For those who enjoy operetta’s beauty and bubble, Opera Australia’s The Merry Widow is a dream come true. Its Roaring 20s set and costumes are gorgeous, there’s lots of lively dancing – no surprise given dance master Graeme Murphy is at the helm – and the fine cast is led by Danielle de Niese. If having one of the world’s most acclaimed young sopranos in the title role isn’t enough, the fact that this marks the Melbourne-born star’s long awaited operatic debut on home soil makes this Widow positively dreamy.

Danielle de Niese as Hanna Glawari in Opera Australia’s The Merry Widow. Photos © Jeff Busby

The only notable smudge on opening night’s gloss was the nagging disappointment that De Niese’s triumphant return wasn’t with the coloratura fireworks of a Baroque or Mozart opera – the core works of her stellar international career. Instead it’s this light, miked role most often associated with sopranos in the twilight of their careers. She’s effortlessly good, of course, but one hopes that De Niese will soon return in a role that reveals her full vocal arsenal.

Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, which premiered...