Review-The Threepenny Opera (3.25.06)

The Threepenny Opera (Saturday, 3.25.06)
Studio 54th, New York, NY

By: Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, Scott Elliot (direction)

Starring: Alan Cumming (Macheath), Jim Dale (Mr Peachum), Ana Gasteyer (Mrs. Peachum), Cyndi Lauper (Jenny), Nellie McKay (Polly Peachum), Christopher Innvar (Tiger Brown)

When “Cabaret” moved to Studio 54 many years ago, it seemed to be the perfect melding of show and venue. It was a brilliant production of a brilliant show, and it fit so snuggly in Studio 54’s decadent venue.

One senses that with this new production of “Threepenny Opera” that the folks at Roundabout are trying to recreate that magic with the production of another famous show from the same period. They’ve even brought back their Tony-winning lead, Alan Cumming, to play the role of Mack the Knife.

Unfortunately, this attempt falls far short of the mark.

For starters, Threepenny Opera is no Cabaret. Cabaret was transporting -- it was filled with memorable music, memorably performances, and even a political message. By contrast, Threepenny Opera’s material is uneven, with a few memorable songs, but dull dialogue, many bad song lyrics, and an uncompelling and puzzling story.

The production is also rife with problems of its own, leading to a clunky and, at times boring, production. The production is dark and relatively unpleasant to look at. The more colorful numbers are garish in appearance. Even the lighting seems to fall short of the mark.
That leaves the task up to the cast, which is filled with big-name stars. Two of them -- Lauper and Dale -- are up to the task, and they perform quite well. Cyndi Lauper’s smoky renditions of famous songs pierce through the otherwise cumbersome production and provide the best musical moments of the evening. She is entertaining whenever she is onstage, whether she is lamenting, or screaming or joking. She is delightful.

Jim Dale is also a standout as Mr. Peachum. He is sleazy and droll, and truly delightful. Ana Gasteyer has a few nice moments as Mrs. Peachum, but she comes across as a bit overly shrill, which is disappointing.

Most disappointing is Alan Cumming. He seems unable to make much of his role because he can’t seem to decide what it wants to be -- demonic murderer or caring lover. In the end, it matters not whether Cumming sings well at all. We simply don’t care.Cumming’s struggle with the material is a telling marker of the entire production, which overall lacks any sort of vision or voice. Its flow is slow and uneven, and by the end of the show, we do not appear to have gone anywhere. In the end, the dull exercise leaves us empty. Even the political messages behind the once ground-breaking show are completely lost.