LuPone and McDonald Led, Doyle Directed 'Mahagonny' Wins GRAMMY for Best Classical Album

The LA Opera production of The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny has won th GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Album.

The LA Opera production of The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny premiered on PBS "Great Performances" on Monday, December 17th, 2008.

Tony Award winners Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald starred in this all new production of a "savage and lyrical satire" by composer Kurt Weill and playwright Bertolt Brecht (Threepenny Opera). Tony Award winner John Doyle directs.

LuPone and McDonald were joined by acclaimed tenor Anthony Dean Griffey, plus Robert Worle, John Easterlin, Mel Ulrich and the Chorus and Orchestra of the Los Angeles Opera. James Conlon was conductor.

PBS describes: "It's every man for himself in the newly founded city of Mahagonny, devoted to life's illicit pleasures, where anything goes and the only crime is to run out of money. The brilliant score, featuring the Brecht-Weill classic 'Moon of Alabama,' masterfully creates a vivid picture of determination, desperation, and debauchery."

Amazon describes the production as: "Welcome to Mahagonny, where sin is 'in' and love is always on sale. This Old West boomtown rises from the desert to become a razzle-dazzle mecca for lust, liberty, and the pursuit of pleasure. Cash is king, poverty is punishable by death, and anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Director John Doyle melds his Tony Award winning talent with the lyrics of influential playwright Bertolt Brecht and an incomparable score by Kurt Weill.

The performance was recorded live at the LA Opera on March 1 and 4, 2007. Special funding for the filming of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny was provided by Eva and Marc Stern.

The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions in association with AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette are executive producers, Walter C. Miller is producer/director, Tisha Fein is the coordinating producer, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

Musical directors for the telecast and pre-telecast are Rickey Minor and Larry Batiste, respectively.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards - the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music - The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.

 

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