Saying Goodbye to a Freak & a Strip Show at the TfN...

... and some special people onstage. So the TfN season 11/12 is over, well, the musical company still has one more show tonight, but for me after seeing "The Full Monty" a second time on Sunday and "Side Show" once more last night. This will be just a rather short post but few things to mention...

Ganz Oder Gar Nicht (The Full Monty) - Stadttheater Hildesheim, 1st July 2012

&

Show Ihres Lebens (Side Show) - Stadttheater Hildesheim, 3rd July 2012

It is such a shame that I got to see "The Full Monty" just twice but with the theatre's schedule of the show and my other plans clashing too often it was just not possible to see it more often but both shows were so much fun (see >>here for other post).

It was certainly 'national fluff day' on that day. I moaned about Magdalene Orzol the last time since she fluffed so much though this time it was everyone that you could nearly think a lot of them were their muck ups but I actually didn't mind as it felt more natural than Magdalene's at the other show, just an ordinary person's fluffs sometimes, I e.g. do too often, thinking quicker than speaking ;-), and I blame hyperness and craziness of a final show though besides that the cast was so much on fire having a ball and just played with pure enthusiasm and fun. It would not be fair to pick anyone particular outstanding though I certainly had "my" favourites I largely watched when there were the show numbers etc..

The audience was also so much more into it than at the other show except for these two women (mother and teenage daughter) in the front row directly in front of me who just could not shut the f*** up in act 1. Seriously why bother to go to a show if you constantly chit chat - totally disrespectful! Besides them it was great, so much cheering, whistling, ah-, oh-, wow-, crow-ing... just as you'd want it from a great night out at such a show!

The scene changes didn't bug me as much this time as three weeks ago, still I wished it was done differently but that is really the only minor major issue I have. Especially the final number was such an electrifying buzz - and yep, I got hit by a shirt again. Seems sitting in the second row bang in the middle with Jens Plewinski as Jerry directly in front of me (what a nice view, I am still impressed how fit he looks these days ;-) though sharing my attention largely between him and Sebastian Strehler next to him 0:) ) was a dangerous place. And not to forget that the black/fade out at the end was a tiny bit too late and at least I could see a tiny bit too much, well definitely more than I had wanted. ;-)

Overall a wonderful way to end a great weekend that I went home on a high to return less than 48 hours later for the final

"Side Show"

show after it was such a rush getting there. With being able to leave work after 4pm (I had thought already I wouldn't be able to go at all) I just caught the train I had to get as it was delayed and got there at 7pm with a 7.30pm show.

But it was so worth going (even with just 4 1/2 hours of sleep last night getting home at 2am). I really enjoyed the show when I saw it the first time in February (read about it >>here) with my only large issue being the translation. Having seen this production now a few times, it still is disappointing me but the performances, the music etc totally made up for it. 

Especially Navina Heyne and Jonas Hein, both my favourites (and I assume for most in the audience hearing the reactions after the various scenes and at curtain call) before in this, were giving one of THE performances of their lives. Just mind-blowing and overwhelming. But the other were wonderful too. I am still not a fan of Regine Sturm's singing style, just too much breathing, but her acting has gotten so polished and convincing since the first show. Frank Brunet as the handsome charming Errol Flynn style Terry was giving me such goosebumps with his interpretation of "Private Conversation". 

It is such a shame that he is leaving as I could just picture him perfectly in "High Society" but he has been there for a while so I suppose it is time to move on.
Same, even though all three have just been there two years goes for Navina, Tanja Krauth and Sebastian Strehler. I must sound like a massive fanatic but having seen twenty shows in total of this company this season (they did 5 different productions this season) you just get attached somehow and I will definitely miss all four as much as I still miss Wiebke Wötzel occasionally who left last year. Knowing three of their replacements I KNOW it won't be the same for me next season. 

With also Christian Gundlach leaving , the company's director, who was also at the show last night and Katja Buhl taking over it will also be interesting where that will lead.

According to a statement from Christian Gundlach released back in autumn last year the theatre's manager told him that the job he was doing was not seminal.
I do not know the whole story but not seminal? What Christian Gundlach has done for that theatre is a lot IMHO. He and his team have not only managed to attract new audiences, I know several people in Germany who travel miles to see shows at that theatre which is after all still "just" a subsidised repertory theatre as dozens others in Germany but has managed to create a stand out unique status with its own musical company in a rather dull musical scene in this country these days where most rep theatre do the 100th revival of My Fair Lady, Jesus Christ Superstar or Jekyll & Hyde - YAWN - and if one is doing a decent musical they have too often weird castings with getting largely people from the opera cast (yeah I know it is due to finances).
The TfN musical company though has given this country shows as "Side Show", "Secret Garden", "The Baker's Wife", "110 In The Shade" and "Children Of Eden".

Well back to the show it was three hours of best entertainment and over far too quickly, curtain call was incredible with the rather emotional and teary Navina Heyne and Regine Sturm performing "I Will Never Leave You" as an encore (I think that was the first time ever I got a proper one at this theatre - lovely) and once more I left on a high mixed though with tears.

So it is a big thank you to the musical company team and everyone else for a wonderful 2011/12 theatre season at the TfN! See some of you at the same place in a few weeks for season 2012/13, some others hopefully (well Navina Heyne and Sebastian Strehler definitely) soon at other theatres.