International renowned soprano Danielle de Niese will lead English National Opera’s new production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, running 16 – 20 February 2026 at the London Coliseum, with three performances only.
Conducted by André de Ridder in his debut engagement as ENO’s Music Director Designate, the production brings Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s rarely staged political satire back to the stage in a bold new staging directed by Jamie Manton. Known for its powerful depiction of hedonism, consumerism and excess, Mahagonny remains one of opera’s most biting and provocative works.
Cast highlights
Danielle de Niese stars as Jenny Smith alongside mezzo soprano Rosie Aldridge as Leokadja Begbick. New Zealand born tenor Simon O’Neill will play Jimmy MacIntyre, a lumberjack who falls in love with Jenny Smith.
The cast also includes American bass Kenneth Kellogg (Trinity Moses), tenor Mark Le Brocq (Fatty the Bookkeeper), tenor Elgan Llŷr Thomas (Jack O’Brian), baritone Alex Otterburn (Bank-Account Billy), bass David Shipley (Alask Wolf Joe) and tenor Zwakele Tshabalala (Toby Higgins).
The cast will be joined by the Chorus of ENO, with the Orchestra of ENO performing Weill’s iconic score.
Rarely performed critique of American capitalism
A landmark collaboration between composer Kurt Weill and playwright Bertolt Brecht, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny has long been interpreted as a critique of American capitalism and the decadence of the Weimar Republic. Brecht’s razor-sharp satire is paired with Weill’s electrifying score, blending opera with the popular sounds of the 1920s — jazz, cabaret and ragtime.
Among its most famous moments is the Alabama Song, which has transcended the opera stage to become a cultural touchstone, recorded by artists including David Bowie and The Doors — proof of the work’s accessibility and enduring power to connect with audiences.
The opera premiered in Leipzig in 1930 amid controversy, before finding major success in Berlin later that year. Banned during the Nazi era, it later became a 20th-century classic, with major international stagings including its celebrated UK debut at Sadler’s Wells Opera (later English National Opera) in 1963, and a landmark Metropolitan Opera run in New York in 1979.
De Ridder has been hailed as “one of the world’s most daring conductors” by The Wall Street Journal and a “livewire conductor” by The Times. Appointed Music Director Designate of ENO in May 2025, he will take up the role fully in Autumn 2027. Widely praised for his stylistic versatility, de Ridder is known for pushing boundaries across genres — from opera and orchestral repertoire to jazz, electronics, avant-garde experimentation and indie pop. His credits include conducting the world premiere of Damon Albarn and Chen Shi-Zheng’s animated Monkey: Journey to the West at the Manchester International Festival in 2017.
The production is designed by Milla Clarke, with lighting design by D.M. Wood. Lizzi Gee choreographs, with Spencer Darlaston-Jones as Associate Choreographer. The translation is by Jeremy Sams.
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny information and tickets
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