Music: Kurt Weill
Book & Lyrics: Paul Green

A cross between The Wizard Of Oz and Oh, What a Lovely War, Kurt Weill's first American musical, mixing satire, sentiment, and surrealism, was perhaps too much of a good thing to be a Broadway hit. But all the critics agreed that this anti-war fantasy had an extremely rich and complex score - cowboy ballads, French music-hall, American vaudeville and of course Weill's own mordant, sinister and heartbreaking style.

Combining broad comedy (a singing Statue of Liberty, a soldier who tries to bring peace by spraying the generals with laughing gas) and droll wit (a burlesque of psychoanalysis), this is a one-of-a-kind period piece and a treasure trove of gorgeous melodies.

Director:  Ian Marshall Fisher
Producer:  The Lost Musicals Charitable Trust (reg no 1069268)

LOST MUSICALS™ website: www.lostmusicals.org

Matt Wolf reviews Johnny Johnson and discusses Kurt Weill’s life and work on BBC Radio 3's Night Waves.
listen »