HITTING THE HIGH NOTES

Known for her soulful jazz performances, Janet Lee is stepping into unfamiliar yet thrilling territory with her starring role in operetta The Merry Widow.

- Words: WILLIAM KC KEE

There is something deliciously unexpected about seeing Janet Lee trade the familiarity of the concert stage for the lavish theatrical world of operetta.

Known for her commanding vocals, charisma and deeply personal performances, the singer is now stepping into an entirely different universe with her leading role as Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, a production filled with romance, wit, sweeping melodies and champagne-soaked glamour.

For Lee, however, the leap into operatic theatre was never simply about reinvention. It was about artistic curiosity, courage and perhaps most importantly, timing.

The invitation arrived shortly after her milestone Lucky Lee concerts in August 2025, a project she describes as transformative. Fresh off the emotional and creative high of that solo achievement, she found herself being asked to audition for a genre that still feels intimidating, even now.

“I was a little surprised,” she admits. “Every time someone asks me to sing bel-canto style, I still think, ‘Really? You trust me with this?’”

Yet beneath the humility sits a performer willing to push herself far beyond comfort zones. “The daredevil in me said, ‘What have you got to lose? Just give it everything until someone tells you otherwise.’”

That spirit of fearless experimentation has long defined Lee's career, but The Merry Widow represents something altogether more ambitious. Unlike a concert performance, operetta demands total immersion—singing, acting, movement, comedic timing, emotional nuance—all unfolding simultaneously in front of a live audience. “It’s both exciting and intimidating,” she muses. “This is my first leading role.”

And unlike many classically trained performers, Lee openly acknowledges that she does not come from a traditional sight-reading background. Instead, she approached the challenge with discipline and intensity, diving into months of preparation the moment she received the full musical score.