The SA Light Opera Society’s production of “Naughty Marietta” is full of colour and sort of grand in an olde worlde way. First performed before WW1 in 1910 both its narrative and language are somewhat dated yet it held and entertained a goodly sized audience on its opening night. First time director for SALOS, Tegan Muller has made a good fist of wrangling her cast of twenty-one through their performance paces. The small orchestra, ideally located on the side extremity of the playing area is likewise deftly directed by MD Gay Wood. The combination of instruments and resultant sound produced was a good fit for the era I thought. The orchestra provided an ideal framework for the cast and a musical platform was well modulated throughout.
Set in the Spanish/French colony of Louisiana in the last decade of the 18th century the narrative centres on the Lieutenant Governor Grandet’s son Etienne who may or may not be the dastardly pirate Bras Pique. The arrival of a ship transporting a number of single ladies (“casquette” girls from France) is imminent. They carry their meagre belongings in a casket and are destined to be wives of colonists. There is a mysterious escapee who might be an Italian Countess, a forthright ship’s captain Richard Warrington (Capt. Dick) on a mission to hunt down pirates together with a loyal companion Sir Harry Blake and a servant Silas also present. Apart from the piratical inferences there are overtones of slavery, bureaucratic corruption, misunderstood or mistimed romances and, of course, lots of dancing and singing by the casket girls, flower sellers, and sundry populace of early New Orleans. So, will Captain Dick come to his senses re his true feelings for Marietta ? Will servant Silas find wealth and status? Will all the Casket Girls be wed? And will the real pirate Bras Pique please stand up?
Eliza Fulwood is Marietta and she certainly looks the part of a vivacious Italian Countess even when in disguise as the long lost son of Rodolfo! Her vocal articulation is clear and strong and her concentration never wavered. She is a young lady who knows her own mind and where she wants to be. Fulwood delivers a confident and nicely modulated performance and her solo “Naughty Marietta” was expertly rendered as was “Zing Zing” with a lively chorus at the end of the first act. That Capt. Dick is the focus of her affections is obvious to all but Capt. Dick! Christian Pollnitz plays him as a stoic and single minded individual, focussed only on the capture of the allusive Bras Pique. Pollnitz has a pleasant, easy on the ear tenor voice and his delivery of “Falling in Love with Someone” is testimony to that. But he doesn’t sufficiently sell that vocal quality to his audience. We need to view him as bolder and braver and he does start to get there with his confrontation with Etienne in the very last scene. I’m sure he can inject this acting intensity earlier in his performance now that first night is over and he can relax and let confidence cut in.
Emily Rawlings created a lively, appealing and funny Lizette. Both her timing and comic understanding were palpable and the audience reacted in a most appreciative way to all that she did on stage. You can’t do better than that! She, together with her husband of choice Silas (Chinna) play off one another with ease, again to the delight of the audience. Chinna’s performance is energetic, enthusiastic and appropriately physical. He rarely stands still! Chinna has accepted the role of Silas and has made it his own. Just like Rawlings his timing and penchant for the comic is patently ever present. Their voices combine nicely in “Anybody Else but Me” and as a duo, in my opinion, they pretty much stole the show.
Shaun Helbig plays the duplicitous Etienne with a fine layer of self assured arrogance. His demeanour never budges and he is the epitome of a “dandy” of his era. Helbig possesses the vocal talents to match his appearance and to support his committed character performance. Remaining as cold as ice he has the one who loves him, Adah his slave and chattel, auctioned off at the ball. (There’s a lot of interesting social commentary going on in this elderly musical!) Carmine Clarke’s Adah is well drawn and played as being obedient, loyal and loving. The treatment she receives shocks many at the ball and is the catalyst for Capt. Dick to highlight his earnest worthiness. Clarke’s voice is good and true and Adah’s presentation of her solo “Southern Moon” underlines that.
The Chorus, all of whom make individual contributions to the whole, always work well as one. They sing lustily and with conviction in numbers like “Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!” (men with Capt. Dick) and “Live for Today” (with Adah, Dick, Marietta and Etienne). With costume design (by Tegan Muller) they made a splendid spectacle. Of the minor characters, Vincent Fameli was a convincing street marionette artist whilst Cherian Philipose was a well spoken Florenz who tackled his role with purpose (I noted he might consider more substantial roles in future productions). Peter Muller as Sir Harry Blake was a solid and resonant second in charge to his captain whilst Noel Carthew as Lieut-Governor Grandet handed in a well controlled and nicely underplayed comic cameo performance. Carthew’s stage experience was undoubtedly present and correct. And so too was was the SALOS production production of “Naughty Marietta”. It was well listened to and well received by an appreciative audience.
