|
Berlin To Broadway With Kurt Weill
A Musical Voyage
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by 12 others
Directed by Kurt Johns
Conductor Jon Steinagen
Produced by Light Opera Works’ Second Stage
McGraw YMCA
At 1420 Maple Avenue
Evanston, IL
Call 847-869-6300, tickets $24 - $39
Fridays 7 Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
Through November 11, 2007
Kurt Weill celebrated with 32 of his songs on Light Opera Works Second Stage
Kurt Weill (1900 – 1950) was a German Jew schooled in classical music but whose interests lead him to vocal music and theatre music. From the early 1920’s until he left Germany after the rise of Hitler, Weill collaborated with Bertolt Brecht on several socialist inspired operettas—The Threepenny Opera (1928) and The Beggar’s Opera among them. Weill’s early music satirized and parodied popular German music and opera form and Brecht’s lyrics were used as a means for social criticism of capitalism and the Weimar Republic in Germany.
The song list in this revue has 17 numbers from those years. Weill’s dark, often bleak tones featuring atonal sounds were simplistic with many songs sounding alike. We hear aria-styles talk songs with unhappy and gloomy themes speaking to the pain and suffering of the common folk. This character specific talk-song style later influenced song writers such as Stephen Sodheim, William Finn and Jonathan Larson. From The Threepenny Opera—we hear “How To Survive,” “Useless Song, “ “Jealousy Duet” and the famous “Mack the Knife.” From Happy End (1928) Weill & Brecht’s parody of American gangsters there are “March Ahead To The Fight” and “Don’t Be Afraid” from Happy End.
 |
My problem with these early Weill songs lies in their gloomy, dark and negative tones that simply don’t work in a revue atmosphere. Their value is a showcase for the talented four singers: Natalie Ford, Beth Gervain, Brian Herriott and Jonathan Wagner. These folks navigate Weill’s difficult orchestrations and Brecht’s stiff lyrics with conviction and a complete understanding of the material. Weill aficionados will enjoy these early Weill compositions. Weill chose to compose about the dark side of society while Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and Hart used music to uplift and inspire their audiences. Weill wrote politically and the Americans wrote to entertain. Both are valid.
In 1934, Weill left Germany after the Nazi’s closed several of his shows. In Paris he wrote Marie Galante with lyrics by Jacques Deval. We hear “I Wait For A Ship’—very French in style.
Act two has Weill in the USA writing Broadway shows. Johnny Johnson (1936), with lyrics by Paul Green, produced the satirical “Songs Of Peace And War.” From Knickerbocker Holiday (1938), with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, the witty “How Can You Tell An American” and the famous “September Song.” We hear a more mellow, more melodic Weill. He has grown as a composer.
His Lady In The Dark (!941) with Ira Gershwin’s lyrics came “Saga Of Jenny” and “My Ship”—two of Weill’s finest songs. In 1943 with Ogden Nash, Weill composed for One Touch of Venus with the quite clever song “Speak Low” and “That’s Him.” From 1948 until his death in 1950, Kurt Weill again turned to writing songs with social and political content from dramatic plays such as Street Scenes and Love Life.
This revue is well sung with out amplification with Jon Steinhagen’s six member orchestra. This is a terrific retrospect and sampler of a controversial composer who has many admirers and detractors. I hate his early work (like Threepenny) but admire his Broadway compositions. I think this revue will offer Kurt Weill fans and those unfamiliar with Weill a strong taste of his songs. With hard working performers deftly interrupting Weill’s work, a fine 2 hours of music awaits.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2007
|
