Work of the Week - Kurt Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins

On May 11, New York City Ballet premieres a new production of Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins, choreographed by the Tony-nominated director and choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett and starring Patti LuPone as Anna I. Ms. LuPone first sang Anna I in concert at the Cincinnati May Festival and the Ravinia Festival in 2009, under the baton of James Conlon.

A sung ballet in seven scenes, The Seven Deadly Sins (Die sieben Todsünden) was composed by Kurt Weill (photo on the right) to a libretto by Bertolt Brecht for George Balanchine’s troupe “Les Ballets 1933.” It premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris on June 7, 1933, choreographed by Balanchine, conducted by Maurice Abravanel, and starring Lotte Lenya and Tilly Losch. In 1958, Balanchine revived the production for New York City Ballet, starring Lenya and Allegra Kent.

An ironic morality play, The Seven Deadly Sins tells the story of a character named Anna, who is played by both a singer and a dancer. Anna I (who sings) and Anna II (who dances) are two facets of one personality. At the behest of Anna’s family, they travel to seven different American cities in order to make enough money to build a little house on the banks of the Mississippi. In each city, she/they encounter a different deadly sin, and Anna I (the practical side) rebukes Anna II (the artistic side) for engaging in sinful behavior—that is, behavior which hinders the accumulation of wealth. After each sin is repented in turn, they return to their new house.

The Seven Deadly Sins will also be performed in other stage productions this summer, at the Castleton Festival (July 8, 15, 23) and Central City Opera (July 9 – August 3).

• Kurt Weill - Profile
• Details on New York City Ballet's production of The Seven Deadly Sins can be found at www.nycballet.org

_{Photo: Theater Ulm, 2010}