"Oh, the Women!" is not only sung joyously about the gals at Maxim's of Paris but also those at the Moravia Paris Embassy ball honoring the musical's titled widow. Appropriate, since it's the actresses who give life to the shortened story and cast of a classic lavish operetta turned mini-musical.
All action takes place at a formal party hosted by Baron Lipoff (BJ Wilkes, caricaturing), Moravian Ambassador, in a Parisian Garden and colorful Pavilion. Detailing the plot for the audience is gossip columnist Charles Derval (Cliff Roles, congenial but confusing). He tells how Lipoff wants Prince Danilo to marry rich widow Tanya Novasna, thus keeping her money in needy Moravia. Though Danilo and Tanya were young lovers, she believed he didn't want to wed a poor peasant. Whatever he felt, he did not stop her from marrying into money. Now he's devoted, not to his country's cause, but "Going to Maxim's" for wine, women and song.
As he stumbles and bumbles, it's hard to see why Dan Hoffman's not too suave Danilo would be able to win back Tanya (Corinne Bach, confident and radiant in voice and looks). Still, if Ambassador Lipoff is able to get her to dance with Danilo, all will be well, since it's known that no woman can resist such a coupling. So will "The Challenge Song" to get them to dance work?
Lipoff's alternate plan is to get French nobleman Ramond to woo and win the rich widow. He asks his wife Natasha (sparkling Heidi Davis) to "sacrifice herself" and win hesitant Ramond's trust and cooperation. Lipoff doesn't realize Ramond (Berry Ayers, minimizing his usual verve) is actually cuckolding him, even when their antics inside the Pavilion are being detailed to him. This case of mistaken identify (Natasha for Tanya) is supposed to be very funny and might be as the initial narrative confusion gets straightened out in ongoing performances. Erik Emerson adequately supplies other comic moments as Lipoff's nerve-wracked lackey.
What's first-rate is Franz Lehar's music, especially "Vilia," as sung by a radiant Bach and the melodious "Merry Widow Waltz" fused with dance. The women onstage are a pleasure to see (in Dee Richards' pretty costumes) and hear. Surely true of Cara Herman as the gossip columnist's Countess wife. She's obviously needed for vocal backup and to complete another couple for the important dance, but her dignity also elevates the proceedings by nobles who aren't noble.
Musician Phyllis Gessler does a yeoman's job. The score was well served by a single piano when the Apple back in the day did its adaptation on a second, smaller stage. Here it lacks fullness of flavor, like champagne without the bubbles. But it's worth a careful listen.
