The Threepenny Opera – Location, Tickets, Reviews
Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill wrote the satirical The Threepenny Opera in 1928 as a socialist critique of corruption and capitalism. It’s set in a world filled with misery and destitution and centers on a charismatic thief nicknamed Mack the Knife (played by Michael Park). He marries Polly Peachum (Laura Osnes) but Polly’s father (F. Murray Abraham), leader of the town’s beggars, disapproves of the marriage and plots to have Mack arrested and hanged. In the world of The Threepenny Opera there are no good guys, money is above all law, and loyalties are nonexistent.
The Atlantic’s revival of The Threepenny Opera is an enjoyable piece. It’s visually pleasing with a simple and smart set design by Robert Israel that does its best to create the play’s dark mood. The impressive cast is (not surprisingly) good. Osnes’ rendition of Barbara Song is one of the production’s highlights, and Sally Murphy does justice to the role of Jenny the prostitute and her famous song Pirate Jenny.
But saying that this production is enjoyable also hints at its crucial problem: It’s too friendly and sentimental. At one memorable moment in the play, Mack the Knife yells at his minions “Art is not nice.” The Threepenny Opera, specifically, isn’t meant to be nice. This version does not deliver the harsh reality or the political message Brecht and Weill intended for their sordid world of despicable characters.
Critics’ Reviews
New York Times
Dogs and Scoundrels, Well Dressed
New York Post
Defanged ‘Threepenny Opera’ Loses Original Satirical Bite
Time Out New York
A treat for the eye but a snooze for the mind
Village Voice
Rich Visual Schemes Undermine Dramatic Subtlety in The Threepenny Opera
TheaterMania
Martha Clarke stages a middling revival of the classic Kurt Weill-Bertolt Brecht collaboration
Wall Street Journal
Mack the Butter Knife
TICKETS
$75-$80 (click here for tickets)
DATES
Performances through May 11, 2014
LOCATION
Atlantic Theater, Linda Gross Theater
336 West 20th Street
New York City
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RUNNING TIME
2 hours 15 minutes, 1 intermission
CAST & CREW
(partial list)
Book and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht
Music by Kurt Weill
Directed and choreographed by Martha Clarke
Featuring F. Murray Abraham, Paola Styron, John Kelly, Cristina Spina, Michael Park, Jon David Casey, John William Watkins, Lindsay Dietz-Marchant, Timothy Doyle, Laura Osnes, Mary Beth Peil, Sophie Bortolussi, Lilli Cooper, Sally Murphy, Rick Holmes, Romeo