Weill's songs will highlight cabaret dance program in RB


Composer Kurt Weill died at the age of 50, but during his short life he produced a huge number of songs, including the hugely popular "Mack the Knife" from "The Threepenny Opera."

"A lot of Kurt Weill's works weren't published when he was alive," said Faith Jensen-Ismay, artistic director of Rancho Bernardo-based Mojalet Dance Collective. "Many were found later, after he died."

Seven songs from the "Unknown Kurt Weill Song Album" are the basis of Mojalet Dance Collective's "Dance & Opera." The performance on Sunday at the Vine performance space in Rancho Bernardo includes dancing by Jensen-Ismay, songs by operatic soprano Stacey Fraser and Josh Tuburan on the piano.

Jensen-Ismay said she is a huge fan of Weill's.

"I love how his work has a fun twist," said Jensen-Ismay. "The music sounds so upbeat, but it talks about the politics of the time. There's a twist in the energy: fun, but with a message. It's the juxtaposition about what we see and what's really there."

For instance, "Je ne t'aime pas" is a woman telling a man that she doesn't love him, but the passion and energy she uses to tell him shows her true feelings. "Buddy on the Nightshift" seems to be a love song when it's really about two people working on building airplanes for the war.

This performance began when Fraser, who has sung with the San Diego Opera, approached Jensen-Ismay about collaborating on something new. They originally wanted to do Weill's "The Seven Deadly Sins," but it required a full orchestra. Weill's work is closely monitored by the Kurt Weill Foundation, which his widow set up to ensure the continued quality of those presenting the composer's works.

The seven songs that Jensen-Ismay chose also seemed to fit the smaller Vine venue better.

"They have a cabaret feeling to them and can be performed with a solo singer and a piano," she explained. "It was something that we could present high quality in a small space and fit into the foundation's guidelines."

They hope that the comedy, satire, passion and fun of Weill's work is demonstrated in the music and the dance.

"These seven songs show the full range of emotion," she said. "I want the audience to feel like they've been to a cultural experience, not just a live dance show. I want to have taken them on a journey and help them learn something and perhaps reflect on this time (the '30s) and Weill's fun, twisted music."

Mojalet Dance Collective's "Dance & Opera"

When: 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday

Where: The Vine, The Bernardo Winery, 13330 Paseo Del Verano, Rancho Bernardo

Tickets: $15, general; $10, students

Info: 858-243-1402


