A Martin Lingnau Honouring Day ;)
Not being a fan of Christmas I was pleased when learnt I could actually spent a whole day at the theatre - not just an afternoon and an evening, no a morning as well.
The only time I ever had seen three shows before on a day was once in London during their Christmas season of pantomimes when I went to see an 1pm show and then two musical in the late afternoon and evening.
But to do that in Hamburg was not something had thought of - especially not three rather different shows for all Martin Lingnau wrote the music of but this was just coincidence. :)
Räuber Hotzenplotz - Schmidt Theater, Hamburg, 26th December 2011 11.00am
Robber Hotzenplotz - Torsten Hammann
Kasperl - Jan Radermacher
Seppel - Manuel Ettelt
Grandmother/Fairy - Elena Zvirbulis
Constable/Sorcerer - Timo Riegelsberger
Well actually due to personal circumstances and not fancying Christmas day with family after a nightmare year (well the first seven months of the year)and lacking the support so desperately needed from them I also decided rather spontaneously to see the show the afternoon before with cast changes to above for Seppel (Mario Saccoccio) and Grandmother/Fairy (Annic-Barbara Fenske) as well.
Both shows (cannot believe I have seen this show now seven times) were so much fun, especially the show on the 26th with me having a seat in the front (well actually "my" seat, row 1, seat 12 - don't ask) and Jan and Manuel together as Kasperl and Seppel onstage was just utter joy and delight. Okay, it did not help that I had no breakfast (I just cannot eat anything that early) and me getting rather hyper which easily happens when I haven't eaten.
So what can I tell about the shows I haven’t? Well not much really, so this is going to be kept short, I was just so happy about the casting on Monday morning, it was the same casting as when I went the first time on 8th October, so that brought back good memories and seeing Manuel and Jan together makes me delighted every time anyway, but also seeing Mario and Jan together is fun to see.
Mario was so hyped up during the Sunday show, hilarious, love the new change when Seppel tells the audience how long it took him to learn a song – it is now 9 ½ weeks (I wonder who came up with that number! ;-) ) and not 2 weeks anymore (Manuel did that as well, just not delivered as funnily as by Mario but did not harm), that you must wonder what he had for breakfast or maybe for Christmas eve. ;-). His emotional part in act 2 was also finally delivered rather sweetly and not in the panto style he used before. And Manuel didn't fall short of Mario in any way the following.
The only casting I was not happy was the Sunday one with Annic-Barbara Fenske on but as I got Elena Zvirbulis on Monday I could live with it.
Elena was making up for it totally being the usual stunner. It is incredible that she still surprises with the little bits and pieces she adds especially to the role of the grandmother. And her caring fairy is just a pleasance.
Nice to see Timo Riegelsberger again as the constable/sorcerer. I must say though I prefer Markus as the sorcerer these days as he just is so utterly manic and scary but Timo is also excellent. Torsten as the robber was also just incredible for all the reasons mentioned in prior posts. I actually cannot believe how attached I got to this cast in such a short time.
Seeing Jan made me especially happy. I learnt just a few days before that he won’t return to the role of “Felix” in “Villa Sonnenschein” from January on (not a happy bunny, though I look forward to his replacement as I did see him in the JvE academy graduate show in April and who was for me the only standout but unfortunately his alternate (whom I am not keen on) of the last years is apparently to do most shows :’( ) so I want to get to see him as much as I can. Luckily the show will return in April for 2 ½ months and he told us afterwards (gosh how I love the fun of the chats with him, cannot believe how I had acted before), he will also return.
Vocally still anything but 100% fit though definitely sounding a lot better than the last times earlier this month and in November, he nevertheless was again such a bliss.
He just is Kasperl for me, lives and breathes that part as any other part I have ever seen him in - and I actually really would love to see him in a simple play - and yeah, I confess again, I enjoy it when he is at my feet - even twice on Monday and his little lyric blackout the first time was cracking me up big time. I really do not want it to be next week when this run finishes. I know it will return but not seeing him onstage for three months... A thought I do not like at all.
Anyway, overall this show was a fantastic kick off of the day and I cannot cherish the memory of it enough.
Jan Olav - Sascha Rotermund
Georg - Benjamin Hübner
Veronika - Carolin Fortenbacher
Isabelle - Anna Katharina Bauer
The musical written by Christian Gundlach, Edith Jeske and Martin Lingnau is based on the Norwegian Jostein Gaarder's novel.
The main character is the teenager Georg who is one day given a long letter from his father, who died of cancer 11 years previously, by his mother who found it in his old stroller. The letter, written when his father was close to death, tells, among other things, about the father's youthful love for the mysterious "orange girl", and leaves a mystery for Georg to solve and at last he asks whether it would have been better to have spared himself the pain of losing it all so soon by never having lived - a question he invites his son (and the audience) to consider, too.
The story leaps back and forth between the father's letters to the future, the young boy's thoughts and his dilemma of the ordinary life of a teenager as the first love (that is where the girl Isabelle comes in) and the events of the father's life when at university and meeting the Orange Girl.
