Giuditta in the Alexander Theatre, the 22nd of February, 2019

Franz Lehár’s operetta ”Giuditta” had its first performance in Vienna in January 1934 and already in October of that same year it had its Finnish language opening night in the Alexander Theatre in Helsinki. Now it has returned to the Alexander Theatre after 85 years. And the director is – who else but – Ville  Saukkonen.

The story of the operetta is about Giuditta, who leave his possessive husband and runs away with Octavio to North Africa. Octavio is an officer, who is later forced to leave Giuditta to join his troops. Giuditta becomes a night club singer and when Octavio later returns, he finds she has found another man to console her. The couple meets after some years, but they do not return together. So quite an unusual end for an operetta (non-happy).

”Giuditta” is, without doubt, one of the best works of Ville Saukkonen. The operetta is snazzy, suitably funny and eventful, but also – when necessary – impressive. Set and costume design by Taina Relander also fits the operetta. It is clear that there has been more money to use than usually in Saukkonen’s works.

As so often with Saukkonen, there were some dancers on the stage (Anni Kaila, Antti Nieminen, Jaakko Nieminen and Ilona Salonen), whose dances fit this speedy operetta more than well.

Markus Nykänen, who sang the role of Octavio, made an immediate effect already in his first song. Unfortunately the Giuditta of the first night - Riikka Hakola – is not one of my favourite singers, so that I could not fully enjoy the most famous song of the operetta ”Illan kuumimmat suudelmat jaan” (Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss). But fortunately there were plenty of nice songs in the operetta, so that I can sincerely recommend it to all operetta lovers. There are several performances left and tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.fi.