This November, the Houston Symphony gives you the rare chance to experience Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s 1933 ballet chanté (“sung ballet”), The Seven Deadly Sins, live in concert. Part classical, part cabaret, with catchy tunes galore and plenty of sharp satire, it’s a remarkable fusion of popular entertainment and high art from two 20th century masters.
Read below for seven reasons why you can’t miss it, and click here to reserve your tickets!
1. The music: A master of many styles (his Threepenny Opera yielded the pop standard “Mack the Knife”), Kurt Weill filled The Seven Deadly Sins with everything from jazz and opera to tango, waltz and foxtrot.
2. The lyrics, by revolutionary playwright Bertolt Brecht. Weill and Brecht were frequent collaborators, and their groundbreaking creations set the stage for the Broadway musical as we know it.
3. The plot, which follows sensible Anna I and her sultry alter ego, Anna II, on a seven year trek through seven US cities, with hopes of making enough money for her family to build a house on the banks of the Mississippi.
4. The bigger picture: Equal parts smart, funny and thought-provoking, Brecht’s story explores the all-too-human irony that fortune often comes at a personal cost.
5. The star: Anna I / II has become a signature role for Storm Large, the electrifying singer of Pink Martini fame–she recently performed it to rave reviews at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.
6. The barbershop quartet (yes, barbershop quartet): Male singing group Hudson Shad takes on the role of Anna’s “family,” which provides aloof, often snarky commentary on Anna’s progress.
7. The bottom line: Get ready for an experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen in the concert hall as this extraordinary forerunner to the modern musical comes to Jones Hall Nov. 2–4! —Katy Judd
Don’t miss The Seven Deadly Sins November 2, 3 & 4, 2018! Get tickets and more information at houstonsymphony.org.
