Music and Lyrics by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht

Book by Elisabeth Hauptmann

Presented in English

Approximate Running Time: 90 minutes

Religion and capitalism collide in this sharp, jazz-infused musical comedy by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, and Elisabeth Hauptmann. Banned after just two performances in 1929 Berlin, Happy End is a satire of big business and big religion set in a smoky speakeasy where gangsters do deals and the Salvation Army saves souls. With an unforgettable score that includes “Bilbao Song,” “Mandalay Song,” and “Surabaya Johnny,” Happy End blazes with wit, grit, and dark glamour. Happy End will be music directed by Rob Ainsley, Artistic & General Director of The Glimmerglass Festival, and feature Ana Karneža, a Juilliard drama graduate who won the Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition in 2024.

Glimmerglass Dramaturg Kelley Rourke has created a new English book that retains all of Weill’s original songs (in Michael Feingold’s translation). The production will be directed by Mary Birnbaum, General & Artistic Director of Opera Saratoga.