Opera Australia has netted itself a dream production in Graeme Murphy’s take on Lehar’s operetta, The Merry Widow. With close to 35,000 tickets sold, it has become the highest selling production of the work in the company’s history. This is a significant achievement, eclipsing even when Dame Joan Sutherland herself appeared as Hanna Glavari in a different production at the house.

Danielle de Niese in The Merry Widow. Photo: supplied

“Our aim is to connect with as wide an audience as possible, so for people to take to this production in such an enthusiastic way, and to have such huge numbers already booked in… is fantastic”, said OA’s Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini.

Its popularity can no doubt be attributed to Murphy’s creative team, who have fashioned a visually stunning piece of theatre, as well as its stars Danielle de Niese and Alexander Lewis.


The Merry Widow plays the Joan Sutherland Theatre until February 3 

Read our review here

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