Der Silbersee

Chicago Opera Theatre

SEVERIN

March 4-8, 2026 | Chicago, IL

Premiered in Germany in 1933, and promptly banned by the Nazi party, Der Silbersee (The Silverlake) was composer Kurt Weill’s final theatrical work written before he fled to Paris and immigrating to the United States.The narrative tells the poignant story of Severin, a destitute man shot while stealing a pineapple, and Olim, the policeman who wounds him but later seeks redemption. At its heart, this deeply human tale asks a question that resonates deeply today: How can we find reconciliation and hope in a fractured world?

A groundbreaking work that stands as both a testament to artistic defiance and a timeless reflection of humanity's struggles and hopes, Der Silbersee is a genre-defying masterpiece that blurs the boundaries between opera, operetta, and musical theater, paving the way for the future of music drama. Weill’s score — an extraordinary blend of late-Romantic lyricism, sharp modernist edges, and the propulsive energy of popular song — underscores the work’s emotional depth and political urgency, seamlessly shifting between satire, poignancy, and surrealism.