Ain't No Sunshine Now It's Gone (for 2012).

Villa Sonnenschein 22 - 24 March, 2012

It is incredible how quickly time flies by these days. Suppose that really comes with age. ;)
Wasn’t it just yesterday that I saw the first Villa Sonnenschein show in January this year? Obviously not as the other weekend there were the last shows for this year….

Of course (yeah am mad) I did not just go to the last one, accidently also the 500th show but the two ones before too as the alternates were having their final shows the nights before.

Three nights, three shows, so much fun!

22 March 2012
Mechthild - Anja Majeski
Melanie - Maria Hermann
Felix - Benjamin Zobrys
Doctor Mathieu - Heiko Wohlgemuth
Carlotta von Pörtschach - Rosemarie Wohlbauer
Gustav - Hans B. Götzfried
Hubert - Burkhard Heim
Lara/Margarethe - Inka Jankowski

23 March 2012
Mechthild - Franziska Kuropka
Melanie - Dörthe Thiel
Felix - Marco Knorz
Doctor Mathieu - Heiko Wohlgemuth
Carlotta von Pörtschach - Rosemarie Wohlbauer
Gustav - Robin Brosch
Hubert - Burkhard Heim
Lara/Margarethe - Inka Jankowski

24 March 2012
Mechthild - Franziska Kuropka
Melanie - Dörthe Thiel
Felix - Benjamin Zobrys
Doctor Mathieu - Kai Bronisch
Carlotta von Pörtschach - Ingrit Dohse
Gustav - Corny Littmann
Hubert - Hans B. Götzfried
Lara/Margarethe - Inka Jankowski

Most special to me was though not the final night but the night before, not only because Marco Knorz who has, coming from nowhere had turned into my new fave of this show's cast, had his final show but the whole cast was just on fire that night. Final night was fun though compared to the show on Friday despite several final show muck ups a bit quieter.

Thursday night saw the last shows for Hans B. Götzfried’s as Gustav, Anja Majewski as Mechthild and Maria Hermann as Melanie.

I was so pleased that I got to see Hans once more as Gustav. As written before he is just the most perfect grumpy old man from top to toe simply nailing the character. It is such a shame I just got to see him three times this run (not sure how many shows he played in total in that part). He so deserves to play more shows in that part because he just IS and BREATHES Gustav.

I seriously do not get the casting. Yes I know he and Robin Brosch also play shows at "Heiße Ecke" in the theatre nearly next door alternating one part there but still due to that fact there could have been more in a perfect world. But I suppose you cannot have it all.

Anja as Mechthild was also wonderful to watch. Her Mechthild is IMO not as evil but there is more anger and fury which makes watching her so much fun and her as the voice of the sun is just most adorable.

Maria though on the other hand… I am not a fan of her at all, but I am afraid to say she totally murdered the role and especially her one big solo this night. Her voice was all over the place, so was her articulation and her play being the weak link of the night. Not sure what happened, as said, I am not impressed by her anyway, but this night… oh dear. I can only hope for a different casting decision next year obviously depending on availability. So do not get me wrong, she is a lovely lady but as Melanie I just find her miscast. Sorry.

Friday then was the one show I had looked forward to most- final night for the alternate doc aka Heiko Wohlgemuth, Rosemarie Wohlbauer, Robin Brosch, Burkhard Heim and most importantly for Marco. And it was such an incredible night. Okay it did help that I was rather hyper reminding me of how I felt a year ago when Jan (and Kai) had his (their) final night but it was an awesome show with the cast being on fire and not just the ones who had their final show.

