The Merry Widow 101
Compiled by John Kenrick
Copyright 2004

Donald Brian (Danilo) and Ethel Jackson (Sonja), the original Broadway leads in The Merry Widow.

KEY: 

YEAR
City - Title, Date, Theatre, # of performances
Noteworthy Cast & notes

1905
Vienna - Der Lustige Witwe, 12/30, Theater an der Wein, 400+
Mizzi Gunther (Hannah), Louis Treumann (Danilo) - The premiere production transferred to the Raimundtheater and the Volksopera, returning to the Theater an der Wein in September 1907.

1906
Hamburg - Der Lustige Witwe, 3/3, Neues Operetten-Theater, 250
Berlin - Der Lustige Witwe, 5/1, Berliner, 400+
This production moved to the Theater des Westerns
Budapest - Viz ozvegy, 11/27, Magyar Szinhaz, 200+

1907
London - The Merry Widow, 6/8, Daly's, 778
New York - The Merry Widow, 10/21, New Amsterdam, 416

1908
Melbourne - The Merry Widow, 5/16, Her Majesty's
Paris - La Veuve Joyeuse, 4/28, Theatre Apollo, 186

1921
New York

1925
FILM: The Merry Widow (Silent - USA-MGM)
Mae Murray, John Gilbert
Director - Erich Von Stroheim

1929
New York

1931
New York

1934
FILM: The Merry Widow (USA-MGM)
Jeanette MacDonald (Sonia), Maurice Chevalier (Danilo)
Director - Ernst Lubitsch
Lorenz Hart provided the witty lyrics, but the screenplay bears little resemblance to the original story. After initially repelling Danilo's advances in Marsovia, Sonia has second thoughts and chases him to Paris -- masquerading as a Maxim's grisette to win his attentions. The bankrupt Marsovian monarch locks them in a dungeon to end the game and force a marriage. Thanks to Lubitsch, all this silliness works beautifully, and Chevalier and MacDonald are great fun in the leads. MGM established its reputation as Hollywood's premiere musical studio with this lavish production -- just try to count how many hundreds of couples whirl through the title waltz.

1942
Paris

1943
New York - The Merry Widow, 8/4, Majestic, 322
Marta Eggerth, Jan Kiepura

1951
Paris

1952
FILM: The Merry Widow (USA-MGM)
Lana Turner (Sonia), Fernando Lamas (Danilo)
Director - Curtis Bernhardt
Technicolor is the only excuse for this costly version. Turner (whose singing is dubbed) looks ravishing, if a bit embarrassed, and Lamas is a sexy and surprisingly musical Danilo. The two stars were having a torrid affair off-screen -- there is precious little visible sign of it. The comedy falls flat, despite the presence of Richard Haydn as Ambassador Popoff.

1957
Paris

1962
Paris
FILM: Die Lustige Witwe (Austria)
Karin Hubner (Hanna), Peter Alexander (Danilo)

1967
Vienna - Die Lustige Witwe, Theater and der Wein, 309
Ilona Szamos (Hannah), Johannes Heesters (Danilo)

1969
London -
Lisbeth Webb (Hannah)

1982
Paris - Chatelet