Come out and celebrate Natchez Festival of Music’s 25th anniversary with a night of opera featuring the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre’s production of “The Merry Widow” at 7 p.m. Saturday at Margaret Martin Performing Arts Center’s “Apollo Theater.”

“The Merry Widow” is coming to Natchez for one performance as part of the outreach program at the University of Southern Mississippi featuring their Symphony Orchestra and their Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company. The opera and musical theatre program at the University of Southern Mississippi began in 1948 and has hosted numerous performances over the years.

“The Merry Widow,” by famed Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár, has been an international sensation since its premiere in Vienna in 1905; a comedy that is based on a French play “L’attaché d’ambassade” written in 1861 by Henri Meihac. The story is set in poverty stricken Pontevedro specifically at the Parisian embassy of the mysterious state. Citizens of Pontevedro anticipate the arrival of Hanna Glawari, the recent very wealthy widow, while the staff of the embassy devises a plan to find Hanna Glawari a countryman suitor in hopes of keeping her fortune in Pontevedro and saving it from bankruptcy.

Come out to the “Apollo Theater” Saturday and be entertained by one of the most popular operettas and enjoy a great comedy with romantic twists.

The Parisian embassy staff’s journey to find a local countryman suitor to marry Hanna Glawari to keep her fortune in the failing Pontevedrian economy will be sure to keep you entertained.

The Grape Escape Club Room will open for drinks at 6 p.m. with a cash bar only and the performance of “The Merry Widow” will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and members of the military with ID.

Buy tickets by emailing Natchez Pilgrimage Tours at tickets@natchezpilgrimage.com, or by calling 1-800-647-6742, or at the door.

The Natchez Festival of Music is celebrating its 25th year of providing world-class music and theater performances in Southwest Mississippi and Central and Eastern Louisiana. The line-up of musical entertainment extends from light opera to a celebration of the blues. Upcoming events include a Christmas Cabaret on Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Natchez Convention Center with an Encore Package for the winning table decoration, followed by the Alcorn State University Concert Choir and Men’s Chorale at Saint Mary’s Basillica on Sunday, Dec. 7.

In May 2015, each weekend will bring an array of wonderful music and musicians, including “Best of the Mississippi Blues — A Tribute to Robert Johnson” featuring Vasti Jackson, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the Pirates of Penzance, and many more diverse musical events enough to please all types of musical preferences. Please watch this space and look for further announcements and the complete season of our Festival’s 25th year on our website at natchezfestivalofmusic.com.

Katie McCabe is the publicity and marketing for the Natchez Festival of Music.