Play review-Die Fledermaus

"If you love, you love a waltz." These words, sung by Prince Orlofsky in Johann Strauss's "Die Fledermaus," are the first words read in the program provided at the Southern Utah University production this last weekend. These words truly help set the mood of the production which kept me laughing and entranced throughout. This production was so entertaining and executed so effortlessly, one would almost miss the intricate coordination and integration that took place by the actors throughout the show.

To begin, this is an extremely difficult score to sing, memorize, and perform. There are melismas and many of the duets and trios are created by putting together different voices singing completely different things at the same time. On top of the music, the fast tempo of the words made it an incredible feat for these actors, who executed  their parts with precision and fun interpretation. There were many moments that made me wonder when they possibly had time to breathe as there didn't seem to be much punctuation with each thought, but the clear message that came across through precise physical coordination, intense dynamics and specific movement skills that were applied by each actor (especially Jocelyn and the other main characters) really showed the impressive and specific work of the actors and made it that much more enjoyable to watch.

The fun and impressive dancing was another strong aspect of this show. Most of the dancing took place in act two at the ball of Prince Orlofsky. Because of this, much of it was done in a waltz-like way with curved, pulsing movements. Some dances were faster in tempo than others, but each dancer seemed to effortlessly glide across the floor in each movement. The strength and stamina of each dancer and actor alike was spectacular.

This production was done as most operas are, without the added benefit of microphones. There are pros and cons to this. There were moments when I wished the sound could have been louder and ring throughout the hall, but at the same time, I was grateful for the generic sounds that were produced without the added mics. It was apparent that as the pitch and precise diction increased, so did the audiences ability to hear and understand. It was interesting to see how important diction especially, was in this production. The actors, for the most part, did an excellent job in this area. There were times that I had wished the words were clearer and more recognizable, but the physicality of each actor helped to bridge that gap to help me understand what was happening.

Over all, this production was fun, entertaining, and one that I would highly recommend to anyone. The hard work of each performer on stage, in the pit, or behind the scenes, was very apparent and helped to create a masterpiece that will leave you singing the songs of Strauss all the way home.