🎭 NEW! Orlando Theatre Newsletter
Opera Orlando will offer three ways to get a glimpse behind the scenes ahead of their new production of Franz Lehár’s operetta The Merry Widow, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 2 p.m. in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Lehár’s champagne-drenched score comes to life with an incredible cast, dancers from Orlando Ballet, and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductor Noam Aviel.
🎭 NEW! Orlando Theatre Newsletter
“I’m so excited to be returning to Orlando for The Merry Widow, and I especially can’t wait to step into the wit and charm of Hanna Glawari,” shares leading soprano Sarah Joy Miller. “I’m particularly thrilled to bring the fun of operetta to the intimate concert setting of Judson’s Live for Operetta Meets Bruschetta. Opera Orlando really takes care to engage their audiences on more than just the MainStage – I’m excited to meet audience members and share this glamorous show with everyone.”
Ms. Miller, recently featured in the HBO series The Gilded Age, leads a star-studded cast joined by comic bass-baritone Andy Papas as Baron Zeta, Opera Orlando studio artist Alexandra Kzeski as his philandering wife Valencienne, tenor Adrian Kramer as her lover, and Grammy Award-winning baritone Gabriel Preisser as Count Danilo. The Merry Widow offers a taste of genuine old world glamour, aristocratic reverie, catchy melodies, and of course, the can-can.
MASTERCLASS WITH THE MAESTRO
Friday | April 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Opera Orlando Rehearsal Hall
3855 St. Valentine Way | Orlando, FL 32811
FREE EVENT | RSVP Required – RSVP HERE
Conductor Noam Aviel will discuss The Merry Widow and work one-on-one with members of the Studio and Apprentice Artists programs in a masterclass setting.
SHOP HAPPY HOUR
Tuesday | April 14 at 6 p.m.
Opera Orlando Shop
3438 Maggie Boulevard | Orlando, FL 32811
FREE EVENT | RSVP Required – RSVP HERE
Get an insider look at Opera Orlando’s all-new production of The Merry Widow. Learn more about the design and build process for the opera, and be the first to see original sets and costumes under construction at the Opera’s scene shop.
OPERAX: OPERETTA MEETS BRUSCHETTA at Judson’s Live
Sunday | April 19, 2026 at 5 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Judson’s Live
445 S Magnolia Ave | Orlando, FL 32801
Tickets start at $35 per show | Purchase tickets HERE
The cast of Opera Orlando’s The Merry Widow present beloved melodies from operettas across the world, paired with delicious opera bites and drinks inspired by the culinary traditions from Milan to Vienna. Performers include HBO-famed diva Sarah Joy Miller, Grammy Award winner Gabriel Preisser, baritone Andy Papas, tenor Adrian Kramer, and pianist Nathan Cicero.
OPERA ON THE MAINSTAGE
The Merry Widow | music by Franz Lehár and libretto by Viktor Léon & Leo Stein
sung in English with English dialogue | with English and Spanish supertitles
Friday | April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday | April 26 at 2 p.m.
Age advisory: PG
As the curtain rises, you are stepping into a grand celebration. The beautiful Hanna Glawari’s late husband has left her a very Rich Woman. In fact, she’s so rich that the economy of her homeland depends on her marrying a local — so the ambassador springs into action with the help of his wife, Valencienne, (a former can-can girl) to find Hanna the right husband. But it’s a tricky affair because the wily widow already has someone in mind: Count Danilo, an old flame, who has no intention of giving up bachelorhood. He’s got a bevy of beauties delighted to keep him happy with no strings attached. Rendezvous are rampant. Complications abound. Hanna ultimately gets her man as Lehár’s unforgettable tunes and waltzes bubble happily along.
Estimated run time is two hours and 30 minutes inclusive of one intermission. A pre-show talk, free for all ticket holders, will be held onstage 50 minutes prior to each performance.