Claire Trevor Theatre; $28 general; $25 senior and groups; $12 students and children
Threepenny Opera is the jazz masterpiece of Weimar Kultur, a trailblazer of modern musicals. Sometimes referred to as “the greatest musical of all time,” Threepenny features a finger-snapping score that ranges from lyrical arias and tangos to stirring anthems and bawdy ballads – and the extraordinary “Mack the Knife.” Set in late Victorian London and based on John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, Threepenny Opera is the saga of Capt. MacHeath, a subversive Soho bandit and lady killer, who elopes with the only daughter of J. J. Peachum, a prominent businessman. Despite the fact that MacHeath’s protector is the corrupt Police Commissioner “Tiger” Brown, Peachum wants MacHeath arrested and threatens to disrupt Queen Victoria’s procession by releasing hordes of beggars into the streets. MacHeath is finally captured and must face the dreaded gallows.
This is UC Irvine’s third revival of this Tony Award-winning show, a clear testament to its popularity and local esteem.