The Bowling Green State University Department of Theatre & Film, in conjunction with the
BGSU Opera Theater and The College of Musical Arts, will present "The Merry Widow" on March 22 and
24.The performances will be at 8 p.m. on March 22 and 3 p.m. on the 24th in the Thomas B. and Kathleen M.
Donnell Theatre in the Wolfe Center for the Arts.Widely believed to be the most popular operetta of all
time, Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow has been presented over 500,000 times since it first won audience
applause at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna in 1905.Both a popular cultural phenomena and a stage
sensation, the operetta prompted distinctive marketing ploys, including cocktails, songbooks in multiple
languages, hats and shoes, and even The Merry Widow cigar.But, what is operetta? Who was Franz Lehar and why
was his operetta The Merry Widow such a popular hit? Answers to these questions, and more, will be revealed
at our Director’s Forums in the Eva Marie Saint Theatre at 7 p.m. on March 22 and 2 p.m. on March
24.Musicologist Eftychia Papanikolaou and tenor Christopher Scholl will provide commentary on the music and
stage history of Lehar’s operetta, a presentation that will feature musical examples prepared especially for
this forum.Ron Shields, the moderator, will also share insights into his role as stage director for this
production.For ticket information, please visit the BGSU Box Office online at BGSU.edu/Arts, or call (419)
372.8171.
