The Merry Widow (part of the 56th FOBI, Stara Zagora)

“The Merry Widow” is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár, libretto by Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, staged by guest director Valentin Ganev on the main stage of the Music Theatre. The conductor-stager is guest Konstantin Ilievski, with a cast including Stefani Krasteva and Temenuzhka Trifonova as the widow Hanna Glawari, and Vladimir Grudkov, Denko Prodanov and guest Rosen Nenchev as Count Danilo. The director recreates the romantic, fantastical plot of “the Widow” in a surreal “La Belle Epoque”-style setting, while the conductor favors a traditional sound with Viennese elegance.