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The story, based on Lehar’s famous operetta, takes place in Belle Epoque Paris where Hanna, a rich widow from the fictitious land of Pontevedro, is seeking a new husband. Pontevedro is bankrupt, so to prevent Hanna’s millions leaving the country, the Ambassador decides she must marry a Pontevedrian and selects the handsome but drunken Count Danilo to court her. Unknown to him, however, Hanna and Danilo had been in love 10 years before. He broke off their romance because she was only a peasant girl and his aristocratic family did not approve, but they have never forgotten each other. Further complications to the plot arise from the love affair between the elderly Ambassador’s pretty young wife, Valencienne, and Camille, the French Attaché. Misunderstandings, laughter and tears ensue before the inevitable happy ending.

This flimsy tale forms the vehicle for a cornucopia of dancing - exquisite duets for the two pairs of lovers, leaping, stomping Pontevedrian folk dancing and of course much glorious waltzing. Hynd is a master of characterization in dance, the details of the acting built into the choreography itself, and Merry Widow exemplifies his flair for comedy and for pathos without sentimentality.
 

Faye Leung as Hanna (Widow) in Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow
© Jimmy Chan

The production was rehearsed by Hynd himself, together with HKB’s Artistic Director John Meehan, the original Danilo 32 years ago. Their coaching showed in the dancers’ confidence and understanding of the piece, and I was impressed by how smoothly things went on the first night, very rare for such a big ballet. Guest conductor James Tuggle brought a sparkling performance from the HK Sinfonietta and the dancers were clearly revelling in the score.

On the first night, Faye Leung and Zhang Yao made a strikingly glamorous lead couple, dancing particularly well in their big pas de deux. Leung brought out Hanna’s wistful side, while Zhang showed a welcome sense of comedy, and a marked improvement in his acting skills. Crystal Costa and Liang Jing made a delightful Valencienne and Camille, making the couple’s passion believable and giving a superb account of the demanding Act 2 pas de deux which is arguably the choreographic highpoint of the ballet.

The production was enriched by some superlative character performances. Wang Jia-hong, HKB’s Assistant AD, was funny and touching as the elderly Ambassador – and what a difference it makes to see such a role danced by someone the right age, instead of a young dancer in a white wig. Conrad Dy-Liacco was hilarious as the long-suffering Secretary Njegus. Yuri Ng, moonlighting from his normal job as a choreographer, was a splendidly penguin-like Maitre d’Hotel. Li Yi-ran was a truly alarming Enraged Customer, with Selina Chau exceptionally funny as her ditzy girlfriend, and Li Jia-bo was spectacular in the Act 2 Pontevedrian solo.
 

Crystal Costa as Valencienne & Liang Jing as Camille in Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow
© Jimmy Chan

At the matinee next day Wu Fei Fei and Wei Wei, two young dancers still in the corps de ballet, gave a thrilling performance as Hanna and Danilo. This was effectively their debut in major leading roles, and they seized the chance with both hands. There were some wobbles in Act 1, but they threw off their nerves and were magnificent in the Act 2 Pontevedrian sequence, showing a real feel for the vigour and weight the folk-dance-based choreography calls for – Leung and Zhang were too classical in this section. Meehan has said that when Margot Fonteyn danced the role of Hanna, she showed the other dancers how operetta should be “painted in broad strokes” – Wu and Wei got this perfectly, and were funny, passionate and touching. They are dancers to watch. Selina Chau and Carlo Pacis danced well as Valencienne and Camille, and showed off their fine gift for comedy. The standard of the whole performance was particularly impressive given that this was the third cast.

I regretted being unable to see the second cast, led by Jin Yao and Brett Simon, of whom I heard excellent reports but look forward to doing so in the future - this was a triumph for the company as a whole and John Meehan in particular, and there is no doubt The Merry Widow is in Hong Kong to stay.

A shorter version of this review was previously published in the South China Morning Post.