What's another year?
2015 in retrospect
Time flies these days so that I have neglected the blog massively for the last months.
With a new job that does not leave much spare time as the old one, new hobbies, old hobbies rediscovered and still many (some would say too many) theatre visits there is not much time left to write/finalise blog posts. How often have I started a post to not finish it then as life took over - and I simply do not post something half finished.
2015 was a not too bad theatre year, though (new) highlights were small, "lowlights" fortunately too with just four to mention.
THE lowlight for me was seeing the last show of "Villa Sonnenschein" (read about it here at the Schmidt Theater. It is not the actual show, though since the cast on that night was lame, dullest Felix, dullest doctor, dullest Gustav, most horrible Melanie, it was not really that enjoyable but the encore with seeing people who had been with the show before but seeing that gem go and a shitty show as "Königs Vom Kiez" taking over its slot.
Well, the good thing is that I definitely have no reason any more to visit that theatre and spend a lot more time and money on shows and theatres where I am not treated as a nuisance when it is actually certain people being the problem.
Another lowlight was the low German version of "La Cage Aux Folles" at the Ohnsorg Theater here in Hamburg.
It got rave reviews, the guy playing Zaza even got an award from some local comp but sorry, anyone who had seen La Cage before would have been disappointed.
Not everything was wrong with it, the guy playing Jacob was brilliant, so was Hardy Rudolz as Georges but the production itself was lacking the heart and the drive e.g. the Menier Chocolate Factory production had with Zaza was way too trashy and simply OTT for me. Yes, it may have just been one part, but for me Zaza IS the show and that character is falling flat as here, the whole show just does not work properly.
Unfortunately the other show I saw at the Ohnsorg Theater, a low German version of my beloved "Landeier" was a disappointment as well. I never thought that the show could disappoint but with (unnecessary) changes made to the piece, particularly to the end, it often lost its wit, cleverness and its soul overloaded with ridiculous slapstick and farce played too often towards to the audience instead of interacting with each other. Particularly Markus Gillich as Jan was a total let-down - everything I love about that character, the geekiness, the nerdiness, that dopiness was all gone and filled with an attention seeking, pathetic and farcical character. People around me laughed but talking to the person next to me they had never seen another production before so they simply could not know how to direct it better....
That also applies to the poor production of West Side Story in Lübeck.
I love West Side Story having seen I do not know how many productions but this season's production is just so bad that I was not sure whether to laugh or cry.
I have no objection with modernising (slightly) some classic shows to show its relevance for current days but when it is done as in Lübeck it is a no go for me. And do not get me started on the poor casting. I am still trying to finish a post but I have difficulties to find the right words for so many wrong things with that show....
My absolute musical highlight in 2015 was the production of Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre in London with a most stunning Imelda Staunton as Mama Rose.
Can a performance be more perfect than hers? Can a production be more perfect than this? Can a theatre visit be more exciting and moving at the same time as this? Simple answer: hardly.
Imelda Staunton was not just simply playing the part, she was Mama Rose from top to toe.I really hope that it will be released on DVD after it was broadcast on British TV in December.
I had seen "Thrill Me" and liked it before but just last year there was a production that totally capturing and engrossing - the one at the English Theatre here in Hamburg excellently staged with its incredible cast Sebastian Hill and Guy Woolf. Especially latter was mind blowing with his portrayal of Nathan Leopold feeling so real, so human and not feeling like an actor just playing the part.
I could not get enough of the show that I went several times during its two months' run feeling, despite never meeting the two in person, so connected with them living their dream.
That it does not need much but some excellent actors, a few props and a compelling story to impress me was also the case when seeing "American Psycho" in Bochum at the Rottstr 5 Theatre.
I mainly "just" went to see Felix Lampert in another play after I was rather impressed with his performance in this family show the year before. I do like the novel despite its controversy, am okay with the movie despite normally a fan of Christian Bale, but the production, based on both, redefined the piece being a lot more intense and less farce and satire focusing on the key elements of the story and not wasting time on moments not moving the story forward with some great effects created by light and set design.
Especially with an actor as Felix Lampert whose performances are some of the most vigorous ever seen, even the smallest move, the smallest gesture, the smallest look feels so true, so authentic, that you cannot help yourself but be totally mesmerised by him. There was not a moment when I could not take my eyes off him - I just did not want to risk missing something essential as little as it might have been. I was so exhausted at the end of the performance it being so emotionally draining (in a positive way).
But also his co-star Ronja Sczepanski taking over various other parts left an impression that I am hoping to see it again soon.
2015 was a not too bad theatre year, though (new) highlights were small, "lowlights" fortunately too with just four to mention.
THE lowlight for me was seeing the last show of "Villa Sonnenschein" (read about it here at the Schmidt Theater. It is not the actual show, though since the cast on that night was lame, dullest Felix, dullest doctor, dullest Gustav, most horrible Melanie, it was not really that enjoyable but the encore with seeing people who had been with the show before but seeing that gem go and a shitty show as "Königs Vom Kiez" taking over its slot.
