SummerFest 2014 program

The Story and Settings ACT I The embassy in Paris of the poverty-stricken Pontevedro is holding a party to celebrate the birthday of the sovereign, the Crown Prince. Baron Mirko Zeta is delighted to see his wife Valencienne acting the perfect hostess to Camille de Rosillon. Rosillon in reality is "courting" Valencienne even though she assures him that she is "a respectable wife." Widow Hanna Glawari, whose husband left her a considerable fortune, arrives.

Pontevedro is on the verge of bankruptcy, but Zeta hopes that Hanna will come to the country's financial rescue if she is persuaded to marry Danilo, her former lover and one of Pontevedro's most dashing citizens. Zeta tries to convince Danilo to court Hanna "for the Fatherland," but he stubbornly refuses. When a “Ladies' Choice" is announced, Hanna is besieged. Danilo spitefully invites in a bevy of women to distract the men. Although Valencienne urges Hanna to choose Camille as her partner, in a moment of pique, Hanna chooses the only man who ignores her—Danilo. He declines but states that he will give his dance with her to anyone offering a ten thousand franc donation to charity. The other men immediately lose interest, leaving Hanna and Danilo alone to their dance.

Intermission ACT II Hanna invites all the Embassy guests to a Pontevedrian-themed garden party at her villa. The entertainment includes the song "Vilya," a traditional legend of a young girl and a huntsman's unrequited love. Baron Zeta hopes that Hanna will marry Camille, but he learns that Camille is in love with a married woman. The gentlemen at the party exchange suggestions on how to handle women, while Camille continues his pursuit of Valencienne. Valencienne gives Camille her fan, on which is written, "I am a respectable wife ." Still he persuades her to join him in the pavilion. Zeta finds the fan, becomes anxious to discover who Camille's "married woman" is and heads for their rendezvous. To save Valencienne from scandal, Hanna slips into the pavilion through a back door. When she is discovered apparently inflagrante with Camille, Hanna explains her “tryst” by announcing that she is engaged to Camille. Hanna provokes Danilo by vowing to live "in the Parisian style ." Danilo angrily relates a parable about a prince who said nothing of his love for a princess who had given her hand to another.

When he storms off in anger, Hanna is convinced that he loves her .

ACT III Hanna, knowing that all foreigners consider Maxim's the epitome of life "in the Parisian style," decks out her villa to resemble the famous restaurant, Danilo's favorite retreat. Danilo implores Hanna not to marry Camille. She says she never had any such intentions and assures him that she was not in the pavilion with Camille. The baron is shocked to find Valencienne's fan in the summerhouse, but she—“in the best Parisian style”—points out that she had written on it, "I am a respectable wife ." In closing, everyone points out that this operetta is a lesson on the difficulty in understanding women, as well as men, and Danilo ends up with Hanna-happily ever after?!