By Town Crier Staff Report
 Courtesy of West Bay |
In its final production of the season, West Bay Opera presents its premiere of Kurt Weill’s “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto.
The play opens Friday, with additional performances set for Saturday and Sunday, plus June 2-4. Curtain times are 8:15 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m., Sundays.
Weill’s own blend of popular song, rag time rhythm and daring harmony is said to perfectly support Bertolt Brecht’s cynical vision of the ultimate capitalist city, where murder is a misdemeanor and the only deadly crime is running out of money.
The music director for “Rise and Fall” is David Sloss, with set design by Peter Crompton, lighting by Chad Bonaker and costumes by Callie Floor. The stage director is Jonathon Field.
Singers scheduled to perform in the opera include Jane Hammett (as Jenny Smith) Diane Terp and Debra Lambert (sharing the role of Leocadia Begbicke), Ross Halper (Fatty), James Brown (Trinity Moses), Jay Fraley (Jim McIntyre) and Gary Ruschman (Jack O ‘Brien).
The Lucie Stern Theatre is at 1305 Middlefield Road.
Tickets are $33, with a special $17 youth ticket (for those under 18) for Sunday matinees.
For more information, call 424-9999 or visit the opera’s Web site at www.wbopera.org.
