Twenty-five years since its American premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre, the hit musical "Happy End" is being brought back to life on a campus stage Friday-Wednesday, May 2-7, as the School of Drama's final production of the year.
"Happy End," by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, was first staged at the Yale Rep in 1972, and was brought back by popular demand three years later. Its move to the Martin Beck Theater on Broadway in 1977 garnered Brecht's self-described "play with music" three Tony nominations for best musical, best book and best score.
The story of "Happy End," which has been adapted by Michael Feingold, has often been compared to that of Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara" and Damon Runyon's musical "Guys and Dolls." Lillian, who works for the Salvation Army, falls in love with a hardened gang criminal named Bill Cracker. When the two struggle to maintain the ideals of their organizations, they find themselves outcasts from the societies in which they believe. Set in Chicago at the turn of the century, the action alternates between Bill's Beer Hall -- the gangster's hangout -- and the Canal Street Mission, operated by the Salvation Army. The play also focuses on the evil deeds of a second- rate Chicago gang, led by a mysterious woman in gray, who is known simply as "The Fly." Comic situations erupt as the virtuous members of the Salvation Army invade the territory of the gang and begin a struggle for gang members' souls.
Eleanor Holdridge, a third-year directing student, chose "Happy End" as her thesis production. This is the first time that a musical has been undertaken as a thesis project. She selected "Happy End," she says, because she wanted to direct a play about town life and which also explored some "big issues, rather than just being about the characters themselves."
"I love the way 'Happy End' plays self-consciously with theatricality, as well as its ironic twists," Ms. Holdridge says. "It toys with our expectations and stereotypes. I also wanted to do a show with music, and 'Happy End' has some amazing songs." In fact, while the play is no longer frequently performed, its music has remained popular. Among the most familiar musical pieces are "The Bilbao Song," "The Sailor's Tango" and "Surabaya Johnny." In her production, Ms. Holdridge has made the audience a more central part of the play's action. Rather than serving as mere spectators to the action on the stage, the characters actually tell a story to the audience "in a more explicit way than we are used to," says the directing student.
"This production will emphasize a group of actors, musicians and technicians coming together as individuals to tell a simple story and make the 'happy end' of the title come true," she explains. The play is "filled with action that will require the audience's compliance in order to truly come to life."
With a cast of 17, as well as seven musicians, a music director and other collaborators, the production is "a big community project" for drama school students, comments Ms. Holdridge, whose other work has included Yale productions of "Alice Down the Hole," "Tartuffe," "Titus Andronicus" and "Fences." "We're really having a lot of fun with it," she says.
Collaborating on the production are set designer Marc Mileto, costume designer Linda Cho, lighting designer Robert Perry, sound designer Jens McVoy and production dramaturg Samantha Rabetz.
Performances of "Happy End" are at 8 p.m. nightly in the University Theatre, 222 York St. There will also be a matinee on Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the Monday- Wednesday performances and $15 for the Friday and Saturday shows and the matinee. Student tickets are $8. For more information or to make reservations, call the Yale Rep box office at 432-1234.