"When the Shark Bites: Hauptmann & Brecht, Lenya & Weill" by Chronofon Productions at Open Eye Theatre

The team behind the musical historical revues of Leonard Bernstein and Jacques Brel, among others, now turns their talent for crafting a well-told historical story with music to the famous German music-theater team of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, along with their lesser known female collaborators (and sometimes romantic partners) - actor Lotte Lenya and writer Elisabeth Hauptmann. These women were not only muses, but especially in the case of Hauptmann, made important uncredited contributions to their work (see also the excellent FX series Fosse/Verdon). But thanks to Chronofon Productions (aka Bradley Greenwald, Dan Chouinard, Diana Grasselli, and Prudence Johnson), these women are now known and recognized, at least by those of us lucky enough to be in their sold-out audience over the short two-week run. The show closes today, but follow Chronofon's Facebook page for the latest on upcoming performances of these highly entertaining and informative historical musical revues.

"Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill" and "Candide" by Skylark Opera at E.M Pearson Theatre

For their annual summer festival, Skylark Opera is presenting the Leonard Bernstein classic operetta Candide and the musical revue Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill. The two shows run in rep, with just four performances each over two weekends. I've attended the festival for several years now, and as a musical theater geek who doesn't know much about opera, I always appreciate seeing shows that fall on the more opera side of the music-theater spectrum, presented in an accessible way (Skylark always performs in English) with fantastic casts and musicians performing beautiful music. This summer's shows are both wonderful examples of that.

Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill
Rather than a traditional musical or opera with characters and plot, this piece is a compilation of songs by German-American composer Kurt Weill. I have only recently become familiar with Weill, first at last year's Patti LuPone concert in which she sang several of his songs, and then just this spring, when I saw not one but two productions of Weill's most well-known work, The Threepenny Opera. What I liked best about Threepenny was the music, and the more I hear it the more I like it. Berlin to Broadway is a beautiful showcase of the work of this great composer and his complex, interesting, and gorgeous melodies. It's the kind of music that the more time you spend with it, the more you appreciate it.

Four singer/actors and a six-piece band, under the direction of Sonja Thompson, lead us through the life of Kurt Weill, from the beginning of his career in Berlin, to his exile in the Nazi era to Paris and eventually America, to his growing success in his new homeland. The songs are structured chronologically, with one or another of the actors giving a short explanation to establish place and time. Several songs from each piece are presented together, giving us a taste of what the show is like. Wendy Knox, who also directed Frank Theatre's recent production of Threepenny, directs the piece and has truly created a whole that's greater than the sum of its parts. Songs and shows flow from one to the next, with visual interest created by slight costume changes and movement around the stage. It's almost like seeing several little shows in one great show.

Christina Baldwin and Bradley Greenwald
(photo by John Engstrom)

This four-person cast is a dream - Christina Baldwin, Dieter Bierbrauer, Vicki Fingalson, and Bradley Greenwald. This is my first time seeing Vicki onstage, but she fits right in with the other three who I already knew were wonderful. Each of these four voices is stunning on its own, and all of them joined together in four-part harmony is something quite special. But these professionals don't just sing the songs, they also act the songs, adding humor or pathos where required. Some of my favorite moments from the show are: the entire Threepenny section because that's the music I'm most familiar with; Dieter and Bradley singing the rousing "Bilbao Song" (Bradley Grünwald und Dieter Bierbrauer singen auf Deutsch, es war das Schönste auf der Welt!); Christina singing the classic "Pirate Jenny;" Bradley singing the poignant "September Song;" Dieter's absolutely lovely rendition of "Lonely House;" Vicki's sweet love song "That's Him;" and the comic highlight - Christina's hilarious "Saga of Jenny" backed up by Dieter and Bradley.

In short, Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill a wonderful exploration of the life of an important musical composer, one I didn't previously know much about, with gorgeous music sung by four impeccable voices.

