Happy End

TOUGH GUISE Carmen Aiello, left, and John Blick interrogate Ryan Patrick Dolan.

Brown Couch, a relatively young theater company, deserves some props for taking on Happy End. Weill and Brecht’s “melodrama with songs” followed their smash-hit The Threepenny Opera, and shuttered after only a handful of performances.

And truly, this unlikeliest of Christmas shows is a tough little nut. Part romance, part capitalist critique, Happy End sets Weimar-style storytelling in, of all places, gangster-era Chicago. Salvation Army lieutenant Lillian Holiday (Prestinario) and mobster Billy Cracker (Vanore) fall in love and face the consequences as their worlds collide. But Guys and Dolls this ain’t. Unlike in classic musical comedy, here the interpolated songs interrupt the action and provide oblique commentary. And in lieu of a romantic consummation, this story of forbidden love ends with a socialist call for the downtrodden to unite against the bankers.

It’s a jarring mix of elements, and one that’s just beyond Brown Couch’s sophistication level. Still, there are some standout performances. As Lillian, Prestinario improves as the show progresses, culminating in an impressive rendition of the classic torch song “Surabaya Johnny,” and Vanore’s Cracker embodies the charisma of menace. But the rest of the cast never quite nails the mix of exaggeration and polish needed to sell the play’s heightened reality, and while there’s some solid singing (especially among the female cast members), there are also many left-of-pitch moments. Director York does his cast no favors, with awkward staging and a perilously sluggish pace.—Kay Daly