About The Book

The Threepenny Opera broke box-office records in its original Berlin run, 1928-1933, and has had many extremely successful runs in the United States ever since.

There have been several English adaptations. The present “book” of Desmond Vesey’s renders every word of the German, including Bertolt Brecht’s Notes. Eric Bentley’s lyrics are also faithful to the German, though they are, of course, written to be sung to the famous Kurt Weill’s music.

Kurt Weill’s widow, the great actress and chanteuse Lotte Lenya, has written the introduction, telling the story of how The Threepenny Opera came into being.

Praise

“I think The Threepenny Opera and Mother Courage are the great plays of our time.” —Lillian Hellman