The Threepenny Opera
Book And Lyrics By Bertolt Brecht
Music By Kurt Weill
English Adaptation By Marc Blitzstein

In 1928, Brecht and Weill turned to John Gay’s 18th-Century “The Beggar’s Opera” to fashion this biting commentary on bourgeois capitalism and modern morality (“Who is the greater criminal: he who robs a bank or he who founds one?”). Marc Blitzstein’s English adaptation led to the play’s long 1956 New York run of 2707 performances at the very small Theater de Lys in Greenwich Village, generating new audiences and productions. Lotte Lenya (Weill’s wife), Ed Asner, Charlotte Rae, Bea Arthur, Jerry Orbach, and Jerry Stiller are some of the many theatre notables who performed in that production. Certainly, a whole generation has been brought up on “Mack the Knife” as sung by Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong … not to mention “Pirate Jenny” as recorded by Nina Simone or Judy Collins. The play has been translated into 18 languages and performed more than 10,000 times around the world. It was important in New York’s musical theatre history, showing that musicals in small scale, small orchestra, small theatre formats (such as this Eventide Arts production will be), are feasible.

('THE THREEPENNY OPERA is presented through special arrangement with R&H Theatricals: www.rnh.com.)

Directed by Ellis Baker

Musical Direction by Maggie Bossi

Showtimes:

May 3 - 20
Thursdays - Saturdays — 7:30 p.m
Sundays — 2:30 p.m.