Behind the curtain: The Australian Ballet: The Merry Widow

You probably know Franz Lehár’s hilarious operetta, The Merry Widow – but did you know it was adapted into a ballet especially for The Australian Ballet? Since its very first performance in 1975, the production has been one of the most enduring and popular works in the company’s repertoire. This year, for the first time ever, The Merry Widow from The Australian Ballet comes to the big screen – and we’re here to give you a sneak peek behind the curtain of this extraordinary show.

THE HISTORY

The Merry Widow was quite an extravagant and expensive ballet for its time, but The Australian Ballet’s faith in its quality paid off quite quickly – in the first 2 years alone, it was performed 178 times, to the delight of ballet fans everywhere.