Religion and capitalism collide in this sharp, jazz-infused musical satire by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, and Elisabeth Hauptmann. Banned after just two performances in 1929 Berlin, Happy End is a satire of big business and big religion set in a smoky speakeasy where gangsters do deals, and the Salvation Army saves souls. With an unforgettable score that includes “Bilbao Song,” “Mandalay Song,” and “Surabaya Johnny,” Happy End blazes with wit, grit, and dark glamour.

Happy End will be music directed by Artistic & General Director Rob Ainsley, and feature Ana Karneža, a Juilliard drama graduate who won the Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition in 2024. The production will be directed by Mary Birnbaum, General & Artistic Director of Opera Saratoga, in collaboration with Glimmerglass Festival Dramaturg Kelley Rourke. Happy End is presented as part of a historic new collaborative partnership between The Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Saratoga, Finger Lakes Opera, and the Seagle Festival, with 11 performances touring to eight venues across New York State and Western Massachusetts, and presented in the Glimmerglass Pavilion.

Happy End

Alice Busch Opera Theater of Cooperstown 

Religion and capitalism collide in this sharp, jazz-infused musical comedy by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, and Elisabeth Hauptmann. Banned after just two performances in 1929 Berlin, Happy End is a satire of big business and big religion set in a smoky speakeasy where gangsters do deals and the Salvation Army saves souls. With an unforgettable score that includes “Bilbao Song,” “Mandalay Song,” and “Surabaya Johnny,” Happy End blazes with wit, grit, and dark glamour.

Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House

Opera Saratoga, Glimmerglass Festival, Finger Lakes Opera, and Seagle Festival will form a historic New York State partnership to present Kurt Weill, Bertholt Brecht, and Elisabeth Hauptmann’s Happy End.

Bradley Bickhardt

Events

Past events

28 - 31 Jul, 2026

Happy End · Glimmerglass Festival

May 29, 2026

Happy End · Hudson Hall

Future and recently performed repertoire

Hannibal in Happy End by Brecht

Glimmerglass Festival

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