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 

The NYC premiere of a new English version of the sharp, jazz-infused 1929 musical satire by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht and Elisabeth Hauptmann blazes with wit, grit and dark glamour. A follow-up to the trio’s success with The Threepenny Opera, Happy End is a satire of big business and big religion set in a smoky speakeasy where religion and capitalism collide. The unforgettable score includes “Bilbao Song,” “Mandalay Song” and “Surabaya Johnny.”

Weill and Bertolt Brecht

Events

Upcoming events

Nov 12, 2026

Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht & Elisabeth Hauptmann's "Happy End" · Kaufman Music Center

Past events

28 - 31 Jul, 2026

Happy End · Glimmerglass Festival

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