Atlanta Opera continues partnership with Center for Puppetry Arts
ATLANTA - Last fall, Atlanta Opera debuted a unique combination of opera, circus and puppets— and the end result earned rave reviews and standing ovations.
So, as they say in the theatrical world — it’s time for an encore.
Following its innovative production of "Pagliacci" — performed under a massive circus tent and utilizing both live performers and puppets created by Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts — Atlanta Opera is now presenting a new adaptation of the Kurt Weill-Bertolt Brecht classic "The Threepenny Opera" in a similar setting, this time at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. When FOX 5 interviewed Atlanta Opera artistic director Tomer Zvulun last fall, he explained the idea of staging the outdoor performances: "Being outside…under a circus tent...it's surreal. And we're embracing that surreal idea."
"The Threepenny Opera" first opened in 1928 and features such memorable songs as "The Ballad of Mack the Knife" and "Pirate Jenny." In this production, puppets designed by Jason Hines of Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts embody the "chorus of beggars" — a creative way to limit the number of human performers together on stage — and headline a trio of short films during the performance. Audiences sit under the tent in small, distanced "pods" consisting of two to four people, and performances only run for about an hour. Face coverings are also required for all audience members.
Of course, while the puppets get plenty of attention, the cast of "The Threepenny Opera" consists of some of the top talent in the world; Grammy Award winner Jay Hunter Morris takes on the role of MacHeath in this production, for example.
We spent the morning under the tent with Morris and the creative team behind this exciting new production — click the video player in this article to check it out.
For more information on "The Threepenny Opera" — which continues with performances through Sunday, May 9 — click here.
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