Attend Met Opera in HD Performance of Lehar's The Merry Widow

https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/9/9/6/d/600_463839277.jpeg

This is not on the list of the world's greatest operas because it is not an opera. It is an operetta. What's that, you ask:

*An operetta falls somewhere between an opera and a musical--like a musical, an operetta [most often] contains spoken dialogue as well as song. Operettas are often satirical and witty and tend to be much shorter and less complex than traditional operas. [eno.org]*

This piece comes in at a bit more than two hours [Compare
Wagner's Die Meistersinger at five hours.]

**From Cinemark:** *Soprano Renée Fleming stars as the heiress who captivates all of Paris in Lehár’s enchanting operetta. Nathan Gunn co-stars as Danilo, alongside Broadway legend Kelli O’Hara as Valencienne, in the dazzling 2015 production directed and choreographed by Tony winner Susan Stroman. Andrew Davis conducts.*

From Australian opera site:

*It’s an opulent party, all glitz and glamour and Parisian charm. It’s an old-fashioned romance, flirty and funny and fabulous. It’s a Viennese waltz and you know all the steps.*
*The Merry Widow is a “shimmering all-singing, all-dancing Broadway-style show” (The Sydney Morning Herald), a frothy comedy packed with familiar waltzes and tuneful melodies. From the sumptuous Art Deco era costumes to the glamourous, geometric sets, the show is “visually stunning …sometimes you simply don’t know where to look” (The Sydney Morning Herald).*

So, we have the incomparable Renee Fleming at her best combined with a fun plot an wonderful, accessible music, done as
only the Met can do. What's not to like? Oh, it is sung in English.
Shame we'll miss out on the pleasing gutturalness of the original German.

Here's a sample from the music:

[Hello, Here's a Soldier Bold](https://youtu.be/lHU5g03cDPM?si=T19Fz-Q2_dsfmhKO)

Seeing a Met Oper[etta] simulcast with first-class singers and often over-the-top staging is a real opportunity. And who knows, you might like it. The Metropolitan Opera is as good as it gets. And these broadcasts are a chance to see the Met at a reasonable price, in comfortable seats, and with popcorn or ice cream at your seat. Seeing a Met Opera performance should be on everyone's bucket list. Here's a chance to check that box.

Special Fathom Features: Go behind the scenes with the Met's stars! During intermission, interviews with cast, crew and production teams give a revealing look at what goes into the staging of an opera.

Seating is reserved; I have seat G-11. To buy tickets on line [$13.75]:

[Purchase Ticket](https://www.cinemark.com/TicketSeatMap/?TheaterId=1010&ShowtimeId=408704&CinemarkMovieId=110313&Showtime=2026-07-22T18:30:00)

As usual, expect perfection in singing and in staging from the Met.

**By responding RSVP = Yes to this event you agree to the liability disclaimer:**
*By responding with RSVP = YES, each participant in this event agrees, as a condition of participation and of membership in Ventura County Active Seniors, to accept responsibility for making his or her own determinations for their own safety, and agrees to participate in this group solely at their own risk. "You", the member, release The Organizer/s and host/s from all responsibility and agree to hold us harmless and free of all liability and/or any claim of negligence related to accident, injury, illness or damage to your person and/or belongings during, traveling to or from, or outside any meetup event or at any time related to any meetup gathering. This agreement is a condition for membership and participation in any events, and is agreed to when requesting to join an activity. The "Ventura County Active Seniors" group is not affiliated with or responsible for events and/or members associated with any other meetup group, or any event attendees regardless of whether they may be attending the same meetup event as posted by the Active Seniors group.*