LEHAR's ''THE MERRY WIDOW' FULLY ALIVE in MET-OPERA-IN-HD

“Schlag,” pure “Schlag” (translation: “whipped cream,” -- for the Viennese, a favorite confection) -- plus “Schlag” (translation: “a hit” in German.) This production of Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow certainly is both.

Frankly, it met with very tepid, even nasty reviews when the Met made it the Grand Gala this past New Year’s Eve. Everyone complained that the dialogue could not be heard, that the Met with its 3800 seats, is too large even with the spoken parts miked.

Well, the Live-at-the-Met-in-HD came out a real winner. Not only was the quite ingenious English version (by Jeremy Sams) totally audible, but it had almost unnecessary subtitles, since all leading cast members were native-English-speakers, and were enunciating clearly.

The Merry Widow, by the Austro-Hungarian Franz Lehar, (1870-1948) with libretto by Victor Leon and Leo Stein, is based on an 1861 French play by Henri Meilhac.

Lehar, the son of a military band-leader, (and one himself for some time,) was classically trained at the Prague Music Conservatory, where one of his mentors was Antonin Dvorak. After a series of decided flops, Lehar’s The Merry Widow premiered in Vienna in 1905. It quickly made him a world acclaimed composer. Although he created many successful operettas throughout his life, it is The Merry Widow that remained the great favorite. Indeed, it and Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, are the benchmarks for the genre.

The word operetta means “a small opera.” But that is not a true definition. Operettas have spoken dialogue and most often use comedic libretti, which frequently are decidedly silly and shallow. This one certainly is, but the music is catchy and unusually complicated for the genre.

It involves the attempt to make certain a rich widow (Renee Fleming) who has come to Paris possibly permanently, will return with her millions to the bankrupt, imaginary Balkan country of Pontevedro. This is best achieved by getting her to marry a Pontevedron again. The Count Danilo (Nathan Gunn) is the best choice, according to the country’s Ambassador, (Sir Thomas Allen.) He is right, especially as it turns out, the widow and the Count had a previous attachment.

There are many convoluted subplots, all with flirtatious, slightly naughty involvements. The most important gave us a chance to witness the Met debut of Broadway star Kelli O’Hara, who is the beloved of the tenor Alek Shrader. All were truly in great form, with Sir Thomas Allen, the best singing-actor of the prestigious lot. (During a backstage interview with host Joyce DiDonato, we learned that Kelli O’Hara trained as an opera coloratura in college, and might even consider taking real opera roles in the future.)

Act 1 takes place in the opulent Pontevedron Embassy. Acts 2 and 3, in the widow’s palatial garden that ingeniously morphs into Maxim’s, with it’s famous grisettes. The sets were devised by the talented Julian Crouch.

All ends happily, of course, of course.

And the audience is left humming the easy-going hit tunes, enchanted by the truly luxurious Belle Epoch costumes by Broadway’s William Ivey Long in his Met debut.

But the success of this show, and it is a show, is due to Susan Stroman, who both directed and choreographed it. This American Wonder-Woman, who has garnered probably every award possible in the theater world, gave The Widow a lift that made this dated material truly entertaining. The dance portions were fabulous.

I must admit, I came fully prepared to dislike The Widow. I have never appreciated it before, even when the lively Frederica von Stade turned somersaults, as I recall, and Placido Domingo was in the cast. Now as then, Sir Colin Davis was in the pit. (I don’t know if he was a “Sir” then.) Nor do I know whether Sir Colin revised the overture for that, or the current run. Lehar himself added an overture to a production of the operetta on his 70th birthday. Originally The Merry Widow had no overture at all.

Proof of the extraordinary popularity of this operetta is that it was made into movies five times. The first, a silent, directed by Eric von Stroheim in 1925, starred John Gilbert and Mae Murray. Seems there were two totally unimportant extras in the film. They were Joan Crawford and Clark Gable! In1934 it was filmed with Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald. Later productions were in 1952, 1962 and 1994. Robert Helpman even created a ballet version.

I have had my nose up in the air about this and every operetta being performed at our marvelous Met, because I honestly feel operettas do not belong into great opera houses. (Admittedly, for the festive fun, I can see why they have their place on New Year’s Eve. But Saturday was Jan.17th!)

Nevertheless, Bravo Producer Susan Stroman! You gave us a winning entertainment. Let’s hope you’ll be asked to do more for the Met from now on.

As usual you can catch the encore on Wednesday evening.