From its Perth premiere in 2017, Graeme Murphy’s exquisite staging of Franz Lehár’s delightful 120-year-old operetta for the Opera Conference was clearly destined to become an audience favourite. This revival at the Sydney Opera House powerfully demonstrates why.
From the outset, Michael Scott-Mitchell’s sumptuous Art Deco set, enhanced by Jennifer Irwin’s lavish costumes and beautifully lit by Damian Cooper, offers a constant feast for the eyes.
Murphy makes full use of Irwin’s flair for designing costumes for dancers, by creating a series of gorgeous dance sequences: faux-traditional folk dances for the Pontevedrian party scene, cheeky can-cans for Maxim’s grisettes, and swooning waltzes for Hanna Glavari and Danilo Danilovich.
His finely nuanced direction brims with imaginative ideas, and his handling of the duets is masterly. It is hard to imagine a more breathtakingly romantic staging of the second-act story-song, Vilja which climaxes with Julie Lea Goodwin as Hanna Glavari seated on a giant water-lily frond, held aloft by four dancers in a Monet-inspired setting watched by Danilo from the shadows of the summer house.
Both Julie Lea Goodwin and Alexander Lewis are not only fine singers but also excellent dancers. With performers of such versatility, Murphy clearly relishes the chance to surround them with superb dancers and choreography that showcases their talents.
June Bronhill, herself an acclaimed Hanna Glavari, once observed that the only way to make operetta work was to play it truthfully. Goodwin and Lewis clearly understand this.
From the moment Goodwin appears as the wealthy young widow hoping to rekindle a former love affair, her dazzling smile and lustrous soprano voice radiate star power.
Lewis is a superb match as her reluctant paramour. Their scenes together generate a captivating frisson rarely seen on operatic stages, making them a bewitching pair and giving the production a compelling central focus.
Alexandra Flood and John Longmuir are also beautifully matched, singing superbly and playing “A Respectable Wife” Valencienne, and her ardent would-be lover, Camille de Rosillon, with charming conviction.
The first-rate supporting cast includes David Whitney as Baron Mirko Zeta, alongside Benjamin Rasheed (Njegus), Richard Anderson (Kromov), Alexander Hargreaves (Bogdanovich), Jane Ede (Sylviane), Iain Henderson (de St. Brioche), Nathan Lay (Cascada), Helen Sherman (Olga Kromov), Tom Hamilton (Pritschich), and Dominica Matthews (Praskovia). All clearly relish the opportunities in Justin Fleming’s witty libretto to create delightfully silly, blustering characterisations.
Under Vanessa Scammell’s baton, the Opera Australia Orchestra gives an impeccable performance, capturing the authentic Viennese lilt of Franz Lehár’s irresistible score and ensuring this production will remain a treasured memory for all those fortunate enough to experience it.
The Merry Widow
Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Performance: Wednesday 8 July 2026
Season continues to 18 August 2026
Information and Bookings: www.opera.org.au
Images: The Cast of Opera Australia’s The Merry Widow (2026) – photo by Carlita Sari | Opera Australia Dancers in Opera Australia’s The Merry Widow (2026) – photo by Carlita Sari | Julie Lea Goodwin as Hanna Glavari in Opera Australia’s The Merry Widow (2026) – photo by Carlita Sari | Alexander Lewis as Danilo Danilovich and Julie Lea Goodwin as Hanna Glavari in Opera Australia’s The Merry Widow (2026) – photo by Carlita Sari | Richard Anderson as Alexis Kromov, David Whitney as Baron Mirko Zeta, Tom Hamilton as Konrad Pritschich, Iain Henderson as Raoul De St. Brioche, Alexander Lewis as Danilo Danilovich, Alexander Hargreaves as Dominik Bogdanovich and Nathan Lay as Viscount Nicolas Cascada in Opera Australia’s The Merry Widow (2026) – photo by Carlita Sari
Review: Bill Stephens OAM