This is a rare advertising postcard promoting the Original German production of the FRANZ LEHAR, VICTOR LEON and LEO STEIN Viennese Operetta "THE MERRY WIDOW" at Hamburg's Neues Operetten-Theater or Berlin's Berliner Theater. (The Original Broadway production opened October 21st, 1907 at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City and ran for 416 performances.) ..... Historical background: "THE MERRY WIDOW" ("Die Lustige Witwe") premiered on December 30th, 1905 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Austria and was Lahar's first major success, becoming internationally the best-known operetta of its era. The operetta was produced in 1906 in Hamburg's Neues Operetten-Theater, Berlin's Berliner Theater with Max Monti's company before Monti moved the production to the Theater des Westens (Gustav Matzner as "Danilo" and Marie Ottmann as "Hanna" starred and, with the Berlin cast in 1907, made the work's first complete recording, including dialogue, for Deutsche Grammophon), and Budapest's Magyar Szinhaz in a faithful Hungarian translation. The piece became an international sensation, and translations were quickly made into various languages. Lehar subsequently made changes for productions in London in 1907 (adding two new numbers), and Berlin in the 1920's, but the definitive version is basically that of the original production ..... CREDITS: Music by FRANZ LEHAR ("The Merry Widow", "Gypsy Love", "The Count of Luxembourg", "The Ziegfeld Follies of 1916", "Frederika"); Book by VICTOR LEON and LEO STEIN; English Lyrics by ADRIAN ROSS; Sets designed by WALTER W. BURRIDGE; Costumes designed by Madame ZIMMERMAN; Orchestra conducted by AUGUSTUS BARRETT; Directed in New York by GEORGE MARION; Produced in New York by HENRY W. SAVAGE ..... DETAILS: The postcard measures approx. 3 3/8" X 5 3/8" inches and includes a photo of the two leads on the front. The stamped postcard was postmarked in Chemitz, Germany, but the actual date is difficult to determine ..... CONDITION: With the exception of a light corner crease and minor edge wear, this rare postcard is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.