Candide
Leonard Bernstein is another great American composer, and this 1956 operetta is one of his most celebrated works. Unfortunately it was bogged down by a troublesome book that went through several rewrites over the years. Skylark is presenting a combination of two more recent and more successful revisions. Based on the 18th Century novella by Voltaire, Candide is a satire that skewers the establishment of both 18th Century France and 1950s America. In the broadly comical plot, the bastard Candide is thrown out of his uncle's castle after falling in love with his cousin, the lovely Cunegonde. War breaks out, the castle is destroyed, everyone thinks everyone else is dead, the lovers reunite and travel the world looking for a place to be happy. Lots of other crazy things happen, which eventually disavow the optimist teachings of Dr. Pangloss, that we live in "The Best of All Possible Worlds" and everything that happens is perfect and wonderful. It's a wild romp accompanied by beautiful music.

Jennifer Baldwin Peden, Gary Briggle, and Peter Middlecamp
(photo by John Engstrom)

The huge cast and twenty-plus piece orchestra create a rich and luscious sound, with only three microphones hanging overhead to provide additional amplification of these beautiful trained voices. As the title character, Peter Middlecamp sings like a dream. Jennifer Baldwin Peden (yes, Christina and Jennifer are sisters - such talent in one family!) is adorable and hilarious as Cunegonde, and does unbelievable things with her voice, especially in the famous aria "Glitter and Be Gay." Gary Briggle plays Voltaire, a sort of narrator and guide through the show, and he's wonderfully ridiculous in the other characters he plays. All of these elements combine and build to the stunningly gorgeous finale, "Make Our Garden Grow." This song almost feels like it's from another show; up until then all of the songs are comic and tongue-in-cheek, but this song is unabashedly sincere and completely lovely.

The two productions share much of the same creative team, including set designer Ann Gumpper, with the moving staircase set pieces being used for both shows. Costume Designer Lynn Farrington has put the Berlin to Broadway cast in classy period clothing, with a few accessories for some of the roles being played. The wardrobe for the Candide cast is more colorful and cartoonish, with the ensemble wearing Converse tennis shoes.

If you're an opera lover, then Skylark Opera's Summer Festival should be on your must-see list. If, like me, you're a bit of a novice when it comes to opera, don't be intimidated. Skylark makes opera fun and accessible, and has chosen two important 20th Century American composers in Kurt Weill and Leonard Bernstein, brought to life by not one but two groups of talented singer/actor/musicians. Both shows have just a few more performances this weekend, pick one or both and go see some opera on a summer evening.


This article also appears on Broadway World Minneapolis.

"The Threepenny Opera" by Frank Theatre at the Southern Theater

Prior to my annual theater week in NYC this year, I had never seen the Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill ground-breaking opera The Threepenny Opera, and was unfamiliar with the music, except of course for the standard "Mack the Knife." But in a strange coincidence, I saw it twice in a little over a week - at the Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway in NYC as well as a production by Frank Theatre in Minneapolis. I'm happy to have the opportunity to see it twice; it's not an easily accessible piece of music-theater but it's worth the effort. I will try not to compare the two productions because they're so different and wonderful in their own unique ways, but what I find most fascinating is how two groups of people can take the same words on a page and turn them into two completely different theatrical experiences. That's the beauty of live theater.*

First produced in 1928 in Berlin, The Threepenny Opera tells the story of a criminal/mobster/thief named Macheath (aka Mack the Knife) in Victorian London. When Mack marries the daughter of his rival Mr. Peachum, head of the beggars, Mr. Peachum retaliates by trying to get Macheath arrested and hung. Despite Mack's many crimes, it's not an easy task since the police chief is Mack's buddy. But eventually, Mack is jailed and about to be hung when he's suddenly miraculously freed. The story is told through a series of vignettes and songs, with each character getting their moment to be heard.

