Opera Orlando Celebrates 10th Season with Star-Studded Cast for The Merry Widow

Opera Orlando is bringing a bit of humor and wit to The City Beautiful in its new production of Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow as part of its 10th anniversary season.

Performances will be on April 24 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 2 p.m. in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and will tell the story of widow Hanna Glawari as she navigates remarrying, finances, and rendezvous through a comical show of song and dance.

Internationally renowned soprano Sarah Joy Miller will be leading the cast as Glawari alongside Grammy award winner and Opera Orlando general director Gabriel Preisser as Count Danilo Danilovich.

Miller has performed with a variety of opera companies around the country, and is known as “one of the industry’s foremost talents.” She has appeared on HBO’s The Gilded Age as opera singer Christina Nilsson.

“This cast is such a joy to work with,” Miller said in a press release. “There’s an infectious chemistry among all of the cast members and each rehearsal has been full of laughter and the type of playfulness that it takes to make an opera like The Merry Widow successful. Everyone brings incredible artistry and comedic timing to their roles, so I know the audience will feel it as soon as the curtain rises.”

Preisser has been “at the helm” of Opera Orlando since the company’s inception 10 years ago. His musical career includes his recent debut at Lincoln Center as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah along with roles in variety of companies around the country.

“I am thrilled to return to the role of Count Danilo and even more excited about presenting this gorgeous operetta for the first time at Opera Orlando,” Preisser said. “With the comical dialogue, the waltzes and flashy dance numbers, and all the champagne, The Merry Widow feels more like one big party on Broadway and will be the perfect way to celebrate our 10th Anniversary.”

The cast also includes comic bass-baritone Andy Papas as Baron Zeta, Opera Orlando studio artist and soprano Alexandra Kzeski as Valencienne and tenor Adrian Kramer making his companu debut as Camille de Rosillon.

Before opening night, the cast of The Merry Widow will appear in a lead-up event at Judson’s Live, Operetta meets Bruschetta on Sunday, April 19.

Ticket begin at $22 per show, with a 50 minute pre-show talk free for all ticket holders. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here. 

Melissa Donovan

Melissa Donovan is the Content & Creative Development Manager for Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine where she gets to collaborate on bringing new life into local happenings and tell the stories of the people who make Central Florida what it is. She has a bachelor's degree in Print and Digital Journalism from the University of Central Florida and has had her worked featured in Strike Magazine, The Charge, The Orlando Life, and Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine. As a born and bred Orlando native, Melissa enjoys putting her own spin on the daily life of The City Beautiful. When she is not at her laptop writing her next piece, you can find Melissa traveling the world, watching rom coms on repeat, or indulging in a delicious bowl of pasta.

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