News
21.11.2016
Wagner in the middle of die Fledermaus? It happened....
You don't go along to see a performance of Die Fledermaus and expect to have revered British bass Sir John Tomlinson pop up from the audience and perform a heavy-duty Wagner number (Hagen's Watch) in the midst of the riotous party scene. Well, that is exactly what happened last night in Act 2 of Fulham Opera's delightful production of Johann Strauss's glorious operetta.
Seemingly ad hoc, but obviously carefully planned in advance, Sir John just "happened" to be in the audience and was invited on stage by Orlofsky (a hilariously clad Mae Heydorn in full green-wigged, high-heeled drag).
In a dramatic change of mood, he thrilled the audience by performing the sinister Hagen's Watch from Götterdämmerung. Once over, he quietly returned to his seat and the party continued.
Surely such a juxtaposition is a Wagner, and indeed a Johann Strauss first?
Seemingly ad hoc, but obviously carefully planned in advance, Sir John just "happened" to be in the audience and was invited on stage by Orlofsky (a hilariously clad Mae Heydorn in full green-wigged, high-heeled drag).
In a dramatic change of mood, he thrilled the audience by performing the sinister Hagen's Watch from Götterdämmerung. Once over, he quietly returned to his seat and the party continued.
Surely such a juxtaposition is a Wagner, and indeed a Johann Strauss first?