Threepenny Opera

List of Musical Numbers

Prologue

Act I

3. Introduction to Act I, Scene I (Instrumental)

4. Peachum’s Morning Hymn (Mr. Peachum)

5. Instead-Of Song (Mr. + Mrs. Peachum)

6. Interlude Music (Instrumental)

7. Interlude – Continued (Instrumental)

8. Wedding Song (The Gang)

9. Pirate Jenny (Polly Peachum)

10. Army Song (Macheath, Tiger Brown, + Gang)

11. Wedding Song – Reprise (The Gang)

12. Love Song (Macheath, Polly)

13. Introduction to Act I, Scene 3 (Instrumental)

14. Ballad of Dependency (Mrs. Peachum)

15. First Threepenny Finale – The World Is Mean (Peachum Family)

Act II

16. Overture (Instrumental)

17. Melodrama & Polly's Song (Polly + Macheath)

17.a. Music to Interlude (Instrumental)

18. Ballad of Dependency (Mrs. Peachum)

19. Introduction to Act II, Scene 3 (Instrumental)

20. Introduction to Act II, Scene 3 - Continued (Instrumental)

21. Tango Ballad (Macheath, Jenny)

22. Introduction to Act II, Scene 3 (Instrumental)

23. Ballad of the Easy Life (Macheath)

24. Barbara Song (Lucy)

25. Jealousy Duet (Lucy, Polly)

26. Second Threepenny Finale – How To Survive (Macheath, Mrs. Peachum + Chorus)

Act III

27. Overture (Instrumental)

28. Useless Song (Mr. Peachum + Beggars)

29. Useless Song – Reprise (Chorus)

30. Solomon Song (Jenny)

31. Introduction to Act III, Scene 2 (Instrumental)

32. Call from the Grave #1 (Macheath)

32. a. Call from the Grave #2 (Macheath)

33. Death Message (Macheath)

34. Passage to the Gallows (Instrumental)

35. Third Threepenny Finale (Chorus, Filch, Macheath, Peachum Family)

35. a. Ballad of Mack The Knife (optional) (Street Singer)

36. Exit Music (Instrumental)

Character List

Males:

Street Singer/Narrator

The narrator is separate from the rest of the action on stage. He acts as the connection between the actors and the audience. He will sing Mac The Knife to open and close the show, and will introduce each scene as it is written in the script.

Musical numbers:


• Ballad of Mack The Knife
• Ballad of Mack The Knife Reprise.

This part has already been cast: Geoff Guy

Macheath or Mac the Knife

London's greatest criminal, he is charge of a gang of thieves. He marries Polly Peachum in a stable and is later arrested when her father finds out. After being hunted down he is about to be hung at the end. However, with an intervention from god, he is saved by the Queen and knighted.

Musical numbers:


• Army Song,
• Love Song,
• Melodrama & Polly's Song,
• Tango Ballad,
• Ballad of Easy Life,
• Second Threepenny Finale – How To Survive,
• Call from the Grave #1 and #2,
• Death Message,
• Third Threepenny Finale.

Audition song: Army Song

Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum

The Beggar King, Peachum is in charge of all of London's beggars. When he learns that Macheath has married his daughter he forces the sheriff to arrest Macheath by threatening to disrupt the coronation ceremony. He succeeds in nearly having Mac hung.

Musical numbers:


• Peachum's Morning Hymn,
  
• Instead-of Song,
  
• First Threepenny Opera Finale – The World Is Mean,
  
• Useless Song,
  
• Third Threepenny Finale.

This part has already been cast: Richard Hughes

Tiger Brown (Commissioner of Police)

The Sheriff of London, he is a personal friend of Mac's and takes a kickback on all of the money Mac steals. He is upset when Peachum forces him to arrest Mac but does so because he is afraid of what the Queen will do to him if the coronation ceremony is disrupted. He later struggles to talk to Mac and is upset when Mac rejects his friendship.

Musical numbers:


• Army Song

Audition Song: Army Song

Smith (Warden)

A constable who works for Brown; Mac tries to bribe him at the end but cannot cough up enough money to make Smith free him.

Unnamed Constables

The Reverend Kimball

The man who marries Polly and Mac; he arrives at their wedding set in a stable.

Filch

A young man who tried begging without a license from Peachum. He was beaten and forced to go to Peachum's business in order to get outfitted. Peachum gives him a place to beg but yells at him for feeling sympathy.

Unnamed Beggars

Musical numbers:


• Useless Song.

Macheath's Gang:

Walt Dreary
Bob the Saw
Crookfinger Jake
Readymoney Matt
Rest of Gang

Musical numbers:


• Wedding Song,
  
• Army Song,
  
• Wedding Song Reprise.

Audition Song: Army Song




Females:

Celia Peachum

Polly's mother and the wife of Mr. Peachum; she helps him run the business. After Mac marries Polly, she goes to Mac's whores and bribes them into turning Mac over to the police for her.

Musical numbers:


• Instead-of Song,
  
• Ballad of Dependency,
• Ballad of Dependency Reprise,
  
• First Threepenny Finale – The World Is Mean,
• Second Threepenny Finale – How To Survive,
  
• Third Threepenny Finale.

Audition song: Ballad of Dependency

Polly Peachum

Peachum's daughter, she marries Mac the Knife after knowing him for only five days. Her parents have him arrested and Polly is dismayed to learn that he has another wife, Lucy. She takes over his business after his arrest and likely takes his money at the end.

Musical numbers:


• Pirate Jenny,
  
• Love Song,
  
• First Threepenny Finale – The World Is Mean,
  
• Melodrama & Polly's Song,
  
• Jealousy Duet,
  
• Third Threepenny Finale.

Audition song: Pirate Jenny

Lucy Brown

Tiger Brown's daughter, she is also "married" to Mac the Knife. She and Polly meet after Mac is arrested and Mac claims that Lucy is his real wife.

Musical numbers:


• Barbara Song,
  
• Jealousy Duet.

Audition song: Pirate Jenny

Jenny

A prostitute who used to live with Mac; she is the one whom Mrs. Peachum bribes to turn in Mac. After Mac escapes his first arrest, she goes to the Peachums and gives them information that allow them to arrest him again.

Musical numbers:


• Tango Ballad,
  
• Solomon Song.

Audition song: Pirate Jenny

Whores

Betty

Dolly

Molly

Coaxer

More unnamed whores

Unnamed Beggars

Musical numbers:


• Useless Song