There is sunshine in the villa! But also some clouds....
Villa Sonnenschein - Schmidt Theater, Hamburg, 12th - 14th January 2012
Yes, the dates are right, three days, three performances, one show.
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| logo © http://www.tivoli.de/ |
But with each role having at least two alternates playing the roles and to have a good chance to see all ASAP into the run and with the supposed 500th show on Saturday (though it was just an ordinary show at end) it needed to be seen a few times straight away at the beginning. ;-)
Okay, when the tickets went on sale in summer I also had not known that Jan was not doing it as he had in the last seasons. To say it straight away, if I had known he would not do it I wouldn’t have booked as many shows as I had but (unfortunately) I cannot change it.
It was spring 2006, a few weeks after I came back from London and just had started my new job in Hamburg that I saw the show the first time – back then with Nik Breidenbach, Miriam Lotz, Carolin Spieß, no idea about the older guys and the then to me unknown Jan Radermacher. Gosh, how much I adored him, his performance and how much I adored the show. Yes, it reminded me a LOT of my beloved “Avenue Q” (as the leads are using puppets as well) but it was still a lot of fun.
A few days later I went to see the show once more as I had talked a friend into coming along – again with, Nik, Miriam, Carolin but unfortunately not Jan but his alternate Benjamin Zobrys and how different the show was for me as the dynamic I felt coming from that part was reduced close to nil.
I did not see the show the following year as too busy with seeing other shows especially too many London trips, only saw it once in 2008 with Nik gone and Kai Bronisch in the part of the doc but Jan finally again but from then with less trips to London ;-) I had more time and money to see Villa Sonnenschein. The circumstances last year with me quitting my job, having too much spare time etc. didn’t help either seeing the show 12 times just in 2011.
So season seven started on 12th Jan 2012 and things had changed with Carolin Spieß and Jan not returning but Franziska Kuropka who alternated the part Carolin mainly played in past taking over the lead with another lady joining and Jan’s alternate (well he is actually the original Felix but played less shows in last seasons) taking over most shows and a new guy coming in.
12th Jan 2012
Mechthild - Franziska Kuropka
Melanie - Dörthe Thiel
Felix - Benjamin Zobrys
Doctor Mathieu - Heiko Wohlgemuth
Carlotta von Pörtschach - Ingrit Dohse
Gustav - Corny Littmann
Hubert - Hans B. Götzfried
Lara/Margarethe - Maria Hermann
13th Jan 2012
Mechthild - Franziska Kuropka
Melanie - Maria Hermann
Felix - Benjamin Zobrys
Doctor Mathieu - Kai Bronisch
Carlotta von Pörtschach - Rosemarie Wohlbauer
Gustav - Corny Littmann
Hubert - Hans B. Götzfried
Lara/Margarethe - Inka Jankowski
14th Jan 2012
Mechthild - Franziska Kuropka
Melanie - Dörthe Thiel
Felix - Benjamin Zobrys
Doctor Mathieu - Heiko Wohlgemuth
Carlotta von Pörtschach - Rosemarie Wohlbauer
Gustav - Robin Brosch
Hubert - Burkhard Heim
Lara/Margarethe - Maria Hermann
So for everyone who is not familiar with this show:
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| Mechthild and Mathieu (K. Bronisch) © http://www.tivoli.de/ |
“Villa Sonnenschein” (villa sunshine) is a musical by Martin Lingnau, Thomas Matschoß and Heiko Wohlgemuth which opened in 2005.
It tells the story of Felix who is doing some voluntary social service (well in past it was the compulsory social service (if you didn't want to do national service in the German army) but that was suspended in Germany last year) at the “Villa Sonnenschein”, a nursing home lead by the ghastly Mechthild.
He falls head over heels in love though with Mechthild’s smart and sweet daughter Melanie.
The elderly are represented by the three humans Carlotta von Pörtschach,, a former vocalist, her very senile 17th husband Hubert and the “crusty old dog” Gustav who, sitting in a wheelchair, is tired of life. These are regularly tormented by Mechthild and when the new doctor Mathieu arrives it gets even worse as they come up with an evil plan.
But with the help of Felix and things in the home becoming alive (as a wooden sun logo, a padded boar head on the wall, a lamp, a plant etc.) the elderly fight back and of course at the end good beats evil and Felix and Melanie gets their happy end (though there is a sad moment at the end).
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| Felix and Hubert (B. Heim) © http://www.tivoli.de/ |
It is a lovely simple story with wonderful ideas and a very subtle humour (well largely, it has changed a bit since some lines just for cheap laughs were added over the years, some other new ones though are hilarious, they just do not get as many laughs as I wish) and is for me on par with the one it is too often compared to aka Avenue Q but then even Avenue Q is not as original as some people say: Puppets just have been around for so many years. Yes there are definitely similarities to the characters in Avenue Q – Felix can be clearly compared to Princeton and Melanie Kate Monster but the others are their own characters.