I had the utter pleasure of talking to Marco briefly before the show and you could literally feel the enthusiasm he has (and hopefully will never lose) for the job and seeing him then later on the show he was giving it all one last time despite one human error not turning up onstage in time for a scene with Dörthe as Melanie which had me in stitches as Dörthe adlibbed heavily as it is normally about Carlotta and Hubert leaving Melanie and Felix alone as they'd have something to talk about (uh, what a sentence ;-) ). Well that is what Melanie was alone talking to herself. So funny – and so cute when Heiko was teasing him a minute later calling Felix a sleepyhead.
But the rest of the performance was again with him being even more hyper than before though never going too OTT most sublime. I still find it stunning after a dozen shows with him (yes that many, oops) how well balanced his performance is. His acting is totally matched by his amazing singing both so full of emotions and sensation making me smile in one moment and making me cry in the next (thank god for the invention of waterproof mascara). It just feels so REAL what he portrays onstage, so much honesty and pureness I have rarely seen for the last 30 years when going to the theatre. I can only hope and wish him all the best that he can show off his talent in another show in a role worth it (and not “just” ensemble in Cabaret in Kiel ;-) ).

It was also nice to see Robin Brosch as Gustav. While I prefer Hans a wee bit more he is also a delight being more crabby delivering his lines often in a hilarious Berlin accent just missing a bit the anger Hans has. Still if it was me to decide next year’s cast: just share the role between Hans and Robin and dump the third as the two are the perfect duo, each wonderful on their own. Having Burkhard and Rosemarie next to him was also lovely, especially Burkhard is most adorable in his part so I was pleased to see him twice more as he played less shows than Hans (at least to the ones I went).
Heiko Wohlgemuth as the doc – well having seen him actually more often than Kai Bronisch this season I must say I kinda got used to his performance over the last few weeks and while there are things and ways he plays the part(s) I cannot stand there are others I can enjoy these days. Suppose you can get used to a lot. ;-) I really do not like these Jörg Knör/Otto Waalkes (German comedians) touches to the role of doctor Mathieu, it is just too much for me but as THE plant Julio he is entertaining, smart and funny and his adlib skills are just spot on. With the others as Dörthe and Franziska (that curtain call.. someone trying to be the next POTO Carlotta I suppose ;-) ) also being rather hyped up it was just a show I could have wanted as the final night.What a show certainly that I left even more excited but also sad even though there was one further show on Saturday - the (official) 500th.

Thank God for Kai Bronisch being back at last with the others being as expected onstage (even though I could have done without Corny Littmann and Benjamin Zobrys, yeah I know I repeat myself... tut, tut...). As said before I have seen him less than his alternate this season, I can only hope that will be different in 2013. After the last shows when he was playing a bit too safe for my taste he was back to what I used to see before (and I got “my” 24 stars I asked for before the show when the doc talks about this restaurant he wants to take Melanie to – normally it is 12 when Heiko is the doc and 18 when Kai already exaggerating the max 3 Michelin star system ;-) ) making up for seeing Corny Littmann and Benjamin Zobrys. I actually thought that Benjamin Zobrys was more energetic than the years before – if he could just be like that more often! I suppose it certainly helped that it was the final night with them mucking around as typical for a final show in this country.

There were some funny but also lovely ideas as Hans dressed as Carlotta when crossing the stage from one side to the other in one scene (just before “Gegensätze ziehen sich an”), “Es Tut So Weh” which is normally sung by whoever is Felix on his own there were backing vocals added by the others as in their parts of the things in the house which was so adorable with me hoping they keep it and instead of the red table cloth used as a flag by Carlotta when Felix asks the elderly to fight back there was one huge FC. St Pauli flag (and a mini one for the plant Julio) – nice idea though I do want the red one back as I like the hint of the French revolution and Les Miserables.

The opening was different too as normally whoever is Felix first sings with just the puppet appearing through a gap in the stage curtain to then appearing with the puppet. This time the puppet stayed just through the gap, was not the one Benjamin Zobrys usually uses but the one Marco used in the last weeks and it was someone else too playing it as you could see someone dressed in street clothes and not the usual stage outfit but it was Mr Zobrys singing (and giggling) and when the curtain then opened it was though not the person anymore. I didn’t really get the point of it.

A couple more things happened though that would go too much into detail. Overall a good and worthy final show.

So it is good-bye till 2013 and I stop now rambling but not to leave with these pictures:

First one nicked from the facebook theatre page of Kai and Franziska and a certain giant something…

which emerged from my kitchen... (yeah, am mad... )