Mack the Knife and Friends

From the smoky cabarets of Weimar Berlin to the glittering lights of Broadway, Kurt Weill’s music defies easy categorization. This concert revue uses his most famous song, “Mack the Knife,” as a launching point to explore the astonishing range of his artistic output.

The evening begins in 1920s Germany with selections from The Threepenny Opera and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny—biting, satirical “plays with music” created with Bertolt Brecht that exposed the corruption and contradictions of capitalism through unforgettable melodies. These numbers showcase Weill’s genius for blending opera, cabaret, and popular song into a new, politically charged theatrical language.

The program then crosses the Atlantic to trace Weill’s American transformation. Audiences will hear lush, character-driven songs from Broadway shows like Lady in the Dark, One Touch of Venus, and the formally innovative Love Life, alongside powerful selections from Street Scene and Lost in the Stars—works that tackle race, class, and justice with unflinching honesty. These pieces reveal how Weill adapted his style to American musical theater while maintaining his commitment to socially engaged art. 

This performance features faculty vocalists and instrumentalists from Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.