Even though The Merry Widow was originally conceived in “la belle époque”, I wanted to create a show that felt timeless. I wanted the audience to be swept into a creative reality that could have occurred yesterday or tomorrow, or even today. Hence, our black-tie cocktail party at the Embassy looks quite modern. However, I also wanted to celebrate the Slavic-inspired traditions of Pontevedro, giving Act 2 a wonderful blend of traditional and contemporary. 

 What you will enjoy today is a collaborative creation. Every person on stage invented their own back-story, motivation and persona - including complete names, so that every scene shimmers with life. These talented actors contributed ideas to scenes and songs, and allowed themselves to be transformed even in their spoken accents. Our Merry Widow, Olesia Shewchuk, choreographed the Slavic Dancing, and my fabulous co-music director, Stephen Pickett, shaped every nuance of the exquisite music. The cumulative passion and talent is palpable.

 Along the way, my quirky sense of humour added special touches to the staging - but I owe the success of our production to the gifted actors on the stage, and their willingness to step outside their comfort zones. I hope you fall in love with the music, Jeremy Sams’ priceless translation, and these very colourful characters, just as I have.

 A special shout-out to our canine actor, Willow. We promise that no animals were harmed in this production… loved to death and overfed, but definitely not harmed. 

   Edette Gagné