Guy Edwards
The Merry Widow
White Horse Opera
2008
Looking back, I wonder how I had the nerve to audition for the male lead role in this joyful Lehar light opera - this was my first full length opera and my first production since my G&S days as a teenager! What great fun it was, and what a lovely welcome into the world of community opera I received from the lovely folk at White Horse Opera. I could not have wanted for a better leading lady as the part of Hannah was played by the amazing Lyndsey Doherty who went on to create and direct UK's hugely successful Celebrate Voice festival.
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Thankfully, under the direction of Francis Griffin, I survived my very first venture into opera and even had a nice review from the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald!:
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"...In the title role of Hanna Glawari, the widow of the late finance minister of Pontrevedro who has popped his clogs leaving her 20 million (the currency is immaterial), Lynsey Docherty was magisterial. She had full command of both the score and the character and was well on top of the humour of the piece. She was well matched by Guy Edwards as Count Danilo, the dissolute playboy who is the last hope of Pontrevedro to keep the Glawari millions from the grasp of some Parisian wastrel. Physically impressive, Mr Edwards has a voice to match and also coped well with the dialogue..."
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...or more accurately, 'I've just come back from Chez Maxim's! Danilo (Guy Edwards) makes his Act 1 entrance.
In Act 1, despite Hannah (Lynsey Docherty) choosing a reluctant Danilo (Guy Edwards) as her partner for the "Ladies Choice" dance - he claims that he doesn't dance (!) and announces that he will sell the dance to anyone who wants it - for 10,000 Francs!
Poor old Danilo is thoroughly upset by Hannah's behaviour and decides to tell everyone a story about love and betrayal... "There once were two Royal children..." but his best efforts are to no avail, so he storms off to Maxim's to sulk!
Danilo trying to find out who the fan belongs to. "...and on it is written, 'I love you'..." - cue confusion with Madame Praskowia (Barbara Gompels)
Baron Zeta (Edward Harper) is sure he's just seen his young wife, Valencienne (Anna Vaupel) in the pavilion with another man and as Danilo (Guy Edwards) tries to console him, Valencienne is helped to escape by the wily Njegus (Graham Billing) - allowing Hannah (the Merry Widow) to take her place. Confused yet?
Danilo leading the well-known Act 2 septet complaining about the character of women. (We men are perfect, of course!).
Danilo and Hannah imagining what it would be like to ride out together in Paris. Danilo is a typical man and is admitting to the audience that he has '...lost the track'!
Danilo (Guy Edwards) finally summons up the nerve to tell Hannah (Lynsey Docherty) that she must not marry Camille de Rossillon... but he still doesn't tell her the real reason why!
No - it wasn't really Viennese Waltz at all, but we certainly waltzed! Lyndsey Docherty was a superb Hanna Glawari.
Danilo (Guy Edwards) singing of his unspoken love for Hannah in the the famous song of the same name!
Hannah (Lynsey Docherty) and Danilo (Guy Edwards) finally admitting (almost!) that they love each other in the famous "Love Unspoken" duet.
Guy Edwards (playing Danilo) seems to be enjoying all this attention just a little too much!