If there are no ups and downs in your life.....
it means you are dead.
2016 In Retrospect
Another year already over again, well nearly. Time flies when you have a busy life as I do these days. Work life's mad, personal life was too mad this year, I can only hope for less stress next year.
I nevertheless managed to go to just over 100 shows this year with the last being the grand international tour of West Side Story (how I LOVE the (close to) original choreography, the cast was incredible, the music so well played and conducted), not bad considering certain circumstances.
It was a year of mainly decent shows. The number of new shows to discover was not too bad with going to London twice and a few new shows to see in Germany, but I avoided a lot of German theatres I must say as I get bored with the 100th (okay, a bit exaggerated) production of some shows. There is just so much to discover in most shows as much as I e.g. like La Cage Aux Folles.
Looking back on this year my personal highlight was one I hadn't expected to be such a stunner despite its casting - Sunset Boulevard in London.
With its magnificent casting of the incredible Glenn Close as Norma Desmond, the gorgeous Michael Xavier as Joe Gillis, the amazing rest of the cast, the spellbinding orchestra conducted so well by Michael Reed it was a breathtaking afternoon I spent at the ENO in April.
The runner-up and IMHO the best new musical was Groundhog Day I watched at the Old Vic, London, this summer. The show itself had everything I want from a musical. Yes, the movie is already ace but the musical was not just a carbon copy.
It is smart, funny, emotional, warm and full of energy in its own way, has fantastic music (by Tim Minchin) and the cast was incredible (just not too keen on Carlyss Peer as Rita, I have simply other expectations of that character) - especially Andy Karl as Phil Connors was a stunner.
The most incredible show I saw in Germany was Lotte the musical, on in the city of Wetzlar, north of Frankfurt.
Based on the loosely autobiographical novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "The Sorrows of Young Werther", it tells from Charlotte's (Lotte) perspective the events of the novel (with some plot changes). With a small cast of six people, performed open air in front of the Lottehaus, the original residence of Charlotte Buff, it was an utterly perfect evening (even the weather was good after the days before were poor) - most beautiful music, an excellent cast particularly Oliver Arno as Werther, clever directing, staging and choreography concepts and the location was also just perfect for this little gem.
I nevertheless managed to go to just over 100 shows this year with the last being the grand international tour of West Side Story (how I LOVE the (close to) original choreography, the cast was incredible, the music so well played and conducted), not bad considering certain circumstances.
It was a year of mainly decent shows. The number of new shows to discover was not too bad with going to London twice and a few new shows to see in Germany, but I avoided a lot of German theatres I must say as I get bored with the 100th (okay, a bit exaggerated) production of some shows. There is just so much to discover in most shows as much as I e.g. like La Cage Aux Folles.
With its magnificent casting of the incredible Glenn Close as Norma Desmond, the gorgeous Michael Xavier as Joe Gillis, the amazing rest of the cast, the spellbinding orchestra conducted so well by Michael Reed it was a breathtaking afternoon I spent at the ENO in April.
The runner-up and IMHO the best new musical was Groundhog Day I watched at the Old Vic, London, this summer. The show itself had everything I want from a musical. Yes, the movie is already ace but the musical was not just a carbon copy.
It is smart, funny, emotional, warm and full of energy in its own way, has fantastic music (by Tim Minchin) and the cast was incredible (just not too keen on Carlyss Peer as Rita, I have simply other expectations of that character) - especially Andy Karl as Phil Connors was a stunner.
The most incredible show I saw in Germany was Lotte the musical, on in the city of Wetzlar, north of Frankfurt.
Based on the loosely autobiographical novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "The Sorrows of Young Werther", it tells from Charlotte's (Lotte) perspective the events of the novel (with some plot changes). With a small cast of six people, performed open air in front of the Lottehaus, the original residence of Charlotte Buff, it was an utterly perfect evening (even the weather was good after the days before were poor) - most beautiful music, an excellent cast particularly Oliver Arno as Werther, clever directing, staging and choreography concepts and the location was also just perfect for this little gem.
Other shows to be mentioned are Ragtime on in Braunschweig, the first ever German production with a cast to die for, Show Boat at the New London Theatre, London, which run was way too short (just over four months) but so remarkably directed by Daniel Evans and a striking cast lead by Gina Beck and Chris Peluso.
A Chorus Line on in Klagenfurt, Austria was fun. Directed by Baayork Lee, the original Connie Wong, the cast delivered a spot on performance that was dance wise jaw dropping just as much as the already mentioned international tour of West Side Story. Particularly Sarah Bowden as Cassie was the show stealer.
It was also her who the highlight of the overall wonderful production of 9 to 5 in Merzig. Cannot wait to see her again next year!
My favourite fringe theatre experience (though there were not many this year) was Children of Eden at the (new) Union Theatre. I hadn't expected much, I only went as Guy Woolf, whom I'd adored in the English Theatre, Hamburg, production of Thrill Me, was in the cast but it was an astonishing night out. I had seen the show before at the TfN, Hildesheim, that was good, though back then it didn't really move me, but here, it was moving and its young fresh cast so lively and energetic.
A Chorus Line on in Klagenfurt, Austria was fun. Directed by Baayork Lee, the original Connie Wong, the cast delivered a spot on performance that was dance wise jaw dropping just as much as the already mentioned international tour of West Side Story. Particularly Sarah Bowden as Cassie was the show stealer.
It was also her who the highlight of the overall wonderful production of 9 to 5 in Merzig. Cannot wait to see her again next year!
