Local talent showcases jazz opera

What results when grand opera, jazz and musical theater meet? Something very odd and unique, no doubt. Over the course of the next two weekends at the John Waldron Arts Center, the Bloomington community will have a chance to fully experience this weird hybrid. "The Threepenny Opera," written in 1928 by the German-Jewish composer Kurt Weill with libretto by Berthold Brecht, is a full-blown jazz opera performed by the Detour Theatre Company under direction of Terence Hartnett.\n"The Threepenny Opera" is the love story of Polly Peachum and "Mack the Knife" MacHeath. Right from the start, the presentation flies straight into the audience's face, with a character in a tuxedo and a painted face speaking directly to the audience, much like in the musical "Cabaret." The 'opera' is actually a series of songs separated by dramatic scenes, and before every song all action stops and the Street Singer introduces and makes comments full of sarcasm and innuendo. All major elements of this work are shocking. The characters are all brutally realistic, including several criminals and prostitutes. In fact, the hero is the notorious thief and murderer "Mack the Knife" MacHeath. The plot is a series of betrayals, detailing his sexual misconduct, Peachum's criminal enterprise and the corruption of the police chief.\nThe language used is also very explicit and direct, far from the elevated dialogue of opera. The characters in the opera use colloquialisms and a myriad of outright profanities. Such rudeness, along with the language, owes itself to Brecht's Marxist motivation to capture the "misery of the masses." So, it does serve a dramatic purpose other than simple shock value. Because of the profanities, this work is not recommended for a family atmosphere.\nThe most captivating aspect of the performance was definitely the music. Music director Martin Wolter deserves congratulations for managing to assemble musicians and performers of different vocal experience, thus creating such an overall well-playing cast. The jazz band played impressively, consisting of a piano, trumpets, a trombone, saxophones (soprano, alto, and tenor), a clarinet, an accordion and a banjo. The talents of the singers, however, varied. Some coordination issues between singers and band were present, but keeping in mind it was the first performance these problems are easily ironed out. \nAll performers definitely gave their best. As far as male characters go, Lee Parker as "Mack the Knife" gave a very good all-around performance. He gave a very convincing and creepy portrayal of the notorious criminal while maintaining good vocal talent in his singing. Frank Buzolich as Mr. Peachum had a much stronger dramatic presence than vocal, while Quinto Ott as police chief Brown had a more convincing vocal presence than dramatic.\nThe two true stars of the show, however, were both female: Elizabeth Baldwin as Mrs. Peachum and Amanda Bean as Polly, the Peachums' daughter who foolishly elopes with "Mack the Knife." Both actresses/singers had beautiful, strong voices worthy of grand operatic stage. As far as acting goes, Bean was more limited by her rather one-dimensional role of the naïve, love-struck girl, which she nevertheless played wonderfully. Baldwin, playing the drunk, obsessive Mrs. Peachum, had a much better chance to shine, and she did. Her portrayal of a crazed old mother was impassioned and very convincing, almost as powerful as Baldwin's singing.\nThe entire cast, did a very good job overall. It was also obvious that all on stage were enthusiastic and having fun. Director Terence Hartnett deserves congratulations for assembling such a variegated cast, making them work together so well, and thus allowing them to enjoy their parts as well. Achieving all of these at once is not easy to do.\nFor mature audiences who are interested in jazz, realism and local talent, this show is not to be missed. The show will be \nrunning for two more weekends with performances at 8 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and Nov. 19-20, and 2 p.m. this Sunday and Nov. 21.