By John Moore
When: Sept. 7-Oct. 21
Written by: Bertolt Brecht, music composed by Kurt Weill
The story: Brecht’s milestone musical is a biting satire of the post-war rise of capitalism, wrapped up in Weill’s jazzy score and the tale of Macheath (Mack the Knife), a debonair crime lord on the verge of turning his illegal empire into a legitimate business. When Macheath marries Polly Peachum, her father (Jonathan Peachum) is greatly angered. He controls the beggars of London, and he strives to get Macheath hanged. Peachum exerts considerable political influence, and eventually Macheath is arrested and imprisoned. At the point of execution, in an unrestrained parody of a happy ending, a hard-riding messenger from the Queen dramatically arrives at the last minute, and Macheath is both pardoned, and elevated to the title of Baron.
Why it made the list: Miners Alley Playhouse, which isn’t known for musicals, is branching out by taking on a difficult piece in an election year. And by landing Megan Van De Hey, winner of the past two Henry Awards for best actress in a musical, it’s not messing around. It’s worth noting that director El Armstrong has cast three members of the local handicapped theater group PHAMALy (Lyndsay Palmer, Daniel Traylor and Briana Berthiau). Not for any poltical or creative point — only because they have killer singing voices.
Cast list:
Director: El Armstrong
The cast:
Briana Berthiau
Erica Lyn Cain
Richard Cowden
Don DeVeux
Rob Gale
C.J. Garbo
Kris Graves
Dana Hart Lubeck
Verl Hite
T.J. Hogle
Michael Ingram
Lisa Morse-Moore
Lyndsay Palmer
Juliette Petersen
Daniel Traylor
Megan Van De Hey
Where: 1224 Washington St., Golden
Performance times: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 6 p.m. Sundays (except for the closing matinee on Oct. 21, which begins at 2 p.m.)
Tickets: $30.50-$34.50; senior, student and group rates available
Contact: 303-935-3044 or map’s home page
No. 1: Curious Theatre’s “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity”
No. 2: Ben Dicke Presents’ “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”
No. 3: Abster Productions’ “August: Osage County”
No. 4: Midtown Arts Center’s “In the Heights”
No. 5: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “The Giver”
No. 6: Local Theater Company’s “Elijah: An Adventure”
No. 7: Vintage Theatre’s “The Cider House Rules”
No. 8: Miners Alley Playhouse’s “The Three Penny Opera”
No. 9: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center’s “Make Sure It’s Me”
No 10: Creede Rep’s “Is He Dead?” at the Arvada Center
No. 11: Theatre Or’s “The Value of Names”
Among the many other shows to watch:
Sept. 1-16, 2012: Ami Dayan Presents “A Happy End,” at Buntport Theater Read my interview with playwright Iddo Netanyahu
Sept. 4-16, 2012: National touring production of “La Cage Aux Folles,” at the Buell Theatre
Sept. 7-Nov. 3, 2012: Boulder’s Dinner Theatre’s “Avenue Q”
Sept. 7-22, 2012: Germinal Stage-Denver’s “A Kind of Alaska”
Sept. 7-Oct. 6, 2012: Spark Theater’s “Rebecca” (note new address: 985 Santa Fe Drive)
Sept. 11-30, 2012: Arvada Center’s “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (and Oct. 4-14 at the Lone Tree Arts Center)
Sept. 13-16, 2012: PACE Center’s “Scarlet Letter, The Musical” (Parker)
Sept. 14-Oct. 14, 2012: Town Hall Arts Center’s “Sweet Charity” (Littleton)
Sept. 14-Nov. 10, 2012: The Avenue’s “Murder Most Fowl”
Sept. 14-Oct. 14, 2012: Ashton Entertainment’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” at the Aurora Fox
Sept. 15-Oct. 14, 2012: Bas Bleu’s “The Love of the Nightingale” (Fort Collins)
Sept. 20-Oct. 14, 2012: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “Fences” (Space Theatre
Sept. 21-Oct. 21, 2012: The Edge’s “Boom” (Lakewood)
Sept. 27-Oct 21, 2012: Denver Center Theatre Company’s “The Three Musketeers” (Stage Theatre)
Oct. 2-24, 2012: And Toto Too’s “Pardon My Dust” (at Laundry on Lawrence)
Complete Denver Post theater listings:
Capsules of all currently running productions
