people protect their wealth and self-interests.
At the helm of the production is acclaimed director Janice Honeyman (Sister Act, Sleeping Beauty, Show Boat and John Kani’s Missing), with costume designs by Birrie le Roux, set designs by Michael Mitchell, lighting by Mannie Manim and choreography by Sean Bovim. CTO Associate Music Director Tim Murray conducts the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. Building on the success of previous collaborations, this production of The Merry Widow of Malagawi has been developed in partnership with the Wales Millennium Centre.
WHERE & WHEN: Artscape Opera House, D F Malan St, Cape Town 8001 from 5 to 12 September
TICKETS: at Computicket.
For an extra-special night-at-the-opera experience, the fabulous Show & Stay Package includes dinner, one night’s accommodation at a hotel in Cape Town, a buffet breakfast, first tier show tickets to The Merry Widow of Malagawi, plus a complimentary souvenir programme and transport to and from Artscape for just R1,700 for two people sharing.
