THE MERRY WIDOW Returns to the Stage With a New Generation of Dancers

The Merry Widow returns to the stage in 2018 with a whirl of fabulous frocks and a generous splash of champagne. The tangled tale of love and diplomacy will be delighting audiences in Sydney from 28 April to 19 May 2018, Canberra from 25 to 30 May and Melbourne from 7 to 16 June.

Celebrating works created for The Australian Ballet this season, The Merry Widow was the first full-length production directed by Sir Robert Helpmann and commissioned by The Australian Ballet in 1975, and has since become a modern classic.

Staged by ballet companies around the world, the original score was arranged and orchestrated by former Musical Director of The Australian Ballet John Lanchbery. The production captured international attention when the company toured The Merry Widow in the United States in 1976.

While touring the United States, The Australian Ballet was delighted to welcome the great Margot Fonteyn as a guest artist playing the role of Hanna and also welcomed her once again to play the role in Melbourne in 1977.

Commenting on The Merry Widow, The Australian Ballet's Artistic Director David McAllister said: "I remember the first time I danced in The Merry Widow in 1985. I was so proud to be involved in a ballet that holds such a special place in The Australian Ballet history.

This season, we will see a new generation of dancers experience that same thrill. 2018 is all about the Power of Imagination, and I'm looking forward to seeing our talented
dancers embody this and interpret the joy and romance of this glorious ballet in their own unique way."

The Merry Widow unfolds in Paris in 1905 in the Embassy of Pontevedro, where a plot is afoot to marry Pontevedro's wealthiest subject, Hanna Glawari, to a compatriot, thereby saving the state from certain bankruptcy. When it is revealed that the intended match, the dashing Count Danilo, once broke Hanna's heart, the plot quickly unravels and mayhem ensues.

The Merry Widow combines the romantic antics of a French farce with the manners and elegance of Parisian high society. The choreography by Ronald Hynd evokes the serious frivolity of each decadent soiree with waltzes, cancans, polkas, and romantic duets.

Desmond Heeley's opulent set and costume designs capture the glamour of the Belle Époque. Exquisite frocks in silk and velvet are detailed with lace, jewels and spangles, and matched with magnificent feathered hats.

Lavish Art Nouveau ballrooms and salons come complete with enormous chandeliers and elegant staircases.

The Merry Widow ballet is an adaptation of Franz Lehár's beloved romantic operetta of the same name, which first appeared in 1905.

DATES:

SYDNEY
28 APRIL - 19 MAY
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
with Opera Australia Orchestra

CANBERRA
25 - 30 MAY
Canberra Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre
with Orchestra Victoria

MELBOURNE
7 - 16 JUNE
Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre
with Orchestra Victoria

BOOKINGS: australianballet.com.au