Svadba – Wedding

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Svadba – Wedding
Queen of Puddings Music Theatre
Music and text by Ana Sokolovic
Conducted by Dáirine Ní Mheadhra
Directed by Michael Cavanagh
Performed by Laura Albino, Carla Huhtanen, Andrea Ludwig, Shannon Mercer, Krisztina Szabó and Jacqueline Woodley
Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs
Jun. 24 to Jul. 2, 2011

Queen of Puddings Music Theatre mounts original and imaginative works. Their newest opera is Svadba – Wedding and it is absolutely enchanting.

The composer/lyricist is Montreal’s Ana Sokolovic, and the work is performed in Serbian with English surtitles. The unusual feature is that Svadba – Wedding is sung a cappella by six women, four sopranos and two mezzo-sopranos. And what a starry cast it is!

This charming piece takes place on the eve of a young girl’s wedding, when her friends stay up all night with her to prepare the bride for the coming day. Sokolovic has incorporated many influences, from mesmerizing Balkans harmonies, to folk songs, to scat jazz, to new music. The complex tapestry of sound shimmers in beauty.

Michael Gianfrancesco’s whimsical costumes are adorable, combining outright sexuality with traditional dress. Director Michael Cavanagh keeps the singers busy moving between ritual and magic realism.

This captivating work is not to be missed.

Svadba – Wedding continues at Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs until Jul. 2.