Photo Flash: Theatre South Carolina's THE THREEPENNY OPERA Begins Tonight

The infamous Mack the Knife is back as Theatre South Carolina presents the landmark musical masterpiece THE THREEPENNY OPERA, tonight, October 2-10 at Longstreet Theatre. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast below!

Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's satire of capitalist society took the world by storm when it premiered in 1928, and has been lauded ever since through such memorable productions as its legendary mid-1950s Broadway run, and its many now-standard songs ("The Ballad of Mack the Knife," "Pirate Jenny").

Set in a corrupt underworld of haves and have-nots, THE THREEPENNY OPERA pits the infamous gangster Macheath against the conniving Mr. Peachum, an unscrupulous business owner whose naive daughter, Polly, has secretly married Macheath. The once-untouchable "Mack the Knife" soon finds himself on the run, as his new in-laws (and a jilted ex-lover) conspire to have him arrested...and hanged!

Brecht and Weill's play was itself a satirical update of John Gay's 1728 The Beggar's Opera, which lampooned the political, social and cultural mores of 18th-century London. Director Steven Pearson says its timeless themes are even more resonant today, and have informed this production. Theatre South Carolina has welcomed NYC-based guest artist Matthew Marsh as musical director for the production, which will be scored largely with piano by Marsh and instrumentation by the actors themselves.

The show's cast includes second-year MFA Acting candidates Josh Jeffers as the notorious antihero Macheath, Benjamin Roberts as Mr. Peachum and Candace Thomas as Polly Peachum. Also featured are second-year MFA Acting students Carin Bendas, Matthew Cavender, Nicole Dietze, Rachel Kuhnle andDimitri Woods, as well as undergraduates Megh Ahire, Jamie Boller, John Romanski and Kerri Simmons. Recent MFA Acting alum Melissa Reed returns to the Longstreet stage to take on the role of the show's narrator.

Another recent alum, Jane Hearn, has returned to stage manage the show. The seedy underworld of the production is being visualized by MFA designers Tamara Joksimovic (scenic design), Neda Spalajkovic (costume design) and Christopher Patterson (lighting design). Sound design for the show is by Pearson.

Show times for THE THREEPENNY OPERA are 8pm Wednesdays through Saturdays, with additional 3pm matinees on Sunday, October 4 and Saturday, October 10. Tickets for the production are $12 for students, $16 for USC faculty/staff, military personnel and seniors 60+, and $18 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 803-777-2551 or by visiting the Longstreet Theatre box office, which is open Monday-Friday, 12:30pm-5:30pm, beginning Friday, September 25. Longstreet Theater is located at 1300 Greene St.

Photo Credit: Jason Ayer

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