Well, the good thing is that I definitely have no reason any more to visit that theatre and spend a lot more time and money on shows and theatres where I am not treated as a nuisance when it is actually certain people being the problem.
Another lowlight was the low German version of "La Cage Aux Folles" at the Ohnsorg Theater here in Hamburg.
It got rave reviews, the guy playing Zaza even got an award from some local comp but sorry, anyone who had seen La Cage before would have been disappointed.
Not everything was wrong with it, the guy playing Jacob was brilliant, so was Hardy Rudolz as Georges but the production itself was lacking the heart and the drive e.g. the Menier Chocolate Factory production had with Zaza was way too trashy and simply OTT for me. Yes, it may have just been one part, but for me Zaza IS the show and that character is falling flat as here, the whole show just does not work properly.
Unfortunately the other show I saw at the Ohnsorg Theater, a low German version of my beloved "Landeier" was a disappointment as well. I never thought that the show could disappoint but with (unnecessary) changes made to the piece, particularly to the end, it often lost its wit, cleverness and its soul overloaded with ridiculous slapstick and farce played too often towards to the audience instead of interacting with each other. Particularly Markus Gillich as Jan was a total let-down - everything I love about that character, the geekiness, the nerdiness, that dopiness was all gone and filled with an attention seeking, pathetic and farcical character. People around me laughed but talking to the person next to me they had never seen another production before so they simply could not know how to direct it better....
That also applies to the poor production of West Side Story in Lübeck.
I love West Side Story having seen I do not know how many productions but this season's production is just so bad that I was not sure whether to laugh or cry.
I have no objection with modernising (slightly) some classic shows to show its relevance for current days but when it is done as in Lübeck it is a no go for me. And do not get me started on the poor casting. I am still trying to finish a post but I have difficulties to find the right words for so many wrong things with that show....
My absolute musical highlight in 2015 was the production of Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre in London with a most stunning Imelda Staunton as Mama Rose.
Can a performance be more perfect than hers? Can a production be more perfect than this? Can a theatre visit be more exciting and moving at the same time as this? Simple answer: hardly.
Imelda Staunton was not just simply playing the part, she was Mama Rose from top to toe.I really hope that it will be released on DVD after it was broadcast on British TV in December.
Another magnificent performance was Katie Brayben as Carole King in Beautiful. Normally not much a fan of such a show (Jersey Boys has same concept, cannot stand it much despite having seen it a few times due to some certain people in it), but not only Katie Brayben was amazing, so was the show having a splendid cast, it being well directed, designed... Utter perfection.
And despite Katie Brayben having left already, I really want to see it again as no one else but the wonderful talented Cassidy Janson took over.
I had seen "Thrill Me" and liked it before but just last year there was a production that totally capturing and engrossing - the one at the English Theatre here in Hamburg excellently staged with its incredible cast Sebastian Hill and Guy Woolf. Especially latter was mind blowing with his portrayal of Nathan Leopold feeling so real, so human and not feeling like an actor just playing the part.
I could not get enough of the show that I went several times during its two months' run feeling, despite never meeting the two in person, so connected with them living their dream.
That it does not need much but some excellent actors, a few props and a compelling story to impress me was also the case when seeing "American Psycho" in Bochum at the Rottstr 5 Theatre.
I mainly "just" went to see Felix Lampert in another play after I was rather impressed with his performance in this family show the year before. I do like the novel despite its controversy, am okay with the movie despite normally a fan of Christian Bale, but the production, based on both, redefined the piece being a lot more intense and less farce and satire focusing on the key elements of the story and not wasting time on moments not moving the story forward with some great effects created by light and set design.
Especially with an actor as Felix Lampert whose performances are some of the most vigorous ever seen, even the smallest move, the smallest gesture, the smallest look feels so true, so authentic, that you cannot help yourself but be totally mesmerised by him. There was not a moment when I could not take my eyes off him - I just did not want to risk missing something essential as little as it might have been. I was so exhausted at the end of the performance it being so emotionally draining (in a positive way).
But also his co-star Ronja Sczepanski taking over various other parts left an impression that I am hoping to see it again soon.
And last but not least I have to mention the BEAUTIFUL production of "Wie Im Himmel" at the Altonaer Theater, Hamburg based on the Swedish movie "Så som i himmelen".
It rarely happens that every character in a performance feels perfectly cast, harmonising so well with each other, revealing the innermost essence of each giving enchanting performances with alone the last scene at end of act 1 when the superb Alice Wittmer and the rest of the cast perform the beautiful "Gabriellas sång" worth the visit - think I had never heard so much applause at an interval as at that play.
That's for 2015, may 2016 bring a few more highlights having seen already two that certainly will make the shortlist....
