Look Over There It Is "La Cage Aux Folles" (and some robber in the afternoon)

Der Räuber Hotzenplotz - Schmidt Theater, Hamburg, 19th November 2011 2.30pm show

I had booked "La Cage Aux Folles" tickets ages ago but when I read that Mario Saccoccio was performing his one man show out of town so that it was rather unlikely he would be on and I could be certain to see Jan Radermacher and Manuel Ettelt together I decided to book another "Hotzenplotz" show in the afternoon having plenty of time to go to Lüneburg for the 8pm show.

And so it was: both Jan and Manuel were on and I was a happy bunny. :)

Robber Hotzenplotz - Götz Fuhrmann
Kasperl - Jan Radermacher
Seppel - Manuel Ettelt
Grandmother/Fairy - Annic-Barbara Fenske
Constable/Sorcerer - Markus Richter

You gotta love the staff working FOH at this theatre, I sat in row 2, seat 17, there are two directions you can take to get inside, the right one is the better one for this seat but the woman at the door (seemed to be a newbie), wanted me to go left. Err, no, I told her, I know right is the right way, she "No left." Me "Sorry, I know the theatre by heart. Right is the correct." She gave in after that and once I got to my seat I knew I was right. But seriously Schmidt Theater teach your staff properly. For the first two rows your general logic does NOT apply.

Anyway, the moment the little puppet theatre scene started that was forgotten as not only Jan (whom I had known to be on as he's toooo lovely these days posting his dates, you just gotta bug enough ;-) sorry Jan, love you (not only) for that) but also Manuel was on. I was not too excited about Markus and Annic, really had hoped for Timo (and had known Annic would be on)

Though I must say Markus really did a good job. I liked him the last time but then I still had so clear memories of Timo and dared to compare at beginning but this time I just enjoyed him for his performance. His Bavarian style constable is just funny, not too snappy but so gawky and fatuous. And his sorcerer was again so manic and wacky not messing up some of the tricks that it was fun to watch.

Annic as the grandmother and the fairy - oh dear. I will never be a fan of her.

Yes she has a lovely voice but as the fairy while she might look like one she does have the class and the elegance I expect from one and e.g. her narcissistic movements when Kasper and Seppel are reunited at the end and talk to each other but listening to the two (as Elena does) is just putting me off. Just her two minutes as the spellbound toad left a good impression. Can I see Elena again next time I go?

Götz Fuhrmann (cannot believe I have seen him now three times) as the robber - gosh I adore his make up and the prosthesis. ;) He was the big unknown once the show started as he just appears about 7, 8 minutes into the show, but once he sneaks onto the stage hiding behind a tree prop you know who is on as he comes onstage in boots, Torsten barefoot. He had me in stitches again, he added some little touches as cleaning in his fingernails with his knife in one scene and some other little bits and pieces. The poor guy he picked to be the fly agaric, he tortured him even longer than the other times. Just wished he would play the whole forest scene a bit less rushed.

Manuel as Seppel was such a highlight. Not having seen him since 8th October I was so delighted that I FINALLY got to see the pure and utter dumb but with a big big heart cute Seppel again (with the trousers looking less tight, yeah the things I notice... tut, tut.... ). The chemistry and dynamics with Jan is also a total different one. They just harmonise so well and Manuel reacts a lot better to some of the silly faces Jan sometimes pulls as Kasperl and other stuff. And I adore his clear voice, I really want to see him in a bigger show with bigger more challening numbers for him!

Well and then there was Jan. Of course there was. Would I want it to be any different? No.

Already in the first scenes I noticed that the poor baby was suffering from a cold (told him after the show that I hope he would have some hot milk with honey or something similar once home, such a pesterer sometimes! ;-) ).

