As the new season gets in gear, be on the lookout for several substantial new productions and revivals of Weill’s stage works. Here are some of the main highlights:
September 2015: The Berliner Ensemble will soon reach a milestone with Robert Wilson’s acclaimed production of Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), premiered in 2007, which they have taken all over the world. The company will notch their 200th performance during the coming season, and they show no signs of slowing down. Next performances: 26-27 September, 14-15 November, and 21-23 December, all at the company’s home in Berlin.
October 2015: Teatro dell’Opera di Roma (Rome Opera) will revive Graham Vick’s production of Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny. Known for interpretations of modern operas, Vick first mounted Aufstieg during the Maggio Musicale (May Festival) in Florence in 1990. John Axelrod will conduct the Rome performances, with Measha Brueggergosman as Jenny, reprising her impressive performance in Madrid at the Teatro Real in 2010. Brenden Gunnell sings Jimmy, Iris Vermillon portrays Begbick, and Willard White takes the part of Trinity Moses. Opening night will be 6 October, with six performances altogether.
January 2016: Die Dreigroschenoper will see a major new production next winter in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien. Led by Keith Warner (whose Weill credits include Der Silbersee, Wexford, 2007) and conducted by Johannes Kalitzke, the production boasts an all-star cast, including Angelika Kirchschlager (Mrs. Peachum), Anne-Sofie von Otter (Jenny), Florian Boesch (Mr. Peachum), Tobias Moretti (Macheath), and Nina Bernsteiner (Polly). Opening night: 13 January, with a total of eight performances.
February 2016: Washington National Opera will revive Tazewell Thompson’s power-packed production of Lost in the Stars, Weill’s last Broadway show. First mounted at Glimmerglass Opera in the summer of 2012, Thompson’s take on the 1949 anti-apartheid “musical tragedy” moved audiences and critics alike. Several stalwarts from Glimmerglass will return, including baritone Eric Owens in the lead role, tenor Sean Panikkar, and conductor John De Main. The latest winner of the Lotte Lenya Competition, Lauren Michelle, will play the female lead. The revival opens 12 February at the Kennedy Center, with eight performances scheduled.
Scandinavia will see two significant Weill stagings this season. Weill’s opera for students, Der Jasager (libretto by Bertolt Brecht) will go up for five performances at Oslo’s Norske Oper & Ballett in November. Kolmen pennin ooppera (The Threepenny Opera) will enjoy an extended run at the Lappeenrannan Kaupunginteatteri from January 15 through April 30 in Lappeenranta, Finland.
Features
Learn more about Die Dreigroschenoper
Learn more about Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny
Learn more about Lost in the Stars
Learn more about Der Jasager
