Afterparty
Instrumentation
7 vocalists (3 female/4 male)
2 violins
viola
2 trumpets
trombone
2 clarinets
saxophone
piano
percussion
AFTERPARTY: A Post-Utopian Songspiel
AFTERPARTY is a unique performance that unfolds in two evocative parts: Mahagonny – Ein Songspiel, the timeless work of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, and Afterparty, a modern interpretation by Polish composer Kasia Głowicka, who brings new depth to the concept of the “songspiel” through lyrics by Bartosz FISZ Waglewski. Together, these parts create a continuous narrative told through songs and musical interludes, a story shaped by longing, disillusionment, and the search for belonging.
An absent yet central character in AFTERPARTY is the false promise of a metropolitan utopia, teeming with illusions. We meet the characters as they pursue their great dream of a better life and later, as they flee from it, journeying to rediscover themselves. This dual movement – the “journey toward” and the “escape from” – mirrors the structure of the show, with Weill and Brecht’s original cautionary tale in the first act and Głowicka’s contemporary response in the second.
The original Mahagonny warned against a fabricated city of corruption, exposing the exclusionary social dynamics of early 20th-century capitalism on the eve of World War II. Today, nearly a century later, Głowicka and Waglewski’s work views Mahagonny through a modern lens. In a world that has seen massive shifts in urban life and personal identity, where the pandemic forced many to confront lives devoid of fulfillment in sprawling cities, a new story has emerged. This composition reflects the lives of today’s Warsaw residents – both those born here and those who’ve arrived searching for a place to belong, many disillusioned with the grand promises of city life.
Głowicka’s music bridges worlds: blending rap with classical music, uniting diverse musical and vocal styles, and merging the essence of theater with that of opera. At a time when polarization runs deep, AFTERPARTY offers a gathering space, celebrating connection through song and story.
Supported in part by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc., New York, NY.
Original TEAM:
DIRECTOR
Krystian Lada
MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Lilianna Krych
MUSIC AFTERPARTY
Kasia Głowicka
SONG LYRICS AFTERPARTY
Bartosz „Fisz” Waglewski
SET DESIGN
Krystian Lada
LIGHTING DIRECTOR
Aleksandr Prowaliński
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Ewa Grzebyk
CONDUCTOR
Lilianna Krych
STAGE MANAGER
Krystyna Klyta
CAST
Michał Dembiński
Kamil Dominiak
Albert Memeti
Technical notes
On request.