While the Off-Broadway is perhaps a more classical interpretation, with Macheath in a pinstriped suit, bowler hat, and spats, Frank's production, with Macheath in a leather jacket, make-up, and tall boots, is more modern, grungy, and well, weird (in a good way, although I have to say I miss the spats!). It veers a little further into camp, which really works because it is kind of an odd piece.

Here are some highlights of Frank Theatre's The Threepenny Opera:

• First and foremost: Bradley Greenwald** as Macheath. He's dark and twisted and his gorgeous voice fills every corner of the spacious Southern Theater with no need for amplification.
• Speaking of - I love it when actors in musicals are not miked, and there's nothing to come between their voices and my ears. It's rare, and perhaps difficult to do when mixing sound with a band (or at least that's the excuse I've heard), but with a small band like this (musical director Sonja Thompson on piano and organ, with actors occasionally joining in on various instruments) and the excellent voices in this cast, it's quite possible and creates a perfectly mixed and unaltered sound.
• As Mr. Peachum, Gary Briggle is deliciously mischievous and mustachioed, and well-matched by Janis Hardy as the wig-adjusting Mrs. Peachum.
• Mack's women are all fantastic, from Suzie Juul's absurdly silly Polly Peachum, to Molly Sue McDonald's world-weary Jenny, to Kira Lace Hawkin's slightly crazy Lucy. Particularly excellent is the duet between Polly and Lucy as they're fighting over Mack, hilariously and beautifully sung by both Suzie and Kira.
• I was delighted to see the reunion of Officer Lockstock (Bradley Greenwald) and Little Sally (Elisa Pluhar) from last summer's Urinetown, although in a very different set of circumstances with a very different relationship!
• This is a huge cast and they all do great work.
• The Southern Theater is all decked out with racks of clothing and huge shelves full of tchochkes (set by Joe Stanley), and the costumes (by Kathy Kohl) really help to define the weird and wacky world of this Threepenny Opera.

I've enjoyed my foray into The Threepenny Opera this month, and I have to say I have a greater appreciation of the play and especially the music after a second viewing. Frank's production is well-cast, weird, and entertaining. And with sold out houses that include many theater people, they're obviously doing something right. But be forewarned: with an 8 o'clock showtime and a three hour running time, this is another one that requires a good night's sleep before attending.

*Read my thoughts on the Atlantic Theater Company's production here, and yes I did plagiarize myself for some of the background info.

**Bradley Greenwald will again be singing the music of Kurt Weill (along with two of my other faves, Dieter Bierbrauer and Christina Baldwin) in Skylark Opera's Berlin to Broadway in June, which I hear is also directed by Wendy Knox.

"The Threepenny Opera" at Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway

Prior to my annual theater week in NYC this year, I had never seen the Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill ground-breaking opera The Threepenny Opera, and was unfamiliar with the music, except of course for the standard "Mack the Knife." But in a strange coincidence, I will see it twice in a little over a week - at the Atlantic Theater Company Off-Broadway in NYC as well as a production by Frank Theatre in Minneapolis. I'm happy to have the opportunity to see it twice; it's not an easily accessible piece of music-theater but it's worth the effort.

First produced in 1928 in Berlin, The Threepenny Opera tells the story of a criminal/mobster/thief named Macheath (aka Mack the Knife) in Victorian London. When Mack marries the daughter of his rival Mr. Peachum, head of the beggers, Mr. Peachum retaliates by trying to get Macheath arrested and hung. Despite Mack's many crimes, it's not an easy task since the police chief is Mack's buddy. But eventually, Mack is jailed and about to be hung when he's suddenly miraculously freed. The story is told through a series of vignettes and songs, with each character getting their moment to be heard.

