The show to kick off our 25th Year Celebrations will be Franz Lehar's beautiful operetta, The Merry Widow.

Often called 'The Queen of Operettas', The Merry Widow is certainly the most celebrated and successful show of its kind ever written. The melodies and songs - Vilja, The Merry Widow Waltz, You'll Find Me At Maxim's to name but a few - are lovingly played and sung the whole world over, making it one of the surest box-office attractions of all time.

This sparkling opera concerns a national crisis in the picture-postcard country of Pontevedro, as the recently widowed Anna Glavari appears to be in danger of marrying a foreigner. How would the economy manage without her millions?

Danilo, a former lover of Anna's, is joined by a cast of diplomats and a chorus of admirers to persuade her to keep her affections (and her finances) domestic.

The Merry Widow will play at the Schonell Theatre in 3 – 8 June 2009.

Director: Denise Cahill

Musical Director: Steven McKay

Choreographer: Julianne Burke

Click on the poster for a printable pdf

Principal Characters

Anna Glavari - The Merry Widow
Count Danilovitsch (Danilo) - Attaché at the Pontevedrian Embassy in Paris
Baron Zeta - Pontevedrian Ambassador in Paris
Valencienne - his Wife
Camille (Count de Rosillon)
Njegus - Baron Zeta's Factotum
St Brioche - A Diplomat             Cascada - A Diplomat
Kromov - An Attaché                      Olga - his wife
Bogdanovitsch – Attaché          Pritsch - Attaché
Sylvia - Guest at the Embassy
Praskova - Guest at the Embassy
Lolo, Dodo, Jou-Jou, Frou-Frou,   Clo-Clo, Margot (Grisettes)