The topic of this thesis is the socially critical “Three-penny Opera” (Die Dreigroschenoper) by German dramatist and theoretician Bertolt Brecht with composer Kurt Weill. I use this work as a way to generally discuss the place of epic theatre, the drama genre pioneered by Brecht, in the contemporary musical theatre scene. The first part of this study describes the “Three-penny Opera” and its historical-cultural setting. The second part focuses on my own interpretation of the “Three-penny Opera”, and the ideas it catalyzed for my own development as a performing artist. The specific social conditions in early 20th century Germany, combined with Brechts political and sociological worldview, creates the background without which the form and structure of the “Three-penny Opera” cannot be understood. The central concepts of the Brechtian epic theatre; effects of alienation, gestics and dialectics, offer a fundamentally different approach compared with the classical dramatic theatre based on the Aristotelian tradition. This epic approach, its themes, and the particular musical composition style and structure make the “Three-penny Opera” a truly revolutionary work of 20th century drama. The importance and retained freshness of Brechts epic approach, can be still be sensed when interpreting the “Three-penny Opera” for today ́s audiences. During the production of my own version of the Three-penny Opera - “Revelations from the Three-penny Opera of Bertolt Brecht” (Älynväläyksiä Bertolt Brechtin Kolmen Pennin Oopperasta), performed in Lahti, Finland October 2007, I personally experienced and utilized the potential of both the epic theatre and the dialectical approach in my own artistic process. In my opinion, the theatre tradition of Brecht, blending light entertainment and social critique, remains today as an important, but alas underutilized, genre of musical theatre.