The Three Penny Opera - Questions

Original German poster from Berlin, 1928

I was telling Wyona that I have been enjoying the pre-theatre reading about The Three Penny Opera -- mostly found on the internet.

Wiki helped me refresh my memory of the plot and the names of some of the songs.

Had I passed by a music store, I think I would have purchased a CD of the music.

On of the reviewers said that the street-singer who sings Mack the Knife at the start of the show had a po-face.  I spent a long time searching for the meaning of that word.

Now I can hardly wait to hear the song again, done in that fashion.

I didn't know much about Brecht until I took an overview course in which we read something he had written and then heard a 45 minute lecture.  I don't think that is quite enough, but so far that is all I have.

Looking forward to tomorrow night.

Here are some question for Duncan and Alex to pepper their mother with.

1. Name the show's composer.
2. Who is in charge of all of London's beggars?
3. Name the members of the Peacham family.
4. Who gives up Macheath?
5. How is Polly's wedding expensed?
6. According to critic and musicologist Hans Keller, the work is "the weightiest possible lowbrow opera for highbrows and the most full-blooded highbrow musical for lowbrows". What does that mean?
7. Brecht gives exact descriptions of what he wants his characters to look like.  Macheath is to be only four feet high, stocky and with a radish head.  Rory Kinnear who is six feet tall doesn't exactly fit this description, but he was cast for the part.  Do you think Kinnear carries off Brecht's idea of who Macheath really is?  Is Kinnear flat and uncaring enough?

Whether Rebecca can answer the questions or not, they are still good ones and worthy of remuneration.

Arta



Arta