Vocally he definitely held back when singing though his and Manuel's and his sad duet in act 2 was sung so beautifully and touching that I want to hear it again and again and ... and his speaking voice was a less powerful, the usual slight rasp was a lot stronger and sometimes a bit quiet but his acting totally made up for it. There is no standstill for him still exploring the character of Kasperl and playing with it what suits the part and what not. And as said, the perfect chemistry with Manuel was truly spilling over them feeding of each other and blending in so well, they are just made for each other - got me all chirpy and bouncy watching this. Love the little change too of them now directly encouraging the kids to "be" a forest again when Kasperl and Seppel arrive near the robber's hide-out. Lovely touch, thank god though they didn't start that when Götz picked me. ;-)

The audience was a bit quiet compared to the other shows but still seemed to enjoy it. And I loved watching the kids again after the show getting their flyers signed. And yeah silly boy thought it would be fun to hand me one of the fully signed ones left over but only took it after he added "to Michaela" (underlined FIVE times - whyever? To prove he had not forgotten my name after teasing him with that memory from six weeks ago???) :S ) Overall a wonderful afternoon before I was off to Lüneburg for the premiere of

La Cage Aux Folles - Theater Lüneburg, 19th November 2011

Albin / Zaza - Felix Martin
Georges - Ulrich Kratz
Anne - Claudia Rietschel
Jean-Michel - Oliver Hennes
Jacob - Mario Mariano
Edouard Dindon - Uwe Salzmann
Mme. Dindon - Kirsten Patt
Francis - Wlodzimierz Wrobel
Chantal - Marcus Billen
Hanna - Amadeus Pawlica
Phädra - Matthew Sly
Mercedes - Steffen Neutze
Dermah - Volker Tancke
Nicolette - Clément Bugnon
Lo-Singh - Patrick Rebullida
Angélique - Ewelina Kukuschkina
Martine - Claudia Rietschel
Clo-Clo - Katerina Vlasova
Bitelle - Elisenda Cladellas Parellada
M. Renaud - Volker Tancke
Mme. Renaud - Dobrinka Kojnova-Biermann
Jaqueline - Elke Tauber

Well even a few days after the show I am still not sure how to put this into words to be fair to it.

My major problem is that I saw the outstanding most perfect London revival several times and even though I really shouldn't have but I couldn't help but compare it to that production and it failed massively.

It started already with the opening scene when the cagelles are onstage. Instead of what other theatres did/do when they do not have enough male performers/dancers for the cagelles as per script cutting one, two, three (London only had FIVE!) they cast the gap with girls. This put me off from the beginning. This evening was definitely not "the best of times" for me.

But to not save the best for last: Felix Martin as Albin/Zaza, the only true star in this production.

Until he played the death in “Elisabeth” a few years ago I had not been a fan of him, but I adored him in that show and the role of Albin and especially Zaza suits him so well.

Yes, he is no Douglas Hodge (okay, will stop comparing now) but he performed with so much passion, fun and soul that it was such a delight to watch him, to see how his character goes through the story, the very emotional up and downs.

His “I Am What I Am” was so touching and poignant, so emotionally presented that you could just literally hear his heart break. His Albert was well balanced, I have seen it going totally OTT, but his seemed to really try hard with the odd slip back to Albin and his interaction with the audience despite some stupid jokes about Amelinghausen, were of true stardom.

He also looked as the aging star which I had been worried about before as naturally he looks younger than his real age but onstage with the right make up a few years were added and not just after “Mascara” (which was not well set with him sitting in this little box thing – people on the side could not fully see him). He alone was worth the visit (and not sure I would have stayed if there had been a weaker Albin onstage).

Ulrich Kratz as Georges – his acting was good-ish, his MC parts were entertainingly presented despite the stupid scripted jokes, though I would have liked to see some more emotions in his part as it was tough for me to believe him loving Albin through the whole show.

When he totally missed emotions though was when he sang. Yes, he has a strong clear voice (though same old issue – opera singers: a musical is not an opera! And the songs in La Cage are closer to pop songs than to Mozart and Verdi!) He just sang as if he sang a jingle about….. crisps, cars, life insurance but not about life and especially not feeling "it". His “Look Over There” telling his son about Albin – a chance totally wasted.

Mario Mariano as Jacob – of course he got the big laughs but for someone who has seen the show before his performance was nothing special. It is the way the character written not his great talent. And I could tell he had played the part before and actually being quite worn out. And just for the record this show is not playing in these days so I do not want Jacob to sing relatively new tunes. By these days the French Riviera has seen a lot more than some gays so it just simple does not work.

