The opera is back in Sydney with The Merry Widow kicking off the winter season of Opera Australia’s 2026 programming. For this show, the company has brought back Graeme Murphy’s staging of The Merry Widow, which takes an almost theatrical approach to the opera. With a modern reimagining of Lehár’s work in keeping with the new ethos of Opera Australia to keep things modern, fun and exciting, the difference between this and some of the company’s other recent productions is that this production is nearly three hours long, which does test the audience in ways that some of the other classics the company has modernised have not.

In front of a packed Joan Sutherland Theatre on opening night, the production tells the story of Hanna Glawari, a wealthy widow who Count Danilo seeks to woo to keep her fortune in the country. But he’s not the only one with several devious schemes and tricks at play, all amongst everyone not knowing that Hanna and Danilo were in love years ago but their union was forbidden. Much kerfuffle ensues with the wealthy Baron Zeta suspicious that his own wife is having an affair with Camille de Rosillon. A number of tricks and deceptions further take place before it eventually becomes clear where true love lies.

The plot is confusing and there isn’t really that much of it, which means the music and cast have to drive the evening and they ultimately do. Alexander Lewis and Julie Lea Goodwin are the highlights, with incredibly lyrical voices, with Goodwin in particular showing off her wonderfully rich soprano, while Lewis is also incredibly strong in his tone and timbre. The pair also share excellent chemistry, making Hanna and Danilo’s long-buried romance genuinely engaging. The pair are well supported by Alexandra Flood and John Longmuir, who also bring life to the opera. The ensemble has a much larger role than in a usual opera, with the amount of dancing and fervour almost feeling like a musical, alongside excellent character work and mostly strong choreography, although this did vary at times, with some slight flaws in execution in the more challenging sequences.

The real winner in this production is Michael Scott-Mitchell’s extraordinary set, with a glamorous opening turning into a gorgeous backdrop in the style of Monet’s Water Lilies before closing in a Parisian nightclub. Opera Australia really has set the bar with its sets in the past few years and this was no exception, with this show providing some of the best the company has produced. The production is well supported by Jennifer Irwin’s excellent costuming and Damien Cooper’s excellent lighting, with Vanessa Scammell also leading the orchestra very well, with beautiful resonance and excellent execution. 

The main issue in this production is the incredibly long dialogue passages, especially in the second act resulting in audience attention beginning to wane quite significantly. It did feel like an hour could have been trimmed without losing the overall effect of the wonderful theatrics, which could have stood on their own. With that said, the spectacle did mean there was enough excitement to keep the audience going but a tighter construction would have been welcome.

Overall, this was an excellent show which very much typified the new age of Opera Australia, with some excellent performances, an absolutely stunning set and great theatrics. It was definitely quite a bit too long but it was still executed very well and will definitely be an exciting watch for audiences as Opera Australia continues into its winter season.

Rating: ★★★★

The Merry Widow plays at the Joan Sutherland Theatre until 18 August. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Carlita Sari