Once, a senseless difference in social rank kept them apart; now it is troublesome money. Hanna Glawari and Count Danilo were deeply in love but were not allowed to be together at the time. Through her marriage to a man from Pontevedro, Hanna has since entered high society and acquired great wealth, but is already widowed after a short marriage. She is now expected to marry another man from Pontevedro so that her fortune does not leave the country – such is the wish of the envoy, Baron Zeta. What a dilemma! For who turns up as a potential suitor at the ball organised by Zeta? Danilo, who, to ease his heartache, has recently been enjoying himself with other women. The feelings between him and Hanna are still there. But how can Danilo prove his love without appearing to be interested only in Hanna’s wealth?

»The Merry Widow« is one of Franz Lehár’s best-known operettas and is considered a prime example of the second great operetta era after 1900. With well-known numbers such as the Vilja Song and its captivating ballroom scenes, the operetta – first performed in 1905 at the Theater an der Wien – continues to enchant audiences worldwide.