This Friday, Street Scene, the Kurt Weill-Langston Hughes opera profiled in last week's issue of SFCV, comes to the Paramount Theatre stage, played by the Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Michael Morgan. It is every bit as marvelous as Morgan says, and you probably won't soon get another chance to hear it in the Bay Area.
Performances are unfortunately rare, but this one sports a top-drawer cast anchored by Kristin Clayton, Julie Adams, Kirk Eichelberger, and Thomas Glenn. Hughes' lyrics are direct and sound like they would be uttered by the characters who sing them.
Weill's score is an effective mix of styles with a couple of great tunes and a lot of raw, dramatic power. Don't let this opportunity escape.