We’ve said it, time and again: opera is not “musical spinach.” Yes, it’s nutritious, substantial even, but you don’t have to hold your nose and swallow. Opera is consistently entertaining, both onstage and off, and occasionally, it’s downright outrageous. Need proof? Check out these Fun Facts.
The structure of an operetta like The Merry Widow is episodic and each musical number stands apart. As in certain operatic eras, songs could be given several encores to satisfy the public and a
musical number was rated by how well it could “walk out the door”
and become a big hit in cafés, band concerts, dance halls or variety
shows. Virtually every song in The Merry Widow had this ability
to stand alone. Costumes were copied by the public. The manners
were imitated. Even lines from the show were quoted to show sophistication. It was a veritable hit machine!
Did you know?
Within three and a half years of its premiere, The Merry Widow
was performed more than 18,000 times in German, English and
American theaters.