Title: Wow, and More Wow!
Product review: I picked up a DVD of this production in Berlin last year, and have watched it several times, and it has become one of my favorites. This DVD records an outdoor Summer 2005 production of DIE LUSTIGE WITWE (The Merry Widow) to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of its premiere in December of 1905. The text is complete, and the little nonstop joys of the libretto remain intact, unlike any other performance available on home video. That alone would make this DVD worthwhile, but in addition the staging is absolutely superb. A cast of hundreds enact an entire universe of precisely staged tableaux, while the spirit of Lehar energizes the musical team. At the same time, at the heart of all this, the feelings of the principal characters find real mutual chemistry. The sun goes down as the performance begins, and the fireworks at the end perfectly punctuate a great ensemble performance. Wow, and more wow!
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