The Merry Widow (ballet) - Ballet Choreographed By Ronald Hynd

Ballet Choreographed By Ronald Hynd

The ballet was created for The Australian Ballet by Sir Robert Helpmann (a principal dancer and choreographer), who obtained permission from the heirs of the composer and the librettists (Viktor Léon and Leo Stein), by special arrangement with Glocken Verlag Ltd. of London. The scenario and staging were designed by Helpmann, with the choreography by Ronald Hynd. The orchestration was by John Lanchbery (who was then the musical director of The Australian Ballet) and his colleague Alan Abbott. The designer was Desmond Heeley.

The ballet had its world premiere on 13 November 1975 at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne, with Marilyn Rowe (Hanna), John Meehan (Danilo), Lucette Aldous (Valencienne), Kelvin Coe (Camille), Colin Peasley (Baron Mirko Zeta) and Ray Powell (Njegus). The performance was conducted by John Lanchbery. It premiered in Sydney at the Regent Theatre.

In 1976, Dame Margot Fonteyn performed the rôle of Hanna as a guest dancer at The Australian Ballet, and continued with the rôle, alternating with Marilyn Jones, when the company took their production to England.

Like the operetta, the ballet has also become very popular, and has been adopted into the repertoires of many companies, including the National Ballet of Canada, the Royal Danish Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, the Houston Ballet, the Vienna State Opera Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet.