One weekend, three days, three shows…
To say it with the Four Seasons 'Oh What A Night'. Okay, three nights.
Ari Leschnikoff: Andreas Schneider
Erich A. Collin: Kristian Lucas
Harry Frommermann: Thomas Christ
Roman Cycowski: Oliver Nöldner
Robert Biberti: Till Bleckwedel
Erwin Botz: Daniel Große Boymann
Hans: Rafael Meltzer
So when I learnt that the two would be in a show together two months ago it was like dreams come true. I still remember the day the casting was announced on the website. I was just over the moon.
When I saw Thomas five weeks ago I must have sounded like a complete nutter when I told him off how they could dare to be in a show together; I threatened to emigrate to Paderborn for these weeks. Okay, it is not that bad, am just seeing six show over three weekends, well since they just play 16 shows in total it actually IS bad. Oh dear. But yeah, all to feed my addiction if you want to call it that. ;-)
So after a busy week at work as I was also off on annual leave the following two weeks I was on my way to Paderborn on a sunny Friday afternoon being stuck in a local train for two hours full for misbehaving teenagers so that I was close to commit some crime though I just could resent from it. Oh dear, but it would have been bad being in prison before experiencing what I did the following two nights and an afternoon.
For the premiere on Friday the only good ticket left when booked (or at least it looked like being a good one) three weeks ago was up in the circle - top price but so not worth top price as I constantly had to lean forward and sat in a weird angle to the stage. Besides that if I turned around and leaned forward the view was still just adequate and for someone who just is a stalls person sitting up there is not something I want to repeat. Glad the following days I sat down in the stalls again.(though sitting in the front row for the Sunday matinee was also not ideal as the stage is a bit on the high side as they had added some boards to fix some lights to that for ONE number and to hide leads. I could see all but I had to stretch my neck and back most of the time. And since luckily I am tall enough it was okay, I do not want to know though how bad it was for the poor elder couple next to me who was a bit shorter - they said they could just see from the knees upwards and that for top price (okay just 24 EUR as subsidised rep theatre) is TOTALLY is out of order. Oh well…
So the actual show: it all starts with an ad in the local Berlin paper in which talented singers were wanted to form a band was placed by Harry Frommermann played by Thomas. Oh gosh, how hilarious the auditions were done with the others playing largely incapable people not even to hit one note properly and Oliver turning up onstage as Johannes Heesters (a Dutch entertainer who just died a few months ago at the heavenly age of 108) – so funny with that cute Dutch accent who apparently really auditioned.
Greiffenhagen & Wittenbrinks "Comedian Harmonists"
Theater Paderborn – Westfälische Kammerspiele, 20th - 22nd April 2012
Theater Paderborn – Westfälische Kammerspiele, 20th - 22nd April 2012
Ari Leschnikoff: Andreas Schneider
Erich A. Collin: Kristian Lucas
Harry Frommermann: Thomas Christ
Roman Cycowski: Oliver Nöldner
Robert Biberti: Till Bleckwedel
Erwin Botz: Daniel Große Boymann
Hans: Rafael Meltzer
I had seen the show before but for some reasons I had forgotten how brilliant it is or shall it be this production? I actually cannot tell. I originally just went to see two of my absolute favourite guys – Thomas Christ and Oliver Nöldner, both I have known for several years and whom I saw together the last and only time in Marie Antoinette in 2009.
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| © Harald Morsch |
When I saw Thomas five weeks ago I must have sounded like a complete nutter when I told him off how they could dare to be in a show together; I threatened to emigrate to Paderborn for these weeks. Okay, it is not that bad, am just seeing six show over three weekends, well since they just play 16 shows in total it actually IS bad. Oh dear. But yeah, all to feed my addiction if you want to call it that. ;-)
So after a busy week at work as I was also off on annual leave the following two weeks I was on my way to Paderborn on a sunny Friday afternoon being stuck in a local train for two hours full for misbehaving teenagers so that I was close to commit some crime though I just could resent from it. Oh dear, but it would have been bad being in prison before experiencing what I did the following two nights and an afternoon.
The show tells loosely the story of Germany's first ever boy band the Comedian Harmonists (Just as Jersey Boys it does not stick to the true story too often). They formed in the late 20s to be the German Revellers but faced large issues at the beginning with all the rehearsals etc. but eventually managed to become famous but in the 30s when the Nazis came to power and with the band consisting of three Aryans and three Jews it was clear the once bright career was over.
The famous songs are part of the shows just as part of concerts, rehearsals numbers etc. and not forcing the story to be told as in a typical musical, well this is not really a musical anyway but a play with music so to say, similar to Jersey Boys but with most songs not just being teasers which is so much more fun.