My favourite fringe theatre experience (though there were not many this year) was Children of Eden at the (new) Union Theatre. I hadn't expected much, I only went as Guy Woolf, whom I'd adored in the English Theatre, Hamburg, production of Thrill Me, was in the cast but it was an astonishing night out. I had seen the show before at the TfN, Hildesheim, that was good, though back then it didn't really move me, but here, it was moving and its young fresh cast so lively and energetic.
Seeing Janko Danailow's performance as Rob Cole in Der Medicus (as described >>here and >>here) was certainly a bit like dream comes true.
Yes, he had lead parts before but none as big and commanding as this part.
Yes, the show itself was not my cup of tea at all, but when a performer as Janko whose career I have followed for around ten years gets a chance to perform in such a role and simply outperforms himself being so moving, gripping and enthralling I cannot help but fall even more for him and put his performance in my absolute 2016 highlight list. What would I do to see him just once more in that role?!!
The other performer to be mentioned is Martin Markert. I did see him once in Elisabeth as Der Tod (The Death) before, but with the actual lead (whom I am not keen on at all) being sick (official version) the remaining months of the tour in winter/spring 2016 including the weeks the tour was in Hamburg the two understudies Martin Markert and Christoph Apfelbeck shared the role. Having liked Martin before as his Tony in the Halle/Saale production of West Side Story (ah, his last Tony performance in March was so beautiful as was the whole evening (also my last trip to Halle with Janko on as Riff)) but his Der Tod was just so different to all the other guys I had seen in that part before. IMHO he simply has the right androgynous look, the vocal and acting capabilities being so expressive and dramatic.
Special mention needs to go to the final show of Landeier at the Packhaustheater, Bremen, in January 2016. I do adore this show as mentioned often before but the final show was just simply most special as written >>here. Now can someone bring Michael Bernhard back to a German stage??????
Special mention needs to go to the final show of Landeier at the Packhaustheater, Bremen, in January 2016. I do adore this show as mentioned often before but the final show was just simply most special as written >>here. Now can someone bring Michael Bernhard back to a German stage??????
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While one of the two Sunset Boulevard productions I saw this year was the absolute highlight the other Sunset Boulevard production was an absolute disaster.
I hadn't expected much of the Lübeck production, particularly when hearing that the role of Norma Desmond was cast with Schlager singer Gitte Haenning but what I saw at the premiere at rather short notice with a ticket return was not not only bad, it was largely absolute horror and disgrace to this beautiful piece of musical theatre.
I do not care whether there were people who loved it and the local press (let's face it often bribed) wrote these amazing reviews the production is for me most probably one of the worst, if not THE worst EVER production with the worst casting EVER of Norma Desmond.
Nor could this woman sing the part and especially she could not act the part. I do not know what it was but any amateur would have been better. The rest of the production but the wonderful Rasmus Borkowski as Joe Gillis was not much better either. It is a production I NEVER ever want to see again.
Apparently at some other performances there were even people booing which does not surprise me.
The other disaster I saw this year was Dracula in Bremerhaven.
Let's face it - I do not like this Wildhorn crap anyway ( and this production has so many changes that even its cast as the normally wonderful Christian Alexander Müller as Dracula and Maximilian Mann as Jonathan Harker cannot save this production.
It was already on my lowlight list last year but as I got to see the West Side Story production in Lübeck twice more this year it made it back on the list. I would love to say I even do not know why I went to see it again but with a performance on on my birthday in April so I would see Thomas Christ on that day plus a promising cast change for the role of Tony and some further cast changes in season 2016/17 I wanted to see it again but even the cast changes could not save this production for me. I still do not get the applause and the standing ovation the production receives when there are so MUCH better production around.
Interesting was though when I went in September I had a lady next to me from the state theatre Schwerin.
That theatre will stage WSS next summer as their annual open air production and she had wanted to see the production to get a better idea of the show and just as me she did not like the production. I think I cannot be that wrong. ;-)
The last disappointing production was Gefahrliche Liebschaften on in Munich. Based on the epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos it was an utter bore and once again I did not get the positive reviews and the awards it had received. Apparently the guy who wrote the music was inspired by Stephen Sondheim but the result is Sondheim for the poor being a mess, dull as hell. I was also not keen on some of the cast, particularly Armin Kahl Vicomte de Valmont who was everything but a grand seduceer with very little stage presence to be a convincing seducer.
So much about 2016. Hope 2017 will have some highlights!
It was already on my lowlight list last year but as I got to see the West Side Story production in Lübeck twice more this year it made it back on the list. I would love to say I even do not know why I went to see it again but with a performance on on my birthday in April so I would see Thomas Christ on that day plus a promising cast change for the role of Tony and some further cast changes in season 2016/17 I wanted to see it again but even the cast changes could not save this production for me. I still do not get the applause and the standing ovation the production receives when there are so MUCH better production around.
Interesting was though when I went in September I had a lady next to me from the state theatre Schwerin.
That theatre will stage WSS next summer as their annual open air production and she had wanted to see the production to get a better idea of the show and just as me she did not like the production. I think I cannot be that wrong. ;-)
The last disappointing production was Gefahrliche Liebschaften on in Munich. Based on the epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos it was an utter bore and once again I did not get the positive reviews and the awards it had received. Apparently the guy who wrote the music was inspired by Stephen Sondheim but the result is Sondheim for the poor being a mess, dull as hell. I was also not keen on some of the cast, particularly Armin Kahl Vicomte de Valmont who was everything but a grand seduceer with very little stage presence to be a convincing seducer.
So much about 2016. Hope 2017 will have some highlights!
