FlopHAUS Cabaret
June 17 - 20 | McColl Center
FlopHAUS Cabaret, Ballads of A Dark Horse is an edgy, cabaret style social satire. It is inspired by the famously provocative 'ThreePenny Opera' and the legendary Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya and Bertolt Brecht.
Defiantly sharp as Mack the Knife's blade, this raw dark comedy includes nineteen original and contemporary adaptations of Weill's works such as 'Pimp Ballad’, 'Moon of Alabama', ' Je ne t'aime pas', and ‘Pirate Jenny’.
In the tradition of the witty yet politically dissonant 'ThreePenny Opera', FlopHAUS Cabaret not only entertains, but cunningly challenges hypocrisy, corruption and moral ambiguity in society, with a sharp sense of humor and a wink and nod “Happy End”.
Expressed through theater, dance, jazz and opera, this multi-media music production is performed by over 35 national, regional and Charlotte-based actors, dancers, musicians, and singers.
For FlopHAUS Cabaret the McColl Center will be turned into a two-stage cabaret theater/club, traveling through time from 1925 until today, making use of the unique visuals and atmosphere the building has to offer.
June 17 - 20, Wednesday – Saturday 7:30pm.
House opens at 7pm.
Tickets available HERE, at McColl Center and the door.
Intended for mature audiences.
Additional information at mccollcenter.org
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Background:
FlopHAUS Cabaret is inspired by the famous 'ThreePenny Opera', the life and works of composer Kurt Weill, his wife and singer/performer Lotte Lenya and plays by playwright/poet Berthold Brecht.
They achieved major international acclaim first in Germany, and after escaping the Nazis, also in France and especially the USA. Several of their works like the famously provocative 'Three Penny Opera', are still regularly produced throughout the world.
The song "Pirate Jenny", based on a poor maid's dream of liberation and vengeance against her oppressors, was made famous by many notable singers, including Nina Simone, who poignantly changed the story’s location to a flophouse in the South. Written by Brecht and Weill for the "Three Penny Opera", it reflected social, political, gender and class tensions of the time, which also inspired new works like Bob Dylan's 'When The Ship Comes In' and renditions of 'Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)' by The Doors and David Bowie.
While moving from the 1920s to 2026, FlopHAUS Cabaret touches on the unlikely rise of Lotte Lenya and her relationship with Kurt Weill. Lenya came from a deeply poor working class background. Her alcoholic and abusive father was a coachman, her mother kept the family afloat working as a dishwasher and maid. As a teenager Lenya was moved by her mother and an aunt out of her home to another country. There she used every chance to develop a love of dance, theatre and music - while doing what it took to survive - and eventually met the rising star composer Kurt Weill. Both were deeply intrigued by each other and began a lifelong partnership in work and marriage, that lasted through numerous hardships and successes. Weill dropped composing music for elites and instead focused together with Lenya on creating new work, that spoke to and told stories of those with little power, women and the working class.
Who Is Who ?*
the actors: Mike Harris | Phillip Sprinkle | Tanya McClellan |
the singers: Amber Rose | Cynthia Farbman-Harris | Corey Lovelace | Jonathan White |
the musicians: Gene Bledsoe | Sal Contrino | Troy Conn | Joe Wilson
the dancers: Adyson Lloyd | Annie Ross | Brooke Lai | Cassidy Ranson | Catherine Ball | Celeste Herod | Chandler Davis | Delila Kostiuk | Ella Fischer | Faith Barror | Gunnar Hammarstrom | Isabella Wierzbecki | Jackson VanBlon | Jiji Shindler | Lily Chen | Lily Fuori | Lola Boothe | Luci Inman | Megan Malone | Megan Murphy | Phoebe Gray | Regan Foster | Riley Smith | Violet Dubreuil |
the costume designers: Caroline Wingerd | MyLoan Dinh |
the lights: Barbara Berry |
the assistants: George Koraly (tech) | Breanne Horne (dancers) | Jim Backman (front of house)
artistic direction & concept: Till Schmidt-Rimpler in collaboration with the artists
*subject to change
Amber Rose
Praised for her uniquely effervescent and iridescent vocal qualities, American soprano Amber Rose is rapidly establishing herself as a dynamic and versatile artist. Performing throughout the United States, she is celebrated for her stylistic range across opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and folk music.
Amber has received numerous recognitions and awards including 1st Place winner of both the 2022 South Carolina District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Michael Ballam Vocal Competition.
A champion of crossover repertoire, she also performs regularly as a Celtic music artist with renowned fiddler Jamie Laval.
Amber has performed with Moving Poets for the first time in 2024 as Angel in Snake’s Riddle.
Sal Contrino is an award winning classical guitarist, teacher, and performer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has received the Queens University Outstanding Musicianship Award, Charlotte Music Club Performance Award and the Unveiled Prize from the Southern Guitar Festival and Competition. Additionally, he is the co-founder and director of the Queens University of Charlotte Guitar Symposium, an annual classical guitar festival and competition. Sal had his first performance with Moving Poets in May 2024 as one of the lead musicians for SNAKES’ RIDDLE.
Tenor, Johnathan Stanford White began his Operatic studies at the College of Charleston in 2004 while working on his BA in Vocal Performance. As a celebrated young artist, Johnathan performed in many leading roles with the College of Charleston Opera/ Musical Theatre productions and was both a State and Regional Winner in several competitions.
Since moving to Charlotte and joining Opera Carolina as a Resident Company Member in 2013, Johnathan has become a staple in the classical music scene.
Recently he was seen as Spoletta in Opera Carolina's production of Tosca, the Comedians in ILA's Production of Tales of Hoffman, and as Beppe in Opera Caolina's production of Pagliacci.
Johnathan is also an accomplished Symphonic soloist performing in The Messiah , Saint Saens Christmas Oratorio, The Seven Last Words of Christ and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra.
Jonathan has performed with Moving Poets for the first time in 2024 as Snake in Snake’s Riddle.
Troy Conn is a professional jazz, classical, and rock guitarist who has been performing and instructing jazz for over two decades.
His Charlotte-based jazz bands include Jazz Is Led, the Conn/Davis Duo, Ron Brendle Quartet, and the DJam Collective. Pulling from his classical guitar training, Conn often guest performs with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and numerous pit orchestras.
Troy has toured through the UK and has been a performer at the Eclats d’Email Jazz Festival in Limoges France.
In 2023 Troy was awarded the UNC Charlotte Distinguished Alumni Award. troyconn.com