This program will be held in-person at the Newberry. Please register below.
Premiered in Germany on February 18, 1933, and promptly banned by the recently elected Nazi party, Der Silbersee (The Silverlake) was composer Kurt Weill’s final theatrical work written before he fled to Paris in March 1933 to escape the rising tide of fascism, eventually immigrating to the United States. A groundbreaking work that stands as both a testament to artistic defiance and a timeless reflection of humanity's struggles and hopes, Der Silbersee is a genre-defying masterpiece that blurs the boundaries between opera, operetta, and musical theater, paving the way for the future of music drama. Written in collaboration with dramatist Georg Kaiser, the narrative tells the poignant story of Severin, a destitute man shot while stealing a pineapple, and Olim, the policeman who wounds him but later nurses him back to health as he seeks redemption. At its heart, this deeply human tale asks a question that resonates deeply today: How can we find reconciliation and hope in a fractured world? Weill’s score—an extraordinary blend of late-Romantic lyricism, sharp modernist edges, and the propulsive energy of popular song—underscores the work’s emotional depth and political urgency, seamlessly shifting between satire, poignancy, and surrealism.
Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Der Silbersee will run March 4, 7, and 8 at the Studebaker Theater, directed by Lawrence Edelson and conducted by James Lowe. You can purchase tickets here.
Cost and Registration
This program is free and open to all. Advance registration required.
Registration opens January 1.
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