DIE FLEDERMAUS, de Jong Concert Hall, Brigham Young University, Provo, additional performance tonight (801-422-7664)

When Johann Strauss' "Die Fledermaus" premiered in Vienna in 1874, it wasn't the immediate success the composer had hoped for. But posterity has proven the opening-night audience wrong, as "Die Fledermaus" today is unquestionably one of the most popular light operas ever written, with a permanent place in the repertoire of both large and small opera houses.

It's not hard to understand why it has become such a popular work. As with Franz Lehar's "The Merry Widow," the only other work from the Viennese operetta tradition to have found a permanent place in the repertoire, Strauss' "Die Fledermaus" sparkles with exquisitely crafted melodies and a frothy, live-for-today attitude that is impossible to resist.

After more than a decade, Brigham Young University's school of music has decided to bring "Die Fledermaus" back to de Jong Concert Hall. And with a talented cast of leads and solid playing by the BYU Philharmonic under the direction of Kory Katseanes, this production is definitely a winner.

The operetta is double cast, and the singers at Thursday's performance were, for the most part, excellent.

Soprano Allyson Hansen, as Rosalinde; tenor Eric Hanson, as her husband Gabriel von Eisenstein; soprano Rachel Cox, as their maid Adele; and mezzo-soprano Sarah Nowland, as Prince Orlowsky, were wonderful, singing their roles with conviction and fine credibility. And soprano Jessica Gillespie was charming as Adele's sister Ida.

Hansen has a remarkably rich voice that is expressive and also powerful when needed. Noteworthy in particular was her radiant performance of the Czardas in Act 2.

She and Hanson were also superb together, especially in the delightful watch duet in the second act.

But it was Cox who very nearly stole the show. Her singing was magnificent, matched by her splendid acting talent. She was a joy to watch in her two arias: the Act 2 "Mein Herr was denken Sie von mir," where she chides von Eisenstein for believing her to be his maid, and "Spiel ich die Unschuld vom Lande" in Act 3, in which she displays her acting skills.

The rest of the cast, however, wasn't quite vocally up to these five singers. Mo Li as Alfred, Anthony Gardner as Dr. Blind, Benjamin Boster as Dr. Falke, and Marc Reynolds as Capt. Frank were agreeable but frequently overpowered by the other singers and the orchestra.

One weakness in this production is the length of the final act. While actor Ward Wright turned in an enjoyable performance as Frosch the jailer, the pacing dragged and many of the jokes were stale. This act wasn't up to the level of the first two, in which Katseanes' direction allowed the action to flow smoothly and crisply.

E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com

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