Two weeks after opening night, this return visit to Graeme Murphy’s production of Lehár’s The Merry Widow for Opera Australia is very much a fresh encounter.

Having reviewed the premiere cast led by Julie Lea Goodwin, the focus here shifts to Emma Pearson, who is making her role debut as Hanna Glawari.  What emerges is far more than a case of a performer slotting neatly into an established template, as so often happens in revivals of classic operas and replica musicals.

Instead, Pearson reshapes the evening in her own image, her portrayal firmly rooted in the Viennese operetta tradition, and the entire company comes to the party. The result feels like a different show altogether – a testament to the durability of Murphy’s elegant Art Deco production.

Emma Pearson with Alexander Lewis and John Longmuir (second row) in OA’s The Merry Widow. Photo © JJ Antmann

In her Limelight interview earlier this year, Pearson discussed her preparations for the role and the need to maintain a classical style without ever sounding heavy. Having spent much of her career in strictly acoustic European opera houses, she also noted the impact amplification might...