February 9th, 2011 
Whew! It’s funny how we take little things for granted. Now more than ever, and thanks to Snowprah 2011, I have a fond appreciation for simply being able to get in my car and GO. Ever since my street was relieved of the extra snowgage (yep, made it up) I have been event hopping.
Photo by Herbert Migdoll
The Joffrey Ballet presents the Midwest premiere of Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow for its Winter program in the current 2010-2011 Stars season. Hynd originally choreographed the three-act story ballet for The Australian Ballet in 1975, set to an adaptation of Franz Lehár’s 1905 romantic operetta The Merry Widow.“This year, we have an exciting opportunity to celebrate the 80th birthday of renowned choreographer, Ronald Hynd, by presenting his ballet The Merry Widow during our Winter program,” said Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater. “This is an opportunity for The Joffrey and the city of Chicago to become familiar with the work of this master choreographer.”
A neo-classical ballet, the scenario for The Merry Widow was created by Sir Robert Helpmann. Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno’s exquisite costumes and scenery lay the backdrop for a tale of comedic intrigue filled with elegant ladies, eligible bachelors and famed can-can dancers. The narrative, set amidst the glamour of turn-of-the-century Paris, revolves around the fictional principality of Pontevedro, which faces financial ruin when it’s discovered that its sovereign, the dashing Count Danilo, is actually bankrupt. Count Danilo is persuaded to woo and marry a wealthy, aristocratic widow, the intoxicating Hanna Glawari, to keep her money in Ponteverdo, but revelations about their shared past comically complicate the matter.
If you pay any attention to me at all, then you know that I love Chicago Sinfonietta. In fact, I boasted about the organization in my shameless plug for their King Day program. Well, lucky us, they are providing the vibrant, musical backdrop for The Merry Widow.
Mark your calendars for The Merry Widow performances, opening on February 16, 2011 and running until February 27th.
I will be there opening night. Stay tuned for my Chicago Chic Review.
More information on The Merry Widow available here…