The Orange Girl was called thus because the day Georg’s father, Jan Olav bumped into her, she was carrying a bag of oranges and wearing an orange anorak at times.
The musical just is a homage to love and life told so beautifully full of empathy but also humour and wit. The balance is what makes it a true little gem for me bringing such a sensitive subject onstage without going OTT of kitsch and clichés.
Especially the crossover moments when Georg reads the letter usually led by the father and Georg referring to it with his own experiences is so wittily done.
Reduced to four performers and just a pianist and a cellist it is such an intimate piece directed well by Harald Weiler with a rather simple stage set of just a few props here and there and simple looking but effective lighting concept but it does not need more.
Benjamin Hübner as Georg, who has not only the right look for the teenage boy (considering he is already 28 in real) but brings such a teenage temper to the part. It was already my third time seeing it and it was wonderful to see how he has explored the role and developed it for himself. Especially in the moments of anger and frustration he shines but also when he, going back to when his dad was still around, is a little boy by story he is more than convincing.
Sascha Rotermund as Georg's dad Jan Olav is the other highlight for me handling the various emotional states his part is going through in this short show from joy to euphoria to melancholy to despair to so well being so authentic supported by a strong striking voice.
Carolin Fortenbacher, Georg's mum, well she was not fit, you could hear that, and I read that he was actually sick when she was to do another show the following day, so her one big number was not as impressive as before but she, while I thought she was massively overacting the other times I saw the show, others might call that expressive, for me it was just too much, was a lot smoother and steady.
Anna Katharina Bauer alternating the role of Isabelle with Sonja Dengler was very charming, very sweet and very sassy. Vocally as coming from straight acting not as strong as Sonja Dengler (but then with not having any big solos it does not bother me at all) her strong acting totally makes up for it.
It definitely is a piece for the heart, though despite the subject does not touches me as much as other shows (and even less on this day after the fun morning), it is still one with beautiful music, beautiful and witty dialogues and a beautiful uplifting message.
A beautful piece that was watched on this spiritual afternoon.
Heiße Ecke - Schmidt Tivoli, Hamburg, 26th December 2011 08:00pm
Kai Bronisch - Pitter, Kurt, Knud etc.
Robin Brosch - Günther, Frankie, Gloria, Henning, Klaus etc.
Kathi Damerow - Margot, Natascha etc.
Yvonne Disqué - Lisa, Martina, Sunny etc.
Götz Fuhrmann - Mikie, Fred, Brummer, Manni
Franziska Kuropka - Elke, Silvie
Volker von Liliencron - Lars, Jimmy, Sven, Seppl etc.
Anja Majeski - Hannelore, Lotte, Hilde etc.
Stefanie Schwendy - Manu, Nadja etc.
"Heiße Ecke" (Hot Corner ;)) is a show which tells in little stories a day in Hamburg’s red light and nightlife district St. Pauli usually based around the snack stall called "Heiße Ecke", each assigned to an hour of a day starting off at 7pm.
There are some stories which are for me well told, with good smart ideas, suitable musical numbers and sharp dialogues and lyrics, some I could do without, as they just bore me to death, there are just so many prostitute scenes I can handle/bear, and some who could need some shortening even though the show is not long at all anyway.
There are only nine performers playing several parts (I never counted them but there are apparently over 50 parts in that show as you are told every time at curtain call) It has been around now for several years with over 2,000 shows and over 1 million visitors.
In November and December there is a special Christmas version around. Well there is some winter/Christmas decoration onstage, the costumes are more winter-y and a few dialogues are changed though I must say I do not see the point really of this special version but each their own decision.
I must say I am not a fan of the show at all but I can understand why it has some kind of pull to other people though I have seen it now several times as there are several people including the most wonderful and adorable Kai Bronisch in it whose performances I enjoy. And that’s why I see it every few months – just to enjoy some great performances.
I had only booked the other two shows till end of October but as my friend I was going with to the others I also booked this as well, it helped that the seat next to her was available. ;-)
I actually won’t go too much into detail as there is not too much to say without going too personal (erm, so much about starting this blog with having a memory back up – but for such memories I think I definitely need a private blog or just an ordinary paper diary ;-) ) but it was a fun night out, okay, it most probably helped that I was still totally hyper from the experience in the morning.
I was especially pleased to finally see the fantastic Robin Brosch again onstage whom I hadn’t seen for nearly a year (but in another show). But all male tracks were perfectly cast this time. They are just right for the various roles they play. This is especially interesting as the characters are often so different.
Each performer has their alternates, at least another one, sometimes even two, but I must say, having seen most actors now (still need to see Jan in it, but then he is more an emergency casting ;-) ), these are for me among the best making the best out of the material they have.
I was only partly happy with the casting of the female tracks though but I suppose you cannot have it all. Full kudos though go to Anja Majeski – I am even more excited now about joining my Schmidt Theater favourite “Villa Sonnenschein”. There is so much versatility in her splendid sublime performance.
Well overall a most amazing day seeing three beautiful shows with a beautiful friend seeing beautiful people - utter bliss.
