More Theater Monday - Brecht on Brecht

We were given complimentary tickets to Brecht on Brecht for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Brecht on Brecht

Where: Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre

             A.R.T./NY Theatre

             502 W. 53 St.

Who: Teens and Up

When: Through November 20, 2021

Brecht on Brecht is a revue of the life of Bertolt Brecht told through snatches of his own poems, stories, songs, and plays. It cannot really be billed as musical revue because the songs here are few and far between. It feels a little bit like Godspell with a lot fewer songs which is a shame because songs break up the monotony of it all and otherwise it gets a bit too preachy. 

The company of performers are all a part of the Breaking Through Barriers theater company, the only professional Off-Broadway theater company for performers who are differently-abled including hearing-impaired actors, visually-impaired actors, and even one actor in a wheelchair, and more. The acting is mostly strong and makes it clear why these performers should be given more opportunities. 

The singing is not as strong, however, but that may be partly due to the fact that Brecht songs can be hard to sing and are not always that pretty to listen to. The best and only well-known song in the show is Mack the Knife from Brecht's Threepenny Opera. In any case, I hope to see these actors strut their stuff in a more interesting show sometime in the future.

And that's our view.  Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credits: All Brecht on Brecht production photos by Carol Rosegg