The Merry Widow at Durham Castle (From The Advertiser Series)
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The Merry Widow at Durham Castle
3:36pm Thursday 24th January 2013 in News
THE DURHAM Opera Ensemble is rehearsing for a production of the The Merry Widow.
The operetta will be staged in the Great Hall of Durham Castle, in Durham City, at 8pm on February 13, 15, 16 and 17.
The Merry Widow was premiered in 1905 to great acclaim and was the best known of any operetta of its era.
It is based upon the 1861 comedy play L'attaché d'ambassade (The Embassy Attaché) by Henri Meilhac and tells the story of an affluent widow, and her countrymen’s attempts to keep her money in the principality of Pontevedro to save it from bankruptcy by finding her a new and suitable husband.
The music within this operetta is sublime with famous melodies including Vilja Song, You'll Find Me at Maxim's, and the Merry Widow Waltz.
Since its foundation DOE has provided the opportunity for students at the University of Durham to participate in large-scale opera and operettas.
Since the inaugural production of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortiléges in 2005, DOE has successfully staged two or three productions each academic year with highlights including Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in February 2012 and The Seven Deadly Sins in November 2012.
Tickets are £10 (£10 for students and £5 for society members). Visit http://www.dur.ac.uk/student.opera/Durham_Opera_Ensemble/Welcome.html or contact producer.themerrywidow@hotmail.co.uk
