Hanna’s inheritance of 20 million after the death of her husband, a Pontevedrian banker, makes her a desirable catch among the cavaliers in Paris. If only the Pontevedro ambassador, Baron Zeta, could find a wealthy, compatriot groom for the rich woman (and keep Hanna's wealth in the country), he could save the country from insolvency. The hopes are pinned on the charming heartbreaker Count Danilo. Although he and Hanna share a romantic past, the Count is afraid of being seen as a bounty hunter and is not ready to confess his feelings. Franz Lehár’s glorious melodies whirl with intrigue and passion, but after a series of comic misunderstandings, the ending is happy.
One of the world’s most popular operettas Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow) had its world premiere in Vienna in 1905. It premiered at the Latvian National Opera in 1933. The new production of the operetta is being staged in our opera house under the direction of the musical director and conductor Thomas Rösner and the stage director Uwe Eric Laufenberg.
