Bradley Greenwald, Christina Baldwin, and Dieter Beirbrauer.
It's been a Kurt Weill kind of spring in the Twin Cities, from an epic production of The Threepenny Opera, to a concert featuring music he crafted with Bertolt Brecht, to the Skylark Opera's Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill.
It's not hard to hear why the composer still enthralls audiences nearly 65 years after his death. Weill's sense of song was exquisite as he built fresh and innovative pieces out of a bounty of styles, from traditional German and Jewish tunes to the nascent sounds of jazz.
innovative as his earlier work, but they carry a musical maturity that puts Weill in pretty rarified territory in musical theater.
to a warmer glow once the songs get to America. All of this helps to underscore the essential theatricality of the songs, while never interfering with the performances.
The main attraction is the quartet of singers: Bradley Greenwald, Christina Baldwin, Dieter Bierbrauer, and Vicki Fingalson. All four have leading-performer talent, but they also work extremely well when an ensemble is needed.
And favorites? Well, there is Baldwin's bitter take on "Pirate Jenny" from Threepenny Opera, or her sharing of the spotlight with Fingalson on "Jealous Duet" from the same show. Then there is Greenwald's gorgeous reading of "September Song." Or you can have the heartache of "Lonely House," as brought to full life by Bierbauer.
Really, it's hard to go wrong with a piece that (nearly) begins and then ends with "Mack the Knife," as interpreted by four highly talented stars.
For tickets and more information, call 612.343.3390 or visit online.