Palm Beach Opera Closes The 60th Anniversary Season With Art Deco-Inspired Production Of THE MERRY WIDOW

Palm Beach Opera presents Franz Lehár's charming "The Merry Widow" at the Kravis Center on March 25-27, featuring International Artists, glamorous sets, and a glittering score.

On March 25-27, sparks will fly in PBO's final mainstage opera of the 60th Anniversary Season, "The Merry Widow," a bubbly operetta set against the backdrop of opulent Paris. Praised for its "lush" and "eye-catching" sets by critics from across the country, the Art Deco-inspired production by Utah Opera has been celebrated for its lavish set and lighting design nationwide. One of the most performed operettas in the repertoire, the high-spirited "Merry Widow" features love, comedy, dance and spectacle.

Ward Stare, who has led performances of "The Merry Widow" at both the Metropolitan Opera and Vancouver Opera, will mark his PBO debut as the conductor and will lead the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra. The acclaimed group of musicians were recently celebrated as "brilliant" by Opera News for their performance in PBO's recent "Carmen." Helena Binder, who directed PBO's 2020 "Il barbiere di Siviglia," returns to direct the Art Deco-inspired production.

Recognized for her "clear, bright soprano" by The Observer, Jennifer Rowley, who's performed at notable opera houses around the world, will debut at Palm Beach Opera as Hanna. Graduate of San Francisco's multi-year Adler Fellowship Program and last seen at PBO as Figaro in "Il barbiere di Siviglia" in 2020, Andrew Manea returns as Danilo.

Praised as "exquisite" by The Guardian, Elizabeth Sutphen will make her PBO debut as Valencienne. 19-20 Season PBO Benenson Young Artist Duke Kim, who is currently a member of the Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera, will return to perform as Camille de Rossillon. With more than 500 Metropolitan Opera performances behind him, Dwayne Croft, who performed the title role in PBO's 2002 production of "Don Giovanni," will return as Baron Zeta. In another company debut performance, Ralph Daniel Rawe, a longtime Cirque du Solei performer and former cast member of New York's La Gran Scena Opera Company, will sing the role of Njegus.

"We are thrilled to follow up our critically celebrated 'Elixir of Love' with 'The Merry Widow,' particularly with such a stylish and immersive production," said General and Artistic Director David Walker. "Lehár's best-known operetta is a comic delight, and will make for a memorable close to our historic 60th Anniversary Season."

"The Merry Widow" will be sung in English with English supertitles projected above the stage. Single tickets start at $25 and are available at pbopera.org and at the Kravis Center. As of March 18, Kravis Center will no longer require proof of vaccination, negative test results, or masks. Palm Beach Opera encourages patrons who feel more comfortable wearing a mask to do so. For more information, visit pbopera.org and pbopera.org/faq or call the box office at 561-833-7888.

Palm Beach Opera is dedicated to producing live opera at an international standard of excellence, to enriching the life of the communities it serves with a diverse offering of educational programs, and to training the next generation of opera stars. Founded in 1961, the fully professional Palm Beach Opera presents main stage performances at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach and is a proud member of OPERA America and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.

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