Dance a Cachucha - Australian Opera, 1989

From "The Gondoliers," The Australian Opera, 1989.

[@robertmwoodley1502]

Wonderful glory days of Australian Opera. Almost a completely repertory company, these young singers were given a great start in stunning productions of Mozart or, as here, in G&S, before moving to the big opera roles. These are not ballet dancers, but classical singers! Astounding dance routine.

[@robertmwoodley1502]

The two Gondolier kings David Hobson and Roger Lemke went on to star as Rodolfo and Marcello in Baz Luhmann's groundbreaking La Boheme in Sydney in 1990 , which went on to be the only opera production to conquer Broadway in New York, as far as I know and which set up Luhrmann's career of highly romantic classic operas, plays and films.

[@browncoatkevin]

Such a fun way of extending the Cachucha into a full-blown dance number!

[@Tocsin-Bang]

Best version of Dance a Cachucha I have ever seen, and I've seen probably getting on for 50. Immense fun!

[@highbaritone]

This was bloody wonderful. How well I remember this fantastic production. Great friends in it too.

[@brendanleaf8925]

Truly brilliant. The best G&S I've ever seen. Well done !!!!

[@karldelavigne8134]

Oh that made my day. A perfect way of taking liberties with G&S!

[@chrisraisin5587]

Now that made me forget all about the Coronavirus!!😂 The second half It is hilarious!

[@doriswoodfin3839]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@musicalgal7]

i cant remember how fun that used to be lol miss doing that show

[@winifredtrout1]

Me toooo...I was cousin Phoebe

[@VetsrisAuguste]

I’ve never seen anything more fantastic in my life!!!! I followed a rabbit hole here while researching the historic dance form known as La Cachucha. I never realized we were singing about it back when we sang this in high school choir back in the 1980s. I had forgotten all about it until now.

[@hortondlfn1994]

RIOTOUS fun! What a fantastic production. I would love to see the whole thing.

[@it_buddy]

Nice to see grown people having fun playing with dolls!

[@mikidoo]

Oh, that was hilarious. Thank you, 90s Kid. Am really enjoying your G & S uploads.

[@andrewferguson5653]

It's Brian Macdonald's production from the Stratford Festival, Canada.

[@sKid-gh9ub]

This was filmed at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. I believe the one he directed at the Stratford Festival is also available on DVD.

[@andrewferguson5653]

@@sKid-gh9ub Yes, it is!

[@highbaritone]

No, this is Sydney. But that choreography could have gone elsewhere for sure.

[@andrewferguson5653]

@@highbaritone Yes, I understand. I meant the production was originally at Stratford 1983, and Brian Macdonald remounted it for Opera Australia.

[@awesomemom533]

As I was watching I was thinking it’s exactly the same choreography as the Stratford festival version. Now I know why! Love it 😍

[@DIMON_CAMI]

The Wiggles transported me here

[@sKid-gh9ub]

Ah yes. The Wiggle Bay video. My introduction to G&S, even though I didn't realize that's what it was from until much later in life.

[@spanishmasterpieces5203]

Cachucha is a dance from the Spanish bolero-school.

[@martiglesias60]

Spanish inspiration.

[@fatherson69]

Sadly - it was the best four minutes of the entire production! (my opinion only)

[@mattyd3079]

I wonder whether it's not so much the production, it's the operetta itself. Don't get me wrong, I love G&S. But for me the Gondoliers isn't in the same class as Pirates, Mikado, Trial by Jury, and to a lesser extent Pinafore. Professional opera companies have done well to include these operettas in their canon, especially others like Patience and Iolanthe. I could be wrong, but these operettas were probably not meant to be done by professional opera companies, but actually operetta companies, and they don't really exist. I can't imagine Gondoliers being successful on Broadway like Pirates has been - or many other works in the G&S canon. Jon English & Co did a pretty good job of it. I think OA did really well to present Gondoliers and make it as professional and entertaining as possible. I think from memory this particular production (sets, costumes, direction etc) might have been borrowed from Canada.

[@timobelton1]

Who choreographed this? It’s brilliant.

[@sKid-gh9ub]

Brian MacDonald was the director and choreographer.

[@jimbo1066]

Well that was a different take on it!

[@winifredtrout1]

Funneeee

[@gavrinmahaffey3656]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@JS-yk7pv]

I'm really not a fan of messing with scores - and lord knows this show is long enough without the addition - but: this is very cute.

[@crsproductions2003]

Wiggle Bay

[@luckygloating9195]

I really thought the wiggles wrote this song (facepalm)

[@sKid-gh9ub]

This song was written in 1889.

[@tenorboyo]

@@sKid-gh9ub Isn't that when the Wiggles started?

[@sKid-gh9ub]

@@tenorboyo The Wiggles started in 1991.

[@tenorboyo]

@@sKid-gh9ub It was a joke?!