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Musique:
The Merry Widow has made several appearances on American television, mostly thanks to Public Television. Several notable TV productions:
•1955 (NBC): The only commercial production was broadcast by NBC. Anne Jeffreys and John Conte sang the romantic leads, while Hollywood veteran Edward Everett Horton was once more on hand as Popoff. Critics were less than impressed.
•1977 (PBS): This lavish San Diego Opera production of The Merry Widow was taped on its 1977 premiere night. Beverly Sills and Alan Titus were delicious in the lead roles, but opening night jitters (and insufficient rehearsal time) led everyone in the cast to make a hash of Sheldon Harnick's superb new translation. Sadly, this version has never been available on commercial home video.
•1996 (PBS): New York City Opera offered a physically sumptuous staging originally produced by New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse. The broadcast was delightful, with Jane Thorngren and Michael Hayes in top vocal and comic form, and Broadway favorite George S. Irving winning laughs as Popoff. The new English lyrics were occasionally clumsy, and too much nonsense was added to the already complex plot.
•2002 (PBS): San Diego Opera really goofed with this lavish but lifeless staging. Yvonne Kenny and Bo Skovhus headed a wildly uneven cast, and it is clear that neither the performers nor the director knew how to handle this material. Wendy Wasserstein's new libretto provided a few flashes of wit but little period charm.