Laura Osnes and Michael Park

The Threepenny Opera is gorgeously staged at the intimate Atlantic Theater Company stage in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC. The wonderful orchestra is placed in a little room at the back of the stage, alternately hidden and revealed by a drawn curtain. At the front of the stage is another curtain, but not a typical luxurious theater curtain, just canvas hanging on a wire that is opened and closed manually by the cast as the scene requires. Clutter resides on the edges of the mostly bare stage with furniture moved in when necessary - tables, chairs, a jail cell. The costumes are gorgeous, from the pristine finery on Mack and his bride Polly to the mismatched rags worn by the prostitutes Mack visits. (Set by Robert Israel and costumes by Donna Zakowska.)

This is a wonderful cast, including TV/film/stage vet F. Murray Abraham as Mr. Peachum and Mary Beth Peil as Mrs. Peachum (see also Follies). I was thrilled to see Michael Park as Macheath, since I've long been a fan of him on stage (his voice is on the original cast recordings of Smokey Joe’s Café and Violet, and I saw him in How to Succeed a few years ago) and screen (his Emmy-winning performance as Jack on the dear departed soap As the World Turns). This is a great role to showcase his many talents; his Macheath is a charming rogue with a sinister presence on stage that can silence or beguile with just one look, and his voice is divine! Minnesota's own Broadway star Laura Osnes sings like an angel as Polly Peachum. She's come a long way since I last saw her seven and a half years ago on the Chanhassen stage as Sandy in Grease, becoming a regular on the Broadway boards and racking up two Tony nominations. I'm so proud of her success and happy I finally got to see her perform in NYC, and meet her and chat about Minnesota theater. The entire ensemble is just wonderful, especially Sally Murphy as Jenny, Mack's one-time love who turns him in.

Atlantic Theater Company's production of The Threepenny Opera is seedy, sexy, raw, earthy, and gorgeously staged and sung by the talented cast. I'm so grateful I had the chance to see it during it's two-month run, and I'm looking forward to seeing The Threepenny Opera again soon back home in Minnesota.

Patti LuPone in Concert at the Dakota Jazz Club

Broadway legend Patti LuPone brings her "Far Away Places" tour to the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, playing two shows each this Thursday and Friday night. I was fortunate enough to attend the first show on Thursday, and it was fantastic. I've seen her twice before - in Sweeney Todd on Broadway, and at Orchestra Hall a few years ago. Listening to her tonight I realized that she is truly a master of her craft, and her craft is telling stories. Each song she sings is like a little play that she performs, and when she's singing, you get the feeling that she believes every word. After over 40 years working on Broadway, she knows how to work a crowd and has supreme control over her instrument. She has a way of caressing a phrase that's so unique and utterly spellbinding.

The last time I saw Patti, at Orchestra Hall, I seem to remember that she sang mainly musical theater songs, so that's what I was expecting tonight. But this is a different concert. The only musical theater songs on the set list are "By the Sea" from Sweeney Todd and a few numbers from her most recent Broadway show (which she called was a daring misfire, and seemed to have great affection for), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The majority of the set list is comprised of standards, most of which I was unfamiliar with (my table mate* pointed out that several of them are Kurt Weill songs). While I was hoping that she would belt out a "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" or "Everything's Coming Up Roses," I couldn't possibly be disappointed. She sold me on every song she sang and had me completely hooked by her expressive and effortless delivery of these great songs, some fast and funny, some sad and beautiful. (She recorded this concert live at 54 Below, available here.)

Patti has two more shows Friday night at the Dakota (tickets available here); go check it out to witness a master at work in a lovely space (with delicious food and beverages available throughout the show). And if you're in the St. Cloud area, you can see her at my alma mater, St. Ben's, this Saturday night for her "Coulda, woulda, shoulda... played that role" concert (featuring more musical theater selections, click here for more info).



*By some stroke of good fortune I was seated at a table with Bain Boehlke, Artistic Director of the Jungle Theater, and frequent collaborator Wendy Lehr (soon to be playing the title role in Driving Miss Daisy at the Jungle). I'm happy to report that these two Ivey Lifetime Achievement Award winners are lovely people in addition to being talented theater artists. It was an extra treat to share this wonderful evening with them!