Merry Widow 101: Major Productions

The Merry Widow 101

Major Productions

Compiled by John Kenrick

Donald Brian (Danilo) and Ethel Jackson (Sonja), the original Broadway leads in The Merry Widow.

This is only a partial listing of major professional productions of The Merry Widow.

If you know of other important productions of The Merry Widow that belong in this chronology, please drop us an e-mail with relevant details.

KEY:

YEAR
City - Title, Date, Theatre, # of performances
Noteworthy Cast & notes

1905

Vienna - Der Lustige Witwe, 12/30, Theater an der Wein, 400+
Mizzi Gunther (Hannah), Louis Treumann (Danilo) - The premiere production transferred to the Raimundtheater and the Volksopera, returning to the Theater an der Wein in September 1907.

1906

Hamburg - Der Lustige Witwe, 3/3, Neues Operetten-Theater, 250
Berlin - Der Lustige Witwe, 5/1, Berliner, 400+
This production moved to the Theater des Westerns
Budapest - Viz ozvegy, 11/27, Magyar Szinhaz, 200+

1907

London - The Merry Widow, 6/8, Daly's, 778
New York - The Merry Widow, 10/21, New Amsterdam, 416

1908

Melbourne - The Merry Widow, 5/16, Her Majesty's
Paris - La Veuve Joyeuse, 4/28, Theatre Apollo, 186

1921

New York

1925

FILM: The Merry Widow (Silent - USA - MGM)
Mae Murray, John Gilbert
Director - Erich Von Stroheim
The plot concentrates on the pre-story of what happens before the leading characters go to Paris. This film was a tremendous popular hit.

1929

New York -The Merry Widow 9/05, Knickerbocker Theatre, starring Lydia Lipowska - 56 perfs.

1931

New York - The Merry Widow 9/07, Erlanger Theatre, starring Manila Powers & Donald Brian - 32 perfs.

1934

FILM: The Merry Widow (USA-MGM)
Jeanette MacDonald (Sonia), Maurice Chevalier (Danilo)
Director - Ernst Lubitsch
Lorenz Hart provided the witty lyrics, but the screenplay bears little resemblance to the original story. After initially repelling Danilo's advances in Marsovia, Sonia has second thoughts and chases him to Paris -- masquerading as a Maxim's grisette to win his attentions. The bankrupt Marsovian monarch locks them in a dungeon to end the game and force a marriage. Thanks to Lubitsch, all this silliness works beautifully, and Chevalier and MacDonald are great fun in the leads. MGM established its reputation as Hollywood's premiere musical studio with this lavish production -- just try to count how many hundreds of couples whirl through the title waltz.

1942

Paris

1943

New York - The Merry Widow, 8/4, Majestic, 322
Marta Eggerth, Jan Kiepura

1951

Paris

1952

FILM: The Merry Widow (USA-MGM)
Lana Turner (Sonia), Fernando Lamas (Danilo)
Director - Curtis Bernhardt
Technicolor is the only excuse for this costly version. Turner (whose singing is dubbed) looks ravishing, if a bit embarrassed, and Lamas is a sexy and surprisingly musical Danilo. The two stars were having a torrid affair off-screen -- there is precious little visible sign of it. The comedy falls flat, despite the presence of Richard Haydn as Ambassador Popoff.

1957

Paris

1962

Paris
FILM: Die Lustige Witwe (Austria)
Karin Hubner (Hanna), Peter Alexander (Danilo)

1967

Vienna - Die Lustige Witwe, Theater and der Wein, 309
Ilona Szamos (Hannah), Johannes Heesters (Danilo)