★★★★☆ “The story of Mahagonny is, in all its prophetic intensity, a story of our time, in which pleasure and entertainment represent the highest values, reality has lost its gold standard, and money can buy everything.”
“Van Hove’s direction radically implements this observational, detached view, with cameras and screens on stage that constantly draw your gaze away from the live actors; he shows the glow and emptiness of virtual reality, but also manages to tap into the humanity of the characters. The power of the performance lies in that paradox.”
“The Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest plays outstandingly under Markus Stenz. Ultimately, it is Weill’s artful, layered, and versatile music that keeps the illusion alive for almost three hours, after which the whole mess goes up in flames.”
– NRC – Joep Stapel
★★★★☆ “The opera Mahagonny is so strong that you wonder: why is this not standard repertoire?”
“Across the board, Van Hove’s tight performance model pays off, but Lauren Michelle is by far the best actor as Jenny: in close-up shots her expressive face, tenderness, and will to survive compete convincingly for precedence.”
– de Volkskrant – Herien Wensink and Merlijn Kerkhof
“In a score like this, which oscillates between opera and musical theater, the musical and scenic values definitely prevail over those of singing. Markus Stenz leads the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest in a musical reading, alternately wild and solemn, that gives the heterogeneous musical material optimal cohesion.
– OperaClick – Edoardo Saccenti
“The female lead Jenny is played by soprano Lauren Michelle, sexy and affable aloof to the male population. Her big song is “Denn wie man sich bettet,” which she interprets very well, utilizing a good mix between two voice types, musical and opera. She turns out to be an ideal Jenny in every way.”
– Place de l’Opera – Peter Franken
“The projected ultimate message (‘Against man’) of this production, with all its hedonism and selfishness, decisively touches on the world of today.”
– Trouw – Peter van der Lint
