Stage Review - Threepenny Opera

Stage Review - Threepenny Opera
Presented By: Theatre Battery - Kent, WA
Show Run: August 21 - September 07, 2025
Date Reviewed: Thursday, August 28, 2025
Run Time: 2 Hours, 40 Minutes (inclusive of a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Anna Tatelman

When thinking about an almost 100-year-old opera created by the founder of epic theatre (a movement that asks audiences to confront their socio-political dilemmas through relevant plays), the word ‘riveting’ might not be the first one that comes to mind. But that was the first word I wrote during intermission at Theatre Battery’s current production of The Threepenny Opera. This show grabbed me by the collar and, days later, still has not let me go. Far more than being a piece that demands our attention, both then and now, to the many ways in which power corrupts (though it is that, and excels at it), Theatre Battery’s Threepenny Opera is a hidden gem of a show that uses its theatrical space in innovative ways while delivering top-notch musical performances.

The original libretto of The Threepenny Opera was a collaboration between playwright Bertolt Brecht (often referred to as the father of epic theatre), playwright and translator Elisabeth Hauptmann, and composer Kurt Weill. Inspired by John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, Threepenny Opera is an operatic play set in Victorian London that first premiered nearly a century ago. It follows Macheath, an infamous murderer and rapist, and his marriage to Polly Peachum. Polly’s father happens to be a thriving businessman who operates The Beggars’ Emporium, a shop that provides London’s beggars with licenses to stand on specific streets while helping them beg more efficiently with themed outfits and signs. Displeased with his daughter’s rebellion, Mr. Peachum plots to have Macheath captured and hanged. His plans are complicated by the fact that Macheath has strong connections throughout the city, including and especially with his old army buddy who is now the Chief of Police.

This production is a brand-new adaptation of Threepenny Opera created by director Logan Ellis in collaboration with the Theatre Battery team. Unfortunately I’m not deeply familiar with the original text so can’t speak to all the changes, but one of the most striking was the new lyrics in Song of Solomon, a haunting tune about how the most brilliant humans often suffer the greatest at the hands of others. In a departure from the original, Ellis added verses about Bertolt Brecht himself, who was persecuted first by the Nazis and then by the McCarthy Trials for his Marxist ideology (or, as the song describes it, “but when too oft he raised his voice to question how the country was run, the Nazis kicked him out for fun”). Changes like this smartly sharpen the original text’s motifs related to authority, corruption, and the simultaneous power of and danger in speaking out for what’s right. The musical arrangements, done in this production by Dan Pardo, also have some changes. Theatre Battery’s production of Threepenny Opera, while still soaringly operatic at times, frequently gives off more of a rock-opera tone reminiscent of Carrie, Phantom, or Prince of Egypt. This type of reimagining helps position Theatre Battery’s Threepenny Opera at an exciting intersection of socio-political dramas, operas, musical theatre, and metatextual pieces.

Speaking of music – it’s phenomenal. All the musicians (Ed Baisa, Justin Ho, Chris Monroe, Harlan Feinstein, and Trace Pope) play in a way that’s precise, clear, and hypnotic, even with songs that have complex melodies and frequently lack a defined verse/chorus structure. Together with the performers, they come together to create a sound that’s both technically superb and musically engaging. I imagine that must be especially challenging in a weird acoustical space, but based on the audio quality alone, I could forget we were inside a retail store.

This is an all-around excellent cast, but for me, one of the standout actors is Ilia Isorelys Paulino as Polly. Paulino depicts the many shades of her character well, from her silly moments to her more wizened approach to the world, with a powerful vocal performance that holds the attention of the whole audience. Devin White as Macheath is also exceptional; he can change the entire mood of the room with his ever-shifting chameleon personality, from the charming ringleader to a murderous brute and back again. Adrienne Wells also excels at showing the dilemma her character Jenny, a former lover of Macheath’s, faces; her Song of Solomon is both vocally captivating and emotionally difficult to watch.

Like many smaller theatres around the greater Seattle area, Theatre Battery doesn’t have a set venue. But what makes Theatre Battery unique is that, for twelve years, they’ve had a collaborative agreement with Kent Station in which they get to utilize empty retail stores for their theatre productions. Producing Threepenny Opera in this type of “found space” gives Theatre Battery a chance to challenge our expectations of usual theatrical environments: within the alcoves where merchandise usually sits are disembodied dummies with clothes strewn about them and cardboard signs hanging from their necks; hanging from chandeliers are more clothes and bags; and the orchestra players are scattered throughout the performing space (scenic design by Bella Rivera). Theatre Battery has also made the space more inherently theatrical by adding risers for the audience and professional lighting in the form of both overhead stage lights and a manually operated spotlight at the back. This messy-on-purpose aesthetic gives us the feeling of watching the performers create something for our eyes alone. And the metatheatrical element continues during the show itself, as actors use cardboard signs to tell us which characters they’re playing or announce the next song.

The use of this found space is far more than an attention-grabbing gimmick: it’s a choice that director Ellis and choreographer Fen Lastra wisely allow to influence the entire show. Much of Threepenny is presented along diagonal lines of sight. This technique both makes use of the various doors positioned in the corners of the room and of the audience sections against two of the four walls. The spotlight follows the performers’ entrances, exits, and solo moments, or deviates to point to a cardboard sign somewhere in the space declaring the next song (lighting design by Cricket Neiss and David Keogh). All of this adds up to create an environment that feels like a warehouse turned into a professional theatre, reminding us of theatre’s unique ability to transport us to new worlds while reminding us of the one we’re already in.

In a show about murder, corruption, and the commodification of compassion, it would be easy to become bogged down in these heavy themes. Ellis and Lastra instead take the approach of putting us inside a circus-like universe in which these characters continually distract the audience and themselves from the horrors around them with Broadway-style dances or catchy tunes. During the opening song, for instance, when the characters tell us about the violent crimes Macheath has committed, Macheath commands one of the performers to do a tap dance. And Jenny’s Song of Solomon is part operatic aria, part jazz/“doo wop” number, to feed us a diversion from the agony she sings about. Much like Pippin, Cabaret, or Urinetown, this Threepenny Opera places us inside a world where the characters cope with the horrors of their lives (and give us a way to cope, too) with continual dances and sideshows.

Theatre Battery’s Threepenny Opera is the kind of show that rivets you to your seat and haunts your thoughts long after the curtain falls. This production does an excellent job of showcasing both why the original socio-political opera was so powerful while adapting the text, music, and staging for a modern audience. If you’re looking for a show that features spectacular musicians and vocalists, takes place in a unique found location, and serves up Cabaret-style political commentary that makes you both laugh and cringe in recognition, this one is a do-not-miss.

Threepenny Opera, presented by Theatre Battery, runs on stage at Kent Station (suite 105) through September 7. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.theatrebattery.org/.

Photo credit: Luca Le