{"id":13873,"date":"2014-08-24T14:27:26","date_gmt":"2014-08-24T21:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=13873"},"modified":"2014-08-25T23:39:32","modified_gmt":"2014-08-26T06:39:32","slug":"the-masquers-berlin-to-broadway-with-kurt-weil-ends-on-a-happy-note","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/the-masquers-berlin-to-broadway-with-kurt-weil-ends-on-a-happy-note\/","title":{"rendered":"The Masquers\u2019 BERLIN to BROADWAY with Kurt Weil ends on a \u201cHappy Note\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Berlin<\/em> to Broadway with Kurt Weill<\/em>: Musical Revue. Music by Kurt Weill text by Gene Lerner.\u00a0 Directed by Ellen Brooks, Musical direction by Bruce Haines. Masquers Playhouse, is located off of Highway 580 (Richmond Parkway exit) at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond.\u00a0\u00a0 (510) 232-4031 or www.masquers.org<\/a>.\u00a0 August 22 \u2013 September 20, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Masquers\u2019 BERLIN to BROADWAY with Kurt Weil<\/em> ends on a \u201cHappy Note\u201d [rating:4] (4 of 5 Stars)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The mention of the name Kurt Weill automatically brings to mind three things. They are The Threepenny Opera, <\/em>Lotte Lenya and the song \u201cMack the Knife.\u201d <\/em>You are in for a big pleasant surprise when you attend, and you should, the charming but uneven production of Berlin to Broadway <\/em>(B to B) <\/em>at the Masquers\u2019 well-appointed 99 seat theatre in Port Richmond. In this their 59th<\/sup> year of producing plays they have accepted the challenge of mounting a musical revue that requires quality singers and actors.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They seem to have a plethora of actors\/singers at their casting calls to make even the problematic shows work. B to B requires a tenor ((Nick Hengl), baritone\/bass (J. Scott Stewart), soprano(s) (Tina Marzell & Gayelan Tietje-Ulrich) and a mezzo-soprano (Maria Mikheyenko). The role of the narrator is shared by the entire cast.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This musical revue using the biography and songs of the musical genius Kurt Weil first appeared in 1972 at the experimental Theatre de Lys Off-Broadway in New York City. It is a tribute to Weil\u2019s work and chronologically unfolds beginning in 1928 Berlin where we are introduced to his longtime collaborator Bertholt Brecht and his sole-mate\/wife Lotte Lenya and the rest of the cast. They are putting on their version of\u00a0 John Gaye\u2019s Beggar\u2019s Opera <\/em>renamed The Three Penny Opera<\/em>. The milieu of that era is reflected in song with \u201cHow to Survive\u201d and an ensemble rendition of \u201cMack the Knife.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

With rise of Nazism and objection to the musicals Happy End <\/em>and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny<\/em>, there is an exodus from Germany to Paris and London. Those two shows had social consciousness with antiwar sentiment that is apparent in all of his later work . From those shows, the writers extracted, amongst others,\u00a0 \u201cMarch Ahead to the Fight, \u201cBilbao Song\u201d, \u201cSurabaya Johnny\u201d, \u201cAlabama Song\u201d, \u201cPirate Jenny\u201d with \u201cSailor\u2019s Tango\u201d ending the first act.<\/strong><\/p>\n

An often heard critical comment about plays: \u201cThere is a \u2018problem\u2019 with the second act. That was not so at opening night of the Masquers\u2019 musical revue of Berlin to Broadway. <\/em>\u00a0The second act is a humdinger appropriately ending with \u201cHappy Ending.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Weil moved to America\u00a0 in 1935 his diligent and superb musical compositions led to collaboration with such noted librettists as (alphabetically) Maxwell Anderson Marc, Blitzstein, Bertolt Brecht, Jacques Deval, Michael Feingold, Ira Gershwin, Paul Green, Langston Hughes, Alan Jay Lerner, Ogden Nash, George Tabori and Arnold Weinstein.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From the many Broadway shows, the writers of B to B have selected some of the most notable songs and the women in the cast have show-stoppers. First up is Jenny Matteucci , in a gorgeous blue-sequined gown to nail \u201cSeptember Song\u201d from Knickerbocker Holiday<\/em>. Audience favorite diminutive Tina Marzell steals the limelight with \u201cSaga of Jenny\u201d followed by<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Tina Marzell<\/p><\/div>\n

Maria Mikheyenko\u2019s trained contralto voice singing \u201cMy Ship\u201d both from Lady in the Dark<\/em>.\u00a0 Beautiful Gaylen Tietje-Ulrichbly is extremely competent in the most difficult role as Lotte Lenya. Nick Hengl and J. Scott Stewart earn accolades for their acting and song interpretations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And then the cast has great support by the fine six piece on stage orchestra headed by musical director Bruce Haines on the piano. Running time a little over two hours with an intermission.<\/strong><\/p>\n

CAST: Nick Hengl, Tina Marzell, Jenny Matteucci, Maria Mikheyenko, J. Scott Stewart, Gayelan Tietje-Ulrich.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

ARTISTIC STAFF: Directed by Ellen Brooks; Musical direction by Bruce Haines; Costumes design, Maria Graham; Lighting design, Ellen Brooks, Production manager, Arthur Atlas; Properties, Jean Rose, Set Design, Malcolm Rodgers; Sound Design, Billie Cox; Stage Manager, Betsy Bell Riger.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

ORCHESTRA: Piano, Bruce Haines; Percussion, Barbara Kohler; Synthesizer, Dean Starnes; Flute,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Crystal Diamond; Trumpet, Brett Kelin; Double Bass, Vincenzo Delarosa.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

PRODUCTION TEAM: Costume Assistant,\u00a0 Daniel Yelen; Lighting & Sound Technician, Judy Zimola; Set Construction, Rob Bradshaw, Norman DeVeyra, John Hull, Heinz Lankford, Malcolm Rodgers, Bob Westman; Postcard\/Poster, DC Scarpelli; Program Layout & Design, Linda Ellinwood; Lobby Manager, Anne Collins; Scenic Coordinator, Rob Bradshaw.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kedar K. Adour, MD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Courtesy of www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photo by Budinger & Scarpelli<\/span><\/p>\n

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Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: Musical Revue. Music by Kurt Weill text by Gene Lerner.\u00a0 Directed by Ellen Brooks, Musical direction by Bruce Haines. Masquers Playhouse, is located off…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13873","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-kedar-k-adour"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"