Word: peachum
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...highwayman Captain Macheath is our hero-villain who faces the gallows. In a moment of passionate indiscretion he has married Polly Peachum, and now the greedy Mr. Peachum turns his daughter's situation to his own advantage. With the treacherous aid of Macheath's lovely women, Peachum captures our hero and delivers him, for the reward, to Newgate Prison. The Captain's other wife, Lucy Lockit, frees him, but in another moment of indiscretion he is captured again, this time by both Mr. Lockit and Mr. Peachum. The Captain should hang, and in a tragedy he would hang, but this...
...opera is full of scene stealers, but Emily Levine, as Mrs. Peachum, is the biggest thief of the lot. Her bulging eyes, arched body, piercing voice, and hilariously affected manner make her the center of attention even when she is saying nothing. She is blustering one moment, cooing the next all the time revelling in her over-played comedy. Judith Press plays a fiery, buxom Lucy with the same touch of humor...
...rich, pleasing voices. Richard Backus, as Locket, is the male counterpart of Miss Levine, a slapstick scene stealer with a comically mobile face. Unfortunately awkward, for he seems unsure of himself, stumbling over his lines and stiffly declaiming his songs. Still, he scowls enough to make an adequately evil Peachum...
...stage, Captain Macheath and Mrs. Peachum can scream bitter words to sneering music; but in the audience a dentist will tap his feet and hum along gaily. "This is as good as My Fair Lady," he whispers to his plump wife. "It's better," she answers; "it's more modern...
...language has been called "a function of the body." The present translations need more body English. Even so, the volume is an excellent introduction to Brecht's restlessly animated evocation of life, in which his puppets-numberless versions of Everyman-dance to the Threepenny tune of Jonathan Peachum...