Weill's idea here was to fuse elements of European opera with American musical forms. It's based on a Pulitzer-winning play (not that THAT means much), and has a libretto by none other than Langston Hughes. This seems appropriate, as the characters are first- and second-generation immigrants, and Weill himself had become an American citizen in 1943--though I don't suppose his immigrant experience was much like those of the characters here.
It takes place in a tenement block where immigrants from a bunch of different European countries are living. The main plot concerns a woman, Anna Maurrant, unsatisfied with her marriage and rumored to be carrying on an affair (which she is). There's also her daughter, Rose, and her romance with their neighbor Sam Kaplan, a law student.
There's not much more to say about the plot. This will undoubtedly remind you significantly of Porgy and Bess: both try to fuse opera and Americana, both involve marginalized communities, both have large casts and feature a lot of slice-of-life material unrelated to the central plot, and both have indeterminate endings. Oh, and they're both pretty great, really. I think Weill succeeded admirably with his goals here. There's a lot of really infectious music. The best thing here--I think--is "Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed," sung by a couple who play no other role, featuring a classic blues riff and which I can only describe as joyously horny.
Nice production, also. And...it also reminds me of the Met's recent Porgy and Bess production--hard to believe that was just a year ago; anything pre-pandemic feels like ancient history. Somehow, I didn't even realize 'til halfway through that, hey, that's Patricia Racette as Anna. But...it is.
I'm currently reading a book about the immigrant experience with a Chinese student, so this felt highly relevant. It's good, so you should watch it.
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