Pink Champagne

Pink Champagne – the musical version of Johan Strauss ll’s operetta Die Fledermaus – introduces considerably more work for both ladies and gents chorus and KGASS  handled this well with their traditional high standards when it comes to choral music. Principals matched this in quality, with Rosalinda (Frances Taylor) giving a superb performance as the leading lady in the musical. She was suitably aided and abetted by Adele, her maid, played and sung confidently by Erin Sammutt. My favourite character in both Die Fledermaus and Pink Champagne is the trouser role of Prince Orlovsky – and Caroline Warburton’s interpretation of the role did nothing to dissuade me of this. Gabriel Eisenstein played by Robin Ozóg (who also directed) was very much up to the usual high standard that we come to expect of Robin, while Eisenstein’s friend, Dr Falke, was performed by Ross Main.  This is a relatively small part, but nevertheless essential to the storyline, and Ross’s excellent sung and spoken diction made following his plot explanation straightforward for all. Rosalinda’s admirer, Alfred (Andreas Ottenberg) the Italian tenor was well portrayed, Unfortunately the evening I visited, quite a bit of his dialogue was missed by the audience – possible radio mic problems?, I’m not sure. R.Douglas Kerr gave, I feel, one of the best characterisations of the stuttering, bumbling lawyer Dr Blind, that I have seen in recent years. Very often, some of the humour in this part is missed, but not so here.   Frank, governor of the city gaol, was confidently played by Mark Adams. Mark’s pseudo-french conversation with Eisenstein in Act Two gaining much deserved laughter from an audience, lower in numbers than I would suggest  the show deserved. The non-singing role of Frosch, the chief warder, adequately played by Stuart Brown, might, in my view, have been improved by restricting the drunken, slurred speech to the beginning of Act Three, rather than continuing throughout.

The principals mentioned above were suitably assisted on their paths by a host of minor principals each of whom  ensured that his or her part added to an already bright and bubbly show. Sets by John Urquhart were based around a static set with additions and changes for each act. This, together with the variety of heights, allowed Director Robin Ozóg a number of options in placing the reasonably well-numbered chorus.  Costumes by Utopia Costumes were also well in keeping with the style of the show.

Congratulations to KGASS on a fine show!

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.