The UGA Opera Theatre brings one of the world’s most famous operettas to the Performing Arts Center with its performances of Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow Nov. 5-6 in Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $18 each or $5 with a UGA student ID and are available at the PAC box office, by calling 706-542-4400 or by visiting pac.uga.edu.
The UGA Symphony Orchestra, University Chorus and Dance Department, led by Mark Cedel, Dan Bara and Lisa Fusillo, respectively, collaborated with UGA Opera Theatre to bring this light-hearted work to the stage.
“We’re proud to work with so many talented departments to bring The Merry Widow to UGA,” said Frederick Burchinal, the Wyatt and Margaret Anderson Professor in the Arts at UGA and director of the opera theatre.
Premiered in 1905 in Vienna, The Merry Widow concerns a rich widow who is beset by scheming countrymen, desperate to find a husband for her who will keep her riches in the principality.
The UGA Opera Theatre’s production, mounted as a semi-staged concert version, will be presented in English with English supertitles.
The Merry Widow is also the source of a number of melodies and songs with a life outside of the operetta.
“Songs like ‘Vilia’ are true crowd pleasers,” Burchinal said. “This show is full of songs the audience will take home with them and hum for days after the performance.”
“The music in this operetta is as delicious as a sachertorte,” Cedel said. “Great melodies, lilting waltzes with lots of oom-pah-pahs. Many will listen to the show and say, ‘Hey, I know that tune!’ ”