It was good to see the show at last with most of the shows currently on at the Schmidt Theatre but the kids shows being rather disappointing. While still at school and later at university I loved being at that theatre but for a few years it feels like a sell out with some of the shows just being tasteless for me. They have their fans, whyever, but I just do not need these cheap jokes etc. I watch some of the crap comedians on TV. So it is nice to have the show back –just if I could have the cast I like.
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| Mechthild (F. Kuropka) © http://www.tivoli.de/ |
BUT unfortunately Corny Littmann “had to” play the first two shows as Gustav – and unfortunately as he has a different idea of how to play Gustav to what I want to see. His Gustav is just of vile trashy scum and for me the most disliked person. I am not sure who is worse – some of these male guests on the Jeremy Kyle show (if you are familiar with this UK “talk” show) or him. Certainly that exaggeration is done on purpose but for me it is just to much as it also does not match the normally rather subtle humour of the show, it is more like a heavy slap in the face. Majority of audience enjoyed it and a badly written review from thatsmusical approves that but not what I want to see. And unfortunately his moments are dragging on and on with stage time being totally wasted for decent moments. Luckily on Saturday he was not on (and I hope I do not have to see him again till the final week when he usually returns) I was so over the moon when Robin Brosch came onstage on Saturday as he plays Gustav so enjoyably grumpy and cranky (you know like Walter Matthau in "Grumpy Old Men").
Ingrit Dohse was on as Carlotta for the first show and Rosemarie Wohlbauer at the other two. Both are enjoyable but I personally prefer Ingrit as she is more of a diva what I expect from someone who was once a vocalist with more stage presence and her singing is just beautiful with Rosemarie being more mellow and emotional but that is down to taste I suppose. Same applies to Hans B. Götzfried and Burkhard Heim as Carlotta’s senile husband. Both are wonderful in their own way but I prefer Burkhard Heim by an inch as he just gets it right for me especially when he has a blank moment staring out into space.
Also unfortunately Heiko Wohlgemuth was on as the doctor twice as am not keen on him at all. He always reminds me of the German impersonater Jörg Knör but more a poor man's Jörg Knör - and I already think very little of that guy. Heiko is far too camp for me. Yes, the puppets should be a bit hyped up but not that much, especially as the doc is some kind of a womaniser. Just when he is the plant Julio who is teaching Felix about women I find him pleasant to watch. At least I got to see his alternate Kai Bronisch once who is just right for me, perfectly balanced in both his major parts.
Dörthe Thiel (ex Breidenbach) was on twice as Melanie and Maria Hermann once and I really hope that I am lucky to see Dörthe most of the shows booked. I liked her before and I like her even more now. Her Melanie is adorable, very girly, very sweet but also very strong. Maria on the other hand, if you want to compare it to the other puppet musical is more a Lucy the slut than a Kate Monster (and Melanie and Kate are of similar character). That just did not work for me at all and I was also not impressed how unstable she played the puppet. I am sure it is hard but one moment the head of the puppet was on her shoulder level, the next moment somewhere else and and then the opposite. Totally annoying. I was also not impressed by her one solo which Dörthe sang most beautifully and touching the other days.
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| Felix, Mechthild, Carlotta and Hubert © http://www.tivoli.de/ |
Franziska Kuropka, who I thought was a bit so-so for the first show definitely grew the following shows. Not a fan at all of her Melanie as I always found her actual performance too grown up and not a fan of her (musical) singing voice she is a fantastic Mechthild following the former lead’s massive footsteps (she was “just” alternating the part in the last seasons) greatly. I just miss the “Hamburg-ian” sun, not keen on the Saxon sun. It will be interesting to see her alternate and what she makes out of that part.
Well and then there was Benjamin Zobrys. My friend loves him, but I do not. He has a decent singing voice but I just find him bland. For me since he is very much hiding behind the puppet (as the others but the elderly) a lot needs to transported by the voice and I just hear hardly any difference in the various emotional states Felix is going through in that show. It just sounds all very much the same. Like that one song “Es tut so weh” (it hurts so much) when Jan sang it it was a emotional rollercoaster in that short song but at the three shows and in any other shows in the past I saw with Benjamin Zobrys it was more like a, well what to compare it to… more like a steamboat journey. Others might like that. I do not. Vocally he definitely does a good job as said, just his acting lacks for me – unfortunately so much that I just cannot enjoy the performance as much as I want to. Hopes are up that his new alternate will be more of what I expect from that part (or any of the puppet parts as it applies to all of them).
Well, overall a fun long weekend, I terribly miss “my” Jan, but I am now looking forward to seeing the new alternates – tonight.
