News Release
UDM and Marygrove College collaborate to produce the musical The Threepenny Opera!
The Performing Arts Department of University of Detroit Mercy and the Music Department of Marygrove College proudly announce their joint production of the musical The Threepenny Opera. Opening at the Marygrove College Theatre on March 20 and running three weekends till April 5, 2009, The Threepenny Opera, directed by Arthur Beer, will highlight parallels between 1837 London and from 1974 to 2009 Detroit.
Written by Bertolt Brecht (Book and Lyrics) and Kurt Weill (Music), The Threepeny Opera was inspired by John Gay’s 18th-century The Beggar’s Opera. Brecht and Weill’s creation is a savage, biting commentary on capitalism and modern morality. Set in London, The Threepenny Opera is a bitter tale told of the outlaw known as Mack the Knife (Samuel Brice). He secretly marries the daughter (Cat Menzies ) of Soho’s underworld boss (Greg Trzaskoma), but is soon betrayed by his sinister in-laws and sent to prison. After being freed by the police chief’s daughter, he is again betrayed – this time by a prostitute – and sentenced to death. At the final hour he manages a reprieve, thus providing a menacing finale of ferocious irony. Weill’s acidic harmonies and Brecht’s piercing texts creat a revolutionary musical that inpsired such subsequent hits as Cabaret, Chicago and Urinetown.
Director Dr. Arthur Beer will highlight parallels between The Threepenny Opera’s 1837 London setting and 1974-2009 Detroit in the production. This is Dr. Beer’s 33rd season with The UDM Theatre Company. He has won Best Actor, Best Director and Lifetime Achievement awards from The Detroit Free Press, and numerous acting and directing awards from The Detroit News, The Oakland Press, Between the Lines, Pittsburgh Press and others. He has won the Hopwood and Gesu playwriting awards and is Playwright-in-Residence at the Theatre Company, which has produced five of his original plays and adaptations, including the world premiere of Malice Aforethought: The Sweet Trials and its revival in the 2007 season. Art and his wife, Mary Bremer, founded and have directed the Classic Theatre Study Abroad program in Greece each summer for the past 25 years. He is currently academic chairman of the Performing Arts Department. He has directed 200 plays and acted in a like number.
Musical Director Shawn McDonald is no stranger to the art of theatre. McDonald, a singer and actor, has played numerous roles Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Alfredo in La Traviata, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Sivgila and Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Educated at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, McDonald is now the Director of Vocal Activities at Marygrove College where he has directed many productions including “Motown” staging of The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, and Amahl and the Night Visitors. On top of his career in the performing arts McDonald is a pianist working with organizations such as Michigan Opera Theatre’s community programs, The Tuesday Musicale of Detroit, Young Peoples Theater of Ann Arbor, Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor, and Temple Israel, West Bloomfield.
The Threepenny Opera opens on March 20 and runs for three weekends, through April 5, 2009. Performances are held Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Marygrove Theatre on the campus of Marygrove College, 8425 W. McNichols Rd.
General admission is $20. Admission for senior citizens, UDM and Marygrove faculty, staff, and alumni is $16. Student admission is $13; UDM and Marygrove students pay only $9 with appropriate ID. The Theatre Company’s box office is located in Reno Hall on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy. Hours of operation are 12:00 p.m. through 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. For tickets, call the theatre box office at 313-993-3270 or reserve your tickets online at theatre.udmercy.edu/threepenny. For more information visit us online at theatre.udmercy.edu.
Release date: March 09, 2009
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