June 03, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

An epic 'Opera'

by Jeanie Forte

"The Threepenny Opera," by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, has some of the most memorable music in 20th-century performance.

After seeing West Bay Opera's new production of this classic, I find myself humming tunes from the show days later, and actually thinking about going back to see it again.

And that's saying a lot, since the show lasts more than three hours, with two intermissions. It's long, but the performance overall is worth it, giving us a dedicated, well sung, beautifully staged and loving rendition of a landmark piece of theater.

Brecht and Weill's most famous collaboration was considered revolutionary when it premiered in 1928, for its deliberate break from Realism. The staging ignored conventions like the Fourth Wall and slide projections played simultaneously with live action. Actors broke character to carry picket signs or converse with the audience and the music came from cabaret and jazz rather than classical origins.

Brecht was interested in creating a new form of theater, which he labeled "Epic," that would raise the political awareness of its audience and motivate them to action. The staging was meant to show the contradictions inherent in oppressive ideology, to wake up viewers to the oppression in their own lives.

"Threepenny" remains the best known of all his works, translated into 18 languages and filmed at least four times. "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer," its signature song, became "Mack the Knife" in Louis Armstrong's adaptation and a pop hit for Bobby Darin.

Brecht adapted John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera," heightening the discord between classes and the perennial conflict between the haves and the have nots. The politics are not subtle; but it's surprising, seeing it now, to realize how little has changed in 75 years. Corrupt politicians, criminal bankers and banker criminals, the curse of poverty; Brecht's plea to address social inequity through political action is still relevant.

West Bay Opera has mounted a very faithful production, even using the earliest English translation by Mark Blitzstein, harking back to Brecht's stage values but with a much larger budget.

The stage is opened all the way to the back wall, and a few massive set pieces are moved around to become different locales. The concrete walls serve as lighting surfaces, in blues and pinks and magentas, as well as for slide projections. The band sits on stage off to one side, which aids in the cabaret ambience. The last scene further makes use of the whole theatre in a way I can't possibly reveal -- it's just too much fun.

The lighting design by Chad Bonaker is particularly beautiful and evocative, and really brings all the elements together. Kudos to the whole production team for thinking way outside the box on this one, and for really capturing a vision.

The voices, in both lead and ensemble, are also solid. Saundra De Athos, so pure and long-suffering in "Lucia di Lammermoor," here shows her acting chops as wily, sweet-tough Polly Peachum -- girlish one minute and dominatrix the next. Her dulcet soprano suits the role well, and she gives a great rendition of the second best-known song, "Jenny's Song."

Jenny also gets to sing her song later in the show, and Ariela Morgenstern slams it out of the park. She's the ultimate sultry good-girl-gone-bad, prostitute with a heart, practical and lovelorn at the same time. As many times as I've seen "Threepenny," I've seldom seen this role better sung or acted -- she's a knockout.

Harold Gray Meers was a surprise choice for MacHeath -- he can come across somewhat soft-spoken and gentle in demeanor -- but he made it work and sang with emotional intensity. He also looked great for the role. His duet on the joys of army life with Tiger Brown (Otak Jump) was a highlight, as was his "Pimp's Tango" with Morgenstern.

Mr. and Mrs. Peachum (Scott Bearden, Donna Olson) were both fabulous, bringing depth and appropriately raunchy humor to their roles. "The Ballad of Dependency" was a delicious romp in Olson's excellent delivery.

Lucy Brown (Jane Hammett) doesn't show up until late in the show, but when she does she's a force to be reckoned with. Hammett's butter-wouldn't-melt manner gives way to passion and jealousy and a terrific "Barbara Song," as well as her duet with Polly.

Noel Anthony fills the shoes of four characters, managing to look and sound different in each, clearly an adept actor with a solid voice. I didn't care for the extreme emphasis on certain words in his "Mack the Knife," but I suspect that was a directorial choice.

The ensemble as a whole is strong, as evidenced in the big finales at the end of Acts II and III, supplying a bold, rousing sound.

In Brecht's time, and in the earliest recorded versions, the action moved very speedily to bring out the political contradictions; the song tempi were equally fast. The tempi here, in both songs and dialogue, are more luxurious, which is probably more suited to American ears; but a more vigorous pace might shorten the overall running time.

Nevertheless, go knowing that you're in for a full evening, and let yourself be transported into a world of criminals, prostitutes, beggars, life -- and fantastic music.


What: "The Threepenny Opera," presented by West Bay Opera


Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto


When; Tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.


Cost: Tickets are $46; $23 for youth under 17 or students with valid ID.


Info: For tickets or more information, please call the West Bay Opera box office at (650) 424-9999, Monday through Friday, 1-6 p.m. or visit www.wbopera.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Holt Building, 221 Lambert Ave. in Palo Alto.

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