Threepenny Opera: The Show

49th Season
2004–2005

The Threepenny Opera
(Die Dreigroschenoper)
Music by Kurt Weill
Libretto by Bertolt Brecht

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Music Director: Barbara Day Turner, Stage Director: Kenneth Tigar, Set Design: Peter Crompton, Costume Design: Richard W. Battle, Lighting Design: Chad Bonaker

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Act I, The Street

	London, sometime in the past…
	A Street Singer (Noel Anthony) sings the Ballad of Mack the Knife, describing Macheath of the jack-knife and fancy yellow kid gloves.

Act I, Peachum’s Beggar’s Outfit Shop

	J. J. Peachum, the Beggar’s Big Brother, in his shop where the poorest of the poor may achieve an appearance designed to melt the hardest of hearts.
	Mr. and Mrs. Peachum (Scott Bearden and Donna Olson) examine Filch in order to fit him with the perfect begging outfit: Victim of a Traffic Accident—the Cheeful Cripple, Victim of War—the Nervous Twitcher, or Victim of the Rise of Industrialism—the Heart-Breaking Sightless, Post Graduate in the Art of Begging.

Act I, The Stable

	Polly Peachum (Saundra DeAthos) drinks a wedding toast with Macheath (Harold Gray Meers) and a member of his gang (Tom Ellison).
	Chief of Police Tiger Brown (Otak Jump) arrives to wish Macheath (Harold Gray Meers) good luck to the amazement of Polly (Saundra DeAthos) and the gang (Noel Anthony, Christopher Hawks, Luis Nuñez, David Kirby).
	The moon rises over Dock Street.
	Macheath (Harold Gray Meers) and Polly (Saundra DeAthos) celebrate their love without papers or licenses to seal their troth.

Act I, The Peachum’s

Mrs. and Mrs. Peachum (Donna Olson and Scott Bearden) are horrified to learn that Polly (Saundra DeAthos) has married Macheath.

Mrs. Peachum (Donna Olson) listens as Mr. Peachum (Scott Bearden) explains that the wickedness of the world is so great you have to keep running so your legs won’t be stolen from under you.

Act II, The Stable

When Macheath (Harold Gray Meers) tells Polly (Saundra DeAthos) she must take over the business while he hides out she is at first reluctant, but then accepts that what is his is hers now.

Act II, The Bordello

	Jenny and the rest of the girls waiting to see if Macheath will make his usual Thursday visit.
	Jenny (Ariela Morgenstern) tells Macheath (Harold Gray Meers) he will be betrayed when the Abbey bells toll.
	Jenny (Ariela Morgenstern) imagines the destruction she could wreak as Pirate Jenny.

Act II, Newgate Prison

	Chief of Police Tiger Brown (Otak Jump) is distraught to find that his men have captured Macheath and brought him to Newgate Prison.
	As Macheath languishes in his cell in Newgate Prison, Lucy Brown (Jane Hammett) muses on her battle to stay perpendicular and not let men walk over her.
	Polly (Saundra DeAthos) and Lucy (Jane Hammett) debate who has the trimmest ankles in the city, who is the true wife of Macheath.
	Lucy (Jane Hammett) tells Macheath (Harold Gray Meers) that she loves him so much that she would rather see him on the gallows than in any other girl’s arms.

Act III, The Peachum’s

	Mr. Peachum supervises the beggars painting signs for the coronation of Queen Victoria, the few days in a lifetime when real money can be earned.
	Jenny (supported by the brothel girls) arrives to claim her share of the reward money for Macheath from Mrs. Peachum.
	Finally convinced he must recapture Macheath, Tiger Brown (Otak Jump) gets his location from Jenny (Ariela Morgenstern).

Act III, Newgate Prison

	The Queen’s messenger (Noel Anthony) brings a pardon for Macheath from the Queen as well as his appointment as Knight of the Garter and a pension for life.
	Reprieved by the Queen’s messenger, Macheath (Harold Gray Meers) and Polly (Saundra DeAthos) are reunited.
	The cast reminds the audience that in real life Victoria’s messenger does not come riding often…
	…and the ending isn’t usually quite so fine.

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