As part of the Buxton International Festival’s return with another summer of world class music and unforgettable storytelling, the Festival is thrilled to welcome to Buxton this acclaimed production of The Merry Widow: a Scottish Opera production in collaboration with Opera Holland Park and D’Oyly Carte Opera featuring the Buxton International Festival Orchestra.
Full of charm, sparkle and good old fashioned mischief, The Merry Widow remains one of the best loved operettas of all time, and for good reason. Set in the 1950s New York, the story follows the glamorous widow Hanna Glawari, whose fortune has become the obsession of suitors, diplomats and schemers. Don Zeta, desperate not to lose her wealth to the wrong man, enlists the charismatic but reluctant Danilo to woo her. The only problem is that Hanna and Danilo share a past full of unresolved feelings, stubborn pride and a spark that refuses to die.
Hanna and Danilo’s on again, off again romance sits at the heart of this wonderfully playful story. Lehár’s music bathes the whole evening in warmth, with waltzes that swirl, melodies that stay with you long after the curtain falls and ensembles filled with colour and charm. It’s a show that invites you to lean back, smile and enjoy a world where love, laughter and a touch of scheming keep everything delightfully unpredictable. The production is packed with humour, heart and New York pizzazz, all carried by an irresistible score.
Critically acclaimed across the UK, this production has been hailed for its imagination, its bold staging and its sheer fun.
Sung in English with English surtitles.
Cast
Hanna Glawari – Paula Sides
Danilo – Dominic Sedgwick
Don Zeta – Richard Burkhard
Valentina – Elizabeth Karani
Camille – Luke Sinclair
Creative Team
Conductor – Iwan Davies
Director – John Savournin
Revival Director – Bence Kalo
Set & Costume Designer – takis
Lighting Designer – Ben Pickersgill
Revival Choreographer – Merry Holden
Buxton International Festival Orchestra and Chorus
