Great Performances (TV Series) Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (2007) User Reviews

A very close second best of the DVD productions available

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 17 July 2014]

Top choice, from personal opinion, is the Teresa Stratas Met production which is a treasure. The Jerry Hadley production is also worth watching, especially for him. Of the three, this ranks as a close second. It is let down by the some stagnant stage directing- though there are also a fair share of compelling moments like with the boxing match and Jimmy's execution- with people standing in lines with not a lot of interaction, even in intimate scenes. And the chorus were not easy to hear sometimes. The updated setting works though, there is an admirable attempt to make it relevant to today's audiences while not trivialising too much the satire and political themes of Weill's very interesting and structurally unique opera(though some of the music for me is appreciate rather than love quality). The costumes and sets are kept simple but are never ugly. The orchestral playing is lush and stylish, and the conducting is rhythmically driven yet allows solos like the Alabama Song have space without sentimentalising it too much. The chorus are motivated enough and while not always clear they sing with vibrancy. Audra McDonald is sensational, she is sexy, sings like an angel and is energetic and moving, though Teresa Stratas brings more of a tragic quality. Patti LuPone is rather metallic at the top but most of her voice is rich and is both grotesque and funny, a very larger-than-life performance. Anthony Dean Giffrey's voice is controlled and has no problem being heard, he brings a boyishness and elegance which is impressive for one with so imposing a figure and he is very emotive, I actually prefer his Jimmy to his Peter Grimes personally. Robert Worle brings a lot of colour and character to Fatty and Donnie Ray Albert is a menacing Moses. All secondary roles are well taken. Overall, a mostly very good production though a lot of it from a musical standpoint, of the three DVD productions seen this is second to the Met's. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Still puzzled

[Gyran · 7/10 · 21 January 2015]

My only previous knowledge of this opera comes from the 1998 Salzburg version where is is performed in German with an illustrious operatic cast. I felt at the time that actors who could sing could probably give a better account of this piece than opera singers. This is mainly what we get in this Los Angeles production. Patti LuPone is an excellent Begbick and Audra McDonald is a sensational Jenny. Think Condoleezza Rice in a diaphanous body-stocking. Anthony Dean Griffey, who plays Jimmy, is of course an opera singer. I last saw him as Peter Grimes at the Met but I think he is miscast in Mahagonny.

Doing the opera in translation does make it more accessible to English-speaking audiences but I cannot say I understand the opera any more after seeing this production. It still strikes me as a lame satire on the evils of capitalism with cartoon characters and comic strip action. I felt alienated from the entire thing. Maybe that was what Brecht intended.