The theatre Paderborn does not have an opera ensemble whom you'd normally might get, just a normal straight play one, they actually mainly just do plays so the casting but the only supporting part beside the six leads was all guests – and proper guests with five of them being musical trained and one more classical but since he was the bass that suited the part most well.
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| my rather poor view from dress circle during interval |
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| THE ad |
Then the last guy auditioning is this talent Robert. Harry and Robert get on straight away and Robert brings along three other guys to the rehearsals. While it was also not planned but eventually Harry (who was just to write the songs) ends up being a member of the show too. A pianist is introduced and then it all starts. Or maybe not. Well not straight away. It takes several months till they have their first auditions and performances, first in cabaret clubs in Berlin and later all over Germany in bigger venues.
The first act is really about how they started, the problems they were facing, that they were often close to give up and their eventual breakthrough. The second act focuses at the beginning on the career up to one highlight of their career performing at the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall but soon the band has to face negativity, envy (even within the band as e.g. some try to set up projects outside of the band) and later the nazis.
When they are banned from performing in Germany they first try their luck abroad even performing in the US, but after a few months they return to Germany which means the end for the band in its form as they are no longer allowed to perform in Germany. They split up with the three Aryans staying in Germany continuing to perform under a new name (a proper German one) but they never had the success again as before and the other three going first to Vienna and later to the US. At the end it is clear that not just the nazis are to be blamed for the end but the band members themselves too. Not much of the once (what seemed to be close) friendship is left. Such a sad ending to this music career.
The production directed by Helga Wolff tells this story so convincingly covering some of the weaknesses of the book so well (not just the fiction). The big jumps in the book which makes it sometimes a bit hard to follow as you seem to miss some details to totally understand the whole story. They are still there, the only issue I have but they seem not as annoying as before.
With video and audio clips from that time on a large screen a the back of the stage it often felt so real and make you think and the lighting is impressive and catches each atmosphere so perfectly (set and costumes by Julia Burde). The set itself is more simplistic but again it totally suits this production. A lot of the scenes are created by just simply using the flexible stage creating different level. The sound was also so balanced. Cast performed without using microports so it was all within the stage area and wherever I sat, up in the dress circle or down at the front stalls it all sounded hardly ever too loud or too quiet (just Oliver once in a while though I know that is more him than the actual sound).
All seven performers were just truly outstanding. The performances were so subtly nuanced, so in-depth, so accturate, so honed, so sharpened that it was an utter bliss watching them for nearly three hours. All were so believable, full of life and never felt artificial and forced.
While it tells the story of this band the most important thing were of course the songs which being (musical direction: Gerhard Gemke) full of wordplays were so wittily and detailed performed supported perfectly by Daniel as the pianist Erwin that you must think that the original Comedian Harmonists hardly could have been any better. What I thought was most magnificent is that while the voices (and the piano support) harmonised all so well I was also still able to recognise the individual voices not building one mass with unidentifiable output as you often hear when more than two, three people sing together. Sometimes during the musical numbers I would just close my eyes, even when sitting in the front row knowing I risked missing some smart choreography. No, not really dance choreography, but certain gestures, movement, facial impressions which were thought through so perfectly. Often highlighting what was sung but without being too kitschy. It was making me smile, laugh and sometimes even just burst into the biggest laughter.
It is very hard to pick one particulary though saying that I was especially impressed by Andreas Schneider whom I had never seen before onstage and who played tenor Ari, originally from Bulgaria speaking a rather bad German. Delivering the already comic lines because of that fact so well, so funnily, so sweet he also sang like an angel - if we ever get "Jersey Boys" in Germany there is your Frankie Valli! Actually I found all four Four Seasons members in that production ;-) (okay, stop mentioning that other show now, am even not really a fan of it).
Most focus was certainly on Thomas and Oliver and I'd known Thomas would shine and so he did (I love this voice, cannot wait to see him in Chess this summer) but Oliver was even stealing many of the show moments for me. He is such a brilliant actor for me. He has a lovely baritone voice, even though occasionally a bit too quiet compared to the others, but the moments when the focus is acting he is totally sparkling. That is just "his thing". I said it to him before and I mentioned it on here too: I want to see him in a proper play as that is his strength. His facial impressions, he pulls the best (sometimes funny) faces which had me in stitches, so witty and clever, and his whole posture is just spot on and totally matches the character as I had expected him to be. There is so much passion, so much heart for me in his performance that I cannot help but fall in love with it more and more with it.
