THE BEGGARS OPERA HOW HAPPY COULD I BE WITH EITHER

The Beggar s Opera was the work that changed the course of theater music in England, and drove Handel from the stage. A bitter but hilarious satire of the class struggle in the 18th century, it was actually a pastiche, with a musical score cobbled together from popular music of the day, and arranged by Johann Pepusch. It is ironic that some of Handel s own music made his future operas passé. The songs are short, but the score contains 69 of them. Lucy (Diane McEwenMartin), daughter of Lockit the jailer,