Opera Scotland

Lustige Witwe 2025Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Merry Widow

If Die Fledermaus has always been the most popular of the great Viennese operettas, then The Merry Widow must run it a very close second.  Indeed many operetta fans do prefer the more warm-hearted aspect of this piece. Merry Widow was a particular favourite of Sir Alexander Gibson, who conducted many performances when he was musical director at Sadler's Wells before his return to Scotland. He met his wife at this time, as she was one of the dancers.

Scottish Opera have staged the work three times.  Anthony Besch's memorable production, designed by John Stoddart, was performed frequently from 1973 to 1977.

Di Trevis directed it in 1989, and a small-scale production by Clare Whistler toured widely in 2008. It has also been seen in an excellent staging by the briefly revived Carl Rosa operetta company.

This new look (with a fresh English translation) relocates the whole thing to 1950s New York, and set among warring mafioso crime families. In this concept, Hanna is a wealthy New York widow with estates in Sicily, while Don Zeta is determined to ensure that her millions don't go to the wrong tribe.  Most of the characters are given adjusted names, eg Camillo Cascada, to embed them into this new view.  For OperaSotland purposes we have maintained the traditional identities.

American soprano Paula Sides first worked with Scottish Opera in Bernstein's Candide, but appeared many times previously at the Perth Festival with ETO in major roles by Mozart, Donizetti and Puccini.  Alex Otterburn will be returning north fresh from his excellent performances in Thea Musgrave's Mary, Queen of Scots at the London Coliseum.

The entire production, including Scottish Opera's orchestra and chorus (several of whom are listed in solo roles below) will take part when the staging moves to Holland Part.