But also the others as band members were just wonderful. Special mentioning needs to go to Rafael Meltzer who was playing various supporting parts as MC in one of the Berlin cabarets, their agent, Nazis, even Harry’s landlady (without going down the drag way while still dressed as an old maid). Each part was also played with so much eye for details. None felt the same, each had their own personality. Most impressive.
After nearly three hours and an end that made me cry despite knowing it being so moved by these the show finishes with (usually?) three encores sending the audience (which sent the ensemble home with standing ovations and a most impressive applause, one I had not seen and especially HEARD in this country for a while) home with a song called “Auf Wiedersehen!” – till we meet again – so we will tonight. I cannot wait!
Unfortunately as said there are only 16 shows in total till 18th May 2012 and all are sold out. You can only hope that they can really set up at least another one (or two, three, four, five…..) show(s) for anyone missing out on this most marvellous production.
Read my other post about the final shows >>here.
The first act is really about how they started, the problems they were facing, that they were often close to give up and their eventual breakthrough. The second act focuses at the beginning on the career up to one highlight of their career performing at the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall but soon the band has to face negativity, envy (even within the band as e.g. some try to set up projects outside of the band) and later the nazis.
When they are banned from performing in Germany they first try their luck abroad even performing in the US, but after a few months they return to Germany which means the end for the band in its form as they are no longer allowed to perform in Germany. They split up with the three Aryans staying in Germany continuing to perform under a new name (a proper German one) but they never had the success again as before and the other three going first to Vienna and later to the US. At the end it is clear that not just the nazis are to be blamed for the end but the band members themselves too. Not much of the once (what seemed to be close) friendship is left. Such a sad ending to this music career.
The production directed by Helga Wolff tells this story so convincingly covering some of the weaknesses of the book so well (not just the fiction). The big jumps in the book which makes it sometimes a bit hard to follow as you seem to miss some details to totally understand the whole story. They are still there, the only issue I have but they seem not as annoying as before.
With video and audio clips from that time on a large screen a the back of the stage it often felt so real and make you think and the lighting is impressive and catches each atmosphere so perfectly (set and costumes by Julia Burde). The set itself is more simplistic but again it totally suits this production. A lot of the scenes are created by just simply using the flexible stage creating different level. The sound was also so balanced. Cast performed without using microports so it was all within the stage area and wherever I sat, up in the dress circle or down at the front stalls it all sounded hardly ever too loud or too quiet (just Oliver once in a while though I know that is more him than the actual sound).
 |
| © Harald Morsch |
While it tells the story of this band the most important thing were of course the songs which being (musical direction: Gerhard Gemke) full of wordplays were so wittily and detailed performed supported perfectly by Daniel as the pianist Erwin that you must think that the original Comedian Harmonists hardly could have been any better. What I thought was most magnificent is that while the voices (and the piano support) harmonised all so well I was also still able to recognise the individual voices not building one mass with unidentifiable output as you often hear when more than two, three people sing together. Sometimes during the musical numbers I would just close my eyes, even when sitting in the front row knowing I risked missing some smart choreography. No, not really dance choreography, but certain gestures, movement, facial impressions which were thought through so perfectly. Often highlighting what was sung but without being too kitschy. It was making me smile, laugh and sometimes even just burst into the biggest laughter.
It is very hard to pick one particulary though saying that I was especially impressed by Andreas Schneider whom I had never seen before onstage and who played tenor Ari, originally from Bulgaria speaking a rather bad German. Delivering the already comic lines because of that fact so well, so funnily, so sweet he also sang like an angel - if we ever get "Jersey Boys" in Germany there is your Frankie Valli! Actually I found all four Four Seasons members in that production ;-) (okay, stop mentioning that other show now, am even not really a fan of it).
 |
| © Harald Morsch |
But also the others as band members were just wonderful. Special mentioning needs to go to Rafael Meltzer who was playing various supporting parts as MC in one of the Berlin cabarets, their agent, Nazis, even Harry’s landlady (without going down the drag way while still dressed as an old maid). Each part was also played with so much eye for details. None felt the same, each had their own personality. Most impressive.
After nearly three hours and an end that made me cry despite knowing it being so moved by these the show finishes with (usually?) three encores sending the audience (which sent the ensemble home with standing ovations and a most impressive applause, one I had not seen and especially HEARD in this country for a while) home with a song called “Auf Wiedersehen!” – till we meet again – so we will tonight. I cannot wait!
Unfortunately as said there are only 16 shows in total till 18th May 2012 and all are sold out. You can only hope that they can really set up at least another one (or two, three, four, five…..) show(s) for anyone missing out on this most marvellous production.
Read my other post about the final shows >>here.
