Operafest Lisboa 2021

Double Bill

Mahagonny Songspiel & Until Death tear us apart (absolute creation)

KURT WEILL & ANA SEARA

Opera Creations

 

3, 4 SEP | 21h30

Garden National Museum of Ancient Art

 

Two Operas in 1 Act

Length: 1h20

Sung in original language

 

Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht first collaboration (1927) resulted in this new operatic paradigm, built in kabarett style, breaking all opera canons of the time, in an implacable  satyr to Capitalism ideals. In the city of Mahagonny the only crime is to be poor. Songs such as Alabama Song and Benares became big hits. Having the bar and whisky has common elements, hundred years later in double bill, appears the opera in absolute creation Until death tear us apart by Ana Seara, composer in residence of the festival, based on the homonymous novel by Ana Teresa Pereira. With an atmosphere of film noir, this opera unveils the story of Tom, a police inspector, haunted of having killed an innocent literature teacher, ending up in an affair with a mysterious woman, he marries and takes takes home to live together with his blind daughter. The daughter dies and the secret of the young bride is revealed.

"There are moments in which happiness is stronger than horror, when we read a book together, when we make love to each other (...), however one of us will kill the other, we both know it. The one who will stop loving first."

 

Musical direction: Jan Wierzba

Stage Direction: António Pires

Light Design: Gi Carvalho

Stage design and props: Daniela Cardante

 

Cast

Jessie: Rafaela Albuquerque

Bessie: Mariana de Sousa

Billy: Jorge Leiria

Charlie: Carlos Monteiro

Bobby: Tiago Amado Gomes

Jimmy: Diogo Oliveira

 

Pat: Mariana de Sousa

Tom: Christian Luján

Emilie: Célia Teixeira

Mike and John: Jorge Leiria

 

Ensemble MPMP