Lady in the Dark Shines in Vienna

“The sensation of the evening is Julia Koci, who as Liza oscillates between business leader and temptress.”
Die Presse – Theresa Steininger | photo: Petra Moser

Undaunted by the pandemic, Volksoper Wien premiered its landmark new production of Lady in the Dark to resounding accolades from an array of media outlets, both in and beyond Austria. Critics enthused over Weill’s score, rendered in full technicolor by conductor James Holmes, and praised the stylish look and fine performances of the cast, directed by Matthias Davids. The effect was of a great re-discovery, new light shown on an artist Vienna thought it already knew. Reviewer Martin Gasser summarized the assessment concisely in his subtitle: “The Volksoper brings Kurt Weill’s masterpiece Lady in the Dark convincingly to the stage.”

Read the raves here.

Happy End Resurgent
among 2022 KWF Grants

The view from the stage of Berlin’s Renaissance-Theater, where in May 2022
a production of Happy End will be the first to use the new critical edition of Weill’s music.

The Trustees of the Kurt Weill Foundation have approved eight new grants supporting performances of works by Kurt Weill and Marc Blitzstein. Three of the eight mark the resurgence of Happy End, the 1929 follow-up to The Threepenny Opera that includes some of Weill’s most beloved German songs. In May 2022, the Renaissance-Theater in Berlin will premiere the new critical edition recently published as part of the Kurt Weill Edition project. The piece will also be produced by Victorian Opera in Australia, home to two other productions previously awarded grants: Melbourne Opera’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and a double bill of The Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel by Red Line Productions in Sydney. To complete the trifecta, a College and University grant was awarded to Sheridan College in Ontario for their upcoming Happy End production.

See the full list of grant recipients here, featuring two works by Marc Blitzstein, performances by the London Symphony Orchestra with Simon Rattle, and a flight-themed concert to take place in an old airplane hangar in Miami.

Street Scene
Celebrates Seventy-Five Years

Relief from the heat; the “Ice-Cream Sextet” in the original Broadway production, 1947.

Shortly before his death, Kurt Weill predicted, “Seventy-five years from now, Street Scene will be remembered as my major work.” The work premiered at the Adelphi Theatre on 9 January 1947 and ran 148 performances, surpassing the original run of Porgy and Bess. Now seventy-five years after that opening, it seems that Weill substantially underestimated how many of his creations would be considered major works. He was certainly correct about the importance and staying power of his “Broadway Opera.” But it took a while to achieve its status as a repertoire staple in opera houses and professional training programs all over North America and Europe.

Read more.

Selected Upcoming Events

17 January – Die Dreigroschenoper
Kammerspiele der Josefstadt in Vienna (Torsten Fischer, director; Christian Frank, conductor). Ongoing performances, including 18 January and 2, 3, 4 February.

18 January – Lady in the Dark [grant recipient]
Volksoper Wien (Matthias Davids, director; James Holmes, conductor). Also 23 January.

19 January – Weill songs
Celebrity Series Boston (Dashon Burton, bass-baritone).

21 January – Die Dreigroschenoper
Berliner Ensemble (Barrie Kosky, director; Adam Benzwi, conductor). Ongoing performances, including 22 January, 8, 9 February.

28 January – Die Dreigroschenoper
Theater Kanton Zürich (Rüdiger Burbach, director; Till Löffler, conductor). Touring production with ongoing performances, including 3, 4 February.

28 January – Die sieben Todsünden
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Lindsay Kesselman, Anna I; Jessica Cottis, conductor). Also 29 January.

2 February – Lonely House: Songs and chansons by Kurt Weill
Komische Oper Berlin (Katharine Mehrling, vocalist; Barrie Kosky, piano).

2 February – Song-Suite for Violin and Orchestra (arr. Paul Bateman).
Zürcher Kammerorchester (Daniel Hope, music director). On tour in Germany through 13 February.

3 February – Die Dreigroschenoper
Odense Teater (Mooi Trolin, director; Anders Ortman, conductor). Ongoing performances, including 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 February.

1 February – Street Scene (excerpts)
Schleswig-Holsteinisches Sinfonieorchester (Borys Sitarski, conductor). Also 2 February.

On-Demand – Lotte Lenya Competition 2021 Finals
OperaVision (performances featuring the 2021 Lenya Competition finalists). Available free of charge through 10 March 2022.

View the Full Events Calendar

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