Oliver Hennes as Jean-Michel – how old is that guy??? He looked like a younger brother of Albin but not the son of them being at least mid thirties. Looking him up on the net I learnt he works mainly in the creative team at that theatre and having being around in that theatre for at least 14 years that actually makes him that age. Just for the record Jean-Michel is 24 and I want someone who looks and acts like that. I understand that all these local state theatres need to save money but up to what level when casting goes wrong? He is to sell the being in love with Anne character to the audience but being nearly as wooden as his partner, okay, maybe not that bad, but for someone with the experience he apparently has, I expected a lot more. His singing was okay, not great, missing the right notes several times and having problems reaching the high notes not having the necessary vocal range.

Claudia Rietschel who is actually a member of the ballet – seriously what were they thinking who cast her? Or did they think? I am just glad she only sings a few lines but even these hurt my ears. I am sure there must have be someone better in the extra ensemble than she. I have never ever seen someone so wooden, so stiff, so unbearable when acting. Just awful. She does not belong in such a role. Put her back into the ballet ensemble but never ever give her again a role for which she needs to act or even sing!

Elke Tauber as Jaqueline – she might be a decent opera singer BUT she cannot sing musicals and most importantly she CANNOT act. I cannot decide who was worse. She or Claudia Rietschel. She plays the owner of a posh restaurant but besides looking so cheap in that weird black dress that I more expected her to actually work in the nightclub she could not have delivered her lines less monotone as she did. “Best Of Times” was so beautifully performed by Felix but when she joined in not being able to sing it in a decent musical style she ruined it not harmonising at all with Felix.

Actually Kirsten Patt needs to be added to that list too. Thank God that character only sings very little but the few lines are too much. Being from the opera choir I wonder how she actually is in operas as she did not manage to even hit the right note besides singing it with her screaming opera voice. Her acting at least was alright even though only as Uwe Salzmann at her side as Edouard Dindon was a little highlight acting the role so wonderfully mean without going OTT.

The cagelles : besides the fact that some of them were girls and just could not act as trannies. If they have to take women already I want to see something as in Victor/Victoria but they were just women.

The guys though, most notably Amadeus Pawlica as Hanna (though what was that with his one solo number with the grinder – did they just try to be overly creative or did they run out of ideas??) and Steffen Neutze (shame actually he’s not a few years older, am sure he would have been a decent Georges, as Mercedes, were wonderful, besides Felix Martin definitely the best thing about this show.

The set of the nightclub was one of a modern nightclub, wished they would have done it as most productions before as being a stage and the auditorium kinda implying it to be the area in front of it especially as they had a kind of catwalk around the orchestra pit for the cagelles, Zaza and Georges which was also used for closer interaction with the audience (though I seriously do not want jokes about local things. The nightclub is based in St Tropez and not Lüneburg, so I do not want to hear about Amelinghausen or “Rote Rosen” (Red Roses – an afternoon telenovela on German TV) . Due to the orchestra pit they felt often too far away when coming down from little stairs at the back of the stage. I actually also prefer it when the orchestra/band is part of the show with no orchestra pit as you feel a lot closer being a proper night club but they made a different decision. I didn’t mind, there are bigger issues with this production than this.

The apartment was on the backside of the nightclub walls so it just had to be turned around for these scenes. Just for the outdoor scenes and the restaurant one props as tables had to be carried onstage.

The costumes looked partly stunning, partly just cheap and misshapen, especially Zaza’s but one, two, especially one silver one, looked not as glamorous as I expect from the star of the show. There is one yellow dress made out of patent leather (yes there was a joke about an adjusted rain coat which are/were so typical for Northern Germany) but the shape of it. Yes men’s proportion are a bit “strange” but you can still have cuts that are flattering but that just looked just bulky.

The orchestra could have been a lot more “swingy”, sounded a bit lame at occasions though were conducted overall well.

Overall: The rest of the audience seemed to enjoy the show giving a full standing ovation but I blame them not knowing better and not having seen a fantastic production of this show. It can be done better, a hell lot better with little money. I will definitely not return again for this show to this theatre.