By VIVIEN SCHWEITZER [NY Times, 14 March 2009]
Kurt Weill’s operetta “The Firebrand of Florence” was doomed by an inadequate cast and a lackluster staging when it opened on Broadway in March 1945. It closed a month later and (except for a few songs) was neglected until a decade or so ago. A lively semistaged performance at Alice Tully Hall on Thursday revealed both the intricacies of Weill’s vibrant score and the libretto’s comedic elements, aptly framed by Roger Rees’s narration and direction.