A Little Night Music at Bruce Mason Theatre

By WILLIAM DART

The radio ads for Canterbury Opera's A Little Night Music had offered a banquet of waltzes and wit, promises that proved to be mostly delivered. This is musical theatre at its most literate.

The provenance is high-toned (Ingmar Bergman), Hugh Wheeler's book balances brittle banter with emotional truth and it's wrapped up with a sophisticated Sondheim score.

Dramatically, it was a smooth staging, as director Gary Young seamlessly wove the various scenes around David Thornley's spare but ingenious set, with neatly turned characterisations from the cast.

But musically, Sondheim's special demands took their toll.

Only two singers (Brigitte Murray's Anne and Albert Bennett's Count) struggled vocally to keep abreast of what had been asked of them, although Geoffrey Harris' Fredrik and Leisa Falconer's Petra were noticeably flustered when tempos brightened and words were expected as well as notes.

Heather Begg, so warm and giving as Madame Armfeldt, reminded of her Gilbert and Sullivan triumphs as she cast bon mots and navigated through her great Liaisons.

Among the younger singers, Jonathan Martin kvetched with the required angst in his Later and the powerfully voiced Geoffrey Knight was definitely the top man of the roaming vocal quintet.

Geraldine Turner is a veteran belter and presented a Desiree who is not afraid to be direct.

Her asides in You Must Meet my Wife were a tart delight; her lengthy scenes with the suave Harris something to be savoured; her Send in the Clowns pure Margo Channing.

Rima Te Wiata deserved the surge of applause she received for her role as the countess.

She had dished out every bitchy one-liner with the requisite acid and, in Every Day a Little Death, floated her line effortlessly over one of Sondheim's most elusive instrumental backings.

Brian Castles-Onion worked hard to bring the singers and the Auckland Philharmonia players together for just two performances.

It was a remarkable achievement and the man certainly wields a deft baton, although singers were occasionally submerged and there were frayed edges in the relentless Act One Finale.

After three hours, it had indeed been a banquet, even if the occasional ingredient could have been more fully flavoured.