MEDIA CONTACT: Polly Burks
561-297-2595, purks@fau.edu

FAU's Theatre Department Presents
"The Threepenny Opera"

BOCA RATON, FL (January 26, 2006) - Florida Atlantic University's department of theatre will present "The Threepenny Opera," a musical by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, from Friday, February 10 through Sunday, February 19. Shows begin at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and 2 p.m. on Sundays in the Studio One Theatre of FAU's Boca Raton campus, 777 Glades Road. General admission tickets are $20. FAU students may obtain free admission, and FAU faculty, staff and alumni tickets are $10. Tickets can be purchased by calling 800-564-9539 or at the theatre two hours prior to the performance.

"The Threepenny Opera" is a musical set in the underworld of 1800s London. It centers on the notorious Macheath, known to his lowlife friends by his street name of "Mack the Knife." The plot follows Macheath through a tragic-comic series of romances and intrigues, using his life to illuminate the dark side of the London nightlife.

Directed by Jean-Louis Baldet, this presentation has over 27 musical numbers with a live three-piece ensemble. The music, which draws on German and American jazz of the early 1900s, is fast and energetic. The stage is set with a three-story abstract sculpture that depicts London's alleyways, and the show is fully costumed in the style of Victorian London.

"I think audiences will enjoy the momentum of this show," said Baldet. "The music, the bawdy jokes and the overall humor keep it bright and lively."

This production is presented by the School of the Arts' department of theatre in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at FAU. For more information about the play, call 561-297-3810. For more information on other School of the Arts events, visit www.fau.edu/artsupdate.

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