The Merry Widow, originally based on a comedic play, has become quite its own entity as an operetta. Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár brought this three-act spectacle to life, telling of a scheme to get a rich widow to remarry a man from Pontevedro for the good of the country, which is on the borderline of bankruptcy. The simple plan gets tangled with old flames, philandering hearts and the conflicting love and abhorrence of money. It has since become an standard in the operatic repertoire and a beloved international favorite.
