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Following the phenomenal success of the Italian opera
``Aida'' in China, the classic Viennese operetta "The Merry
Widow" is to offer a dazzling feast for Beijingers this weekend.
The performance will be staged by more than 80 accomplished artists,
with all the major soloists from the world famous Viennese Opera
House, one of the top touring theatres in Europe.
It is the first chance for a Chinese audience to appreciate the
original flavour of the opera which comes from Austria, a real home
for music.
The operetta highlights delightful and popular music, representing
a simple and straightforward style. It is regarded as the prelude
of musical movies in Europe and the United States.
Melanie Holiday, the soprano, will star as the young, pretty and
rich heroine Hanna Glawari.
Born in Houston, Texas in the United States, Holiday had 14 years
of formal training in ballet before taking up singing with Walter
Foster.
She has been touring Europe for a while and her fantastic presentations
are well appreciated by experts in the field.
Heinz Hellberg, conductor and stage manager, is regarded as a talented
musician.
At the age of 14 he began learning the horn and conducting in the
Academy for Music and Art in Vienna. Two years later, he became
the youngest choir conductor in Austria.
Then he started his career as operetta singer (buffo) and became
the first soloist in the Vienna Volksopera where he worked for 13
years.
Kurt Liederer will play the buffoon. He has experiences performing
in theatres throughout Europe where he has been warmly received.
"The Merry Widow" has been translated into 25 languages
and performed 250,000 times all over the world.
The audience will no doubt be delighted to hear the familiar and
popular melody that runs throughout the show.
(China Daily 12/04/2000)
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