Julia Migenes Sings Kurt Weill

Even if you cut down the show's title, "Julia Migenes Sings Kurt Weill," into "Migenes Sings Weill," you might be tempted to comment that, indeed, Migenes sings very well. Extremely well in fact. But that, of course, would be a mightily ill thought-out minimalization of how talented and vibrant this opera singer is.

Looking at least 20 years younger than her healthy 66, the mezzo-soprano sings and, as importantly, articulates the songs Weill wrote with German, French and American collaborators. Most of the songs are gems largely lost to even theatrical aficionados but that reflect most of the shows Weill scored in his relatively short life span, from 1928 to 1950, when he died at age 50.

From "Threepenny Opera" (1928) to his last, "Lost in the Stars," (1950) Weill spent many years reflecting social issues of the day, and blazoning new musical roads, including "Johnny Johnson," the 1936 anti-war musical (none of those songs were used in her show).

Migenes has amazing breath control (what opera singer doesn't, eh?) and tone. Her range for this show goes from a D to an A, with an expert actor's ability to make you understand what the character's needs are, even in languages one might not know. She also has the ability to make light when necessary, interspersing ad-libbed humor as he searches for papers with critics' quotes of the day.

Helped along by the extraordinary accompaniment of pianist Dr. Mitsuko Morikawa, Migenes makes us understand some of the other songs, especially the relatively unknown ones, such as "Marterl," (from 1929's "The Berliner Requiem,") to "Je ne t'aime pas/I Don't Love You" from the 1934 French two-act show, "Marie Galante," to another Bertolt Brecht collaboration, "Happy End," (1929) which gave us "es regnet/It is Raining."

Megenes moves from "The Bilbao Song," and "Surubaya Johnny," to better-known dramatic songs such as "Mack The Knife," "Kanonen Song," "Die Zuhaelter-Ballade/The Pimp's Ballad," and "Pirate Jenny," (all from "Threepenny Opera"), to his American Broadway shows, 1943's "One Touch of Venus," (here, 'Speak Low") and "Knickerbocker Holiday" (1938), which introduced the classic "September Song."

Only performing on an empty stage, with just a worker's tall V-shaped ladder, some rope and soap-boxes for sitting on, Migenes and Morikawa work wonders with the material. However, with the lighting plot and the sound erratically handled, it wasn't as interestingly visual as one might have liked.

But since the point of the evening are the songs and how they're interpreted, you can and will walk out duly satisfied with the talents onstage. Bravo to director Peter Medak (Migenes' ex) for guiding the duo to such excellent insights and results.

"Julia Migenes Sings Kurt Weill" runs through Jan. 16, 2016 at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 Sepulveda Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025. For tickets or information, call 310-477-2055x2 or visit www.OdysseyTheatre.com.