Following a sell-out season as part of the NZ International Arts Festival The Songs of Kurt Weill will return for three performances only this weekend in Wellington.

This powerful and dynamic show takes the audience on a musical trip through the Kurt Weill songbook. Exquisite arrangements include Janet Roddick's (right) beautiful vocals and featuring banjos, clarinet, theremin and harmonium and, while utterly contemporary, honour the theatrical roots of these dramatic songs.

Friday 5 May - Sunday 7 May, 8.30pm
HAPPY (Cnr Vivian & Tory Streets)
Ph: 384 1965 $20/$15
Following a sell-out season as part of the NZ International Arts Festival The Songs of Kurt Weill will return for three performances only this weekend in Wellington.

This powerful and dynamic show takes the audience on a musical trip through the Kurt Weill songbook. Exquisite arrangements include Janet Roddick's (right) beautiful vocals and featuring banjos, clarinet, theremin and harmonium and, while utterly contemporary, honour the theatrical roots of these dramatic songs.

Friday 5 May - Sunday 7 May, 8.30pm
HAPPY (Cnr Vivian & Tory Streets)
Ph: 384 1965 $20/$15
From Pirate Jenny to Speak Low and Alabama Song these are not your average love songs. Dealing with murder, prostitution and political corruption, and set in strangely exotic locations, the songs of German-born composer Kurt Weill explore the darker side of life. Weill was one of the most accomplished theatre composers of the 20th century, best known for writing Mack the Knife.

At times confrontational, this is edgy as Weill and Brecht (his most well known lyricist) would demand. At others the performance is emotional and direct, romantic and lyrical.

Singer Janet Roddick and musicians David Donaldson, Steve Roche and David Long have all played music together, from the Six Volts of the 1980s to recent work on Lord of the Rings and King Kong, and joined by Jeff Henderson and Chris O'Connor they give the characters of these bittersweet tales a voice.

"Roddick's voice is superb. A faithful tribute to Weill's music - and through inventive arrangements the sell-out audience got to hear the individual musical personalities of this very talented crew."

- Simon Sweetman, Dominion Post, March 2006

"I wouldn't miss it" - Nick Bollinger, Radio NZ, March 2006