Classical Event Details

Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht & Elisabeth Hauptmann’s “Happy End”

Merkin Hall in NYC and New York metro | Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:30 PM EST

When

Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:30 PM EST

Where

Merkin Hall
New York City, New York Metro

Address

129 W 67th St, New York, NY 10023

The NYC premiere of a new English version of the sharp, jazz-infused 1929 musical satire by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht and Elisabeth Hauptmann blazes with wit, grit and dark glamour. A follow-up to the trio’s success with The Threepenny Opera, Happy End is a satire of big business and big religion set in a smoky speakeasy where religion and capitalism collide. The unforgettable score includes “Bilbao Song,” “Mandalay Song” and “Surabaya Johnny.” Directed by Mary Birnbaum, this compact new English adaptation by Kelley Rourke is music directed by Rob Ainsley and features Ana Karneža, a Juilliard drama graduate and 2024 winner of the Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition, and instrumentalists from the Manhattan School of Music’s Jazz program. The presentation is part of a historic new collaborative partnership between The Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Saratoga, Finger Lakes Opera and the Seagle Festival.