By: Holly Harris

Posted: 09/16/2011 1:00 AM

It's been four years since Dutch waltz king André Rieu swept into town. For his 4,500 adoring fans that eagerly lapped up An Unforgettable Evening with André Rieu Wednesday night, that's been far too long.

The popular conductor/violinist/composer brought his merry band of musicians, the Johann Strauss Orchestra, to town Wednesday night, performing an eclectic program of Viennese waltzes, polkas, opera arias and Broadway show tunes for the mostly older crowd who couldn't get enough.

Now in his early 60s, Rieu may well be considered the standard-bearer for the Viennese waltz, renowned worldwide for his lively concerts teeming with European flair and the sound of oom-pa-pa. The superstar musician built his empire through CDs, DVDs, and TV broadcasts, as well as a relentless touring schedule that has him crisscrossing the Atlantic well into next summer. The MTS Centre show was one of five Canadian stops, including Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Ottawa, on his 2011 North American tour that kicked off last weekend.

The two-and-a-half-hour (including intermission) evening included perennial favourites, including Johann Strauss II's lilting Voices of Spring and Viennese Blood performed with elegant grace. The Skaters' Waltz, with its gorgeous projected backdrop of an old-fashioned ice rink, elicited audible oohs from the crowd, surpassed only by Thomas Koschat's Snowwaltz that included a large dump of "snow" on the audience. As a consummate showman, Rieu set up each selection with his customary wit, quipping frequently about how he dreamt every night of performing in Winnipeg.

The Platin Tenors -- Gary Bennet, Thomas Greuel and Béla Mavrák -- made a sprightly entrance warbling Heut ist der schönste Tag (Today is the Most Beautiful Day), before earning the night's first standing ovation for showstopper aria Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot.

Australian soprano Mirusia Louwerse's crystal clear Don't Cry for Me, Argentina, from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, became another highlight. Feast of Fire Polka, which included two band musicians banging on a rustic anvil in time, was the evening's primary tongue-in-cheek novelty number.

Still, there were rough edges with this show. Balance issues frequently prevented the singers' words from being clearly heard. Did we really need to know what type of cancer multi-talented clarinetist Manoe Konings -- who blows a mean Hava Nagila -- had beaten? Introducing South African soprano Kimmy Skota as a recently discovered "black diamond" won the cringe-worthy prize of the night, but that misstep was tempered by her soaring delivery of Vilja Song from Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow.

But there's nothing like hearing Johann Strauss' classic The Blue Danube performed by a master who clearly lives and breathes this music for all he's worth. His playful interpretation had couples of all ages dancing in the aisles, as balloons fell on the crowd and were popped like effervescent champagne corks.

holly.harris@shaw.ca.

CONCERT REVIEW

André Rieu

MTS Centre

Attendance: 4,500