Review: AUFSTIEG UND FALL DER STADT MAHAGONNY at Grand Théâtre

This week, it was our pleasure to attend the premiere of Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny at our esteemed Grand Théâtre of Luxembourg. This controversial play from 1930 narrates the moral decline of a city oriented towards little more than hedonism and debauchery, where self-indulgence is the only voice that matters. When materialism is the law of the land, you will either die from your own excesses or see yourself an outcast as soon as your wealth runs out. A remarkable international production put together by the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, the Dutch National Opera of Amsterdam, the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Flemish Opera Ballet and the theaters of the city of Luxembourg.

The gold: Individual downfall. Most of the plot is centered around Jim Mahoney (Leonardo Capalbo) and his friends, a group of hardworking men who moved to Mahagonny after seven long years of toil in Alaska. It is in part through their interactions that we learn about the mindset of the masses migrating to this modern-day Gomorrah. Shortly after a hurricane almost destroys the city, many find themselves further motivated to live life to the fullest. As the company sings about the pleasures of existence - eating, sex, fighting, and drinking - our four friends gradually descend into a path that turns these physical joys into their undoing. While the script sets out the narrative, it is both the refined direction and brilliant execution by Capalbo and his colleagues (Thembi Nkosi, Thomas Oliemans and Marcel Brunner), that give genuine life and relatability to their ultimate demise.

The silver: Collective downfall. Hats off to the final scene of the show. As Jim states at the end of act one, what is a natural catastrophe when compared to the destructiveness of Man? At a boiling point, the various citizens of the Mahagonny lash out against their condition and themselves, bringing forth the destruction that a hurricane could not. With multiple props on fire and great lighting effects in the background, the enraged masses put a metaphorical end to the excesses of materialism and cold amorality with the physical destruction of their city.

The bronze: The mix of elements. It is not uncommon to see a giant screen on stage, helping to set the scene visually or define the atmosphere. What is less common is the almost constant presence of a cameraman, filming live close-ups of performers. Sometimes even performers who were not performing at that given time. While we have no doubt that this was a good bet, it does not rank higher in our podium due to how overwhelming it sometimes got. An international audience that had to read subtitles to understand part of the plot, might have had trouble also keeping an eye on the main cast, as well as the screen for three hours. Personally, we took it as part of the experience - how would you feel the vibe of a city of excesses without... excess?

Our thanks to the Grand Théâtre and everyone involved for yet another great night.

To reach out to the writer: nuno.de.sousa.lopes@gmail.com

Image credit: Annemie Augustijns