Verdict: Out-of-date cynicism and nihilism
Perhaps this overlong, underwhelming Brecht/Weill collaboration seemed to be at the cutting edge of contemporary music theatre when it opened in Leipzig in 1930, but it is now like the blunt, rusty kitchen knife you find at the bottom of a compost heap.
Two-thirds of the way through Act 1 (of three), I realised I did not care a fig for any of the characters being portrayed on the stage; or for Brecht's supposed satire, which boiled down to an utterly cynical view of life. Only when it was remarked that mankind had ruined the earth was an outer ring of the target hit.
The city of Mahagonny is founded by three criminals on the run, who soon attract all the worst excesses of city life. The action is fragmented by a narrator with a megaphone who keeps popping up; and 1920s alienation tricks include posters and members of the cast painting obvious words on walls.
The piece is not helped by being set in America. Brecht's heavy-handed German ideas of American frontier colloquialism are rendered even more ludicrous by Jeremy Sams's English translation, which adds an encrustation of banality to the peculiar original.
Weill managed one hit song, 'Moon Of Alabama' with its quaint lyrics, so of course we have to hear it three times.
Danielle de Niese as Jenny does her considerable best with it, but even she cannot rescue her other main number.
The three stars are awarded for the performance under music director designate Andre de Ridder. Weill achieves striking effects when setting the male chorus against an interestingly varied orchestra, but of course effects are not necessarily affecting -- and the production can at best be described as semi-staged.
The solo singing is uniformly excellent. Apart from de Niese, the New Zealand dramatic tenor Simon O'Neill shows tremendous stamina in the difficult role of Jimmy and mezzo-soprano Rosie Aldridge makes a positive impression as Begbick.
I suppose this opera has interest as a period piece but after seeing one man killed in a boxing match and Jimmy executed in the electric chair, all I could think of was that if I heard the word 'Mahagonny' again I would scream.
Exiting from the London Coliseum, I gratefully gave a quid to a beggar just to reassert my humanity.