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A CurtainUp DC Review
The Threepenny Opera
London's Donmar Warehouse in 1994, an era dominated by the get-rich-quick and damn- the-poor policies of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, presented an updated adaptation of the Brecht/Weill satire by Robert David MacDonald (book) and Jeremy Sams (lyrics). That version is now playing at Washington's Signature Theatre. The mood is set in the theater's lobby where the walls are covered with graffiti, a union jack is painted on the floor, a photo of Queen Elizabeth II is surrounded by flowers – presumably a reference to the brouhaha that followed the death of Princess Diana. Inside the theater, scenic designer Misha Kachman has gone to town — the slums to be exact. A reminder for the audience that not everyone lives by their wits and on the street, that there is a segment of society that enjoys capitalism, a ticker with (presumably) stock prices runs along the rear of the stage. It is a very effective set. Also creating the right tone are Frank Labovitz's costumes — racy lacy underpinnings for the prostitutes, prim and proper suits for those who seek respectability. Music director Gabriel Mangiante's 8-piece orchestra gives Kurt Weill's melodies their due. The show begins with "The Flick Knife Song," sung slowly and with mesmerizing clarity by Natascia Diaz as Jenny, a prostitute and former lover of Macheath (Mitchell Jarvis). Diaz's performance is the highlight of this production. She's beautiful and has a strong voice with exquisite diction, timing and phrasing. Her "Love Duet" and "Pimp's Tango" sung and danced with Macheath is suitably lusty. What does not quite work is Jarvis's Macheath. He displays plenty of anger but lacks the charm and wiliness that would make you believe he could wiggle out of any ominous situation. When he is let out of prison with a "golden parachute" suspending disbelief is a challenge. Comic relief is in good supply when, in the second act, Lucy Brown, one of Macheath's wives visits him in prison. The part is played in drag by Rick Hammerly who is well known in Washington for his Helen Hayes award winning performance in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He's a hoot. Donna Migliaccio's Mrs Peachum is a wonderful vignette of the alcoholic wife of a pimp. She is constantly hoping for respectability. As her daughter and Macheath's wife, Erin Driscoll looks the part (thanks to costumer Frank Labovitz) but her voice is shrill and grating. The rest of the cast is adequate but their attempts at English accents are not successful. Director/choreographer Matthew Gardiner has encouraged many good moments from the ensemble but this production belongs to Natascia Diaz and Rick Hammerly.
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