Stage
“Xanadu” - Stadttheater Baden
Based on the film of the same name, Xanadu centers on a Greek muse who is sent to Earth to inspire Californians during the 1980s. While on earth, she meets and falls in love with an artist and helps him realize his dreams.
The score retains the hits from the film and also includes new arrangements by Eric Stern of “I’m Alive,” “Magic,” “Suddenly,” and “Dancin’,” as well as interpolating two classic Electric Light Orchestra songs, “Strange Magic” and “Evil Woman,” plus Farrar’s “Have You Never Been Mellow.”
Music & Lyrics: Jeff Lynne und John Farrar
Book: Douglas Carter Beane
Musical Director: Oliver Ostermann
Director: Ricarda R. Ludigkeit
Choreography: Ricarda R. Ludigkeit
Choreography Assistance: Marcus Tesch
Stage: Thomas Stingl
Cast:
Dagmar Bernhard, Wilbirg Helml, Miriam Mayr, Tina Schöltzke, Ariane Swoboda, Martin Niedermair, Kevin Perry, Benjamin Rufin, Marcus Tesch, Andreas Wanasek
“Kiss Me Kate” - Volksoper Wien
Fred and Lilly are a divorced pair of actors who are brought together by Cole Porter who has written a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great deal like the characters they play. A fight on the opening night threatens the production, as well as two thugs who have the mistaken idea that Fred owes their boss money and insist on staying next to him all night.
“Triumphant success of the first musical in Austria” - it was with acclamations like this that the papers welcomed “Kiss me, Kate” in February 1956 at the Volksoper. The masterpiece has remained one of the most popular shows among Volksoper audiences. Bernd Mottl, gave this classic a new look.”
Director: Bernd Mottl
Stage and Light-Design: Friedrich Eggert
Costume: Sue Blane
Choreography: Alonso Barros
Musical Director: Lorenz C. Aichner
Cast:
Andreas Lichtenberger, Franziska Becker, Robin Poell, Johanna Arrouas, Sándor Németh, Sulie Girardi, Martin Bermoser,Kurt Schreibmayer, Boris Eder, Herbert Steinböck, Roman Martin, Jeffrey Treganza, Georg Wacks, Caroline Ciglenec, Wilbirg Helml, Eva Prenner, Lynsey Thurgar, Michael Höfner, Oliver Liebl, Stefan Gregor Schmitz
“Singin’ in the Rain” - Kammerspiele Wien
In 1927, the former stunt Don Lockwood becomes a successful actor with the company of his best friend Cosmo Brown forming a romantic pair with the actress Lina Lamont. In the period of transition from silent movies to talking pictures, Don accidentally meets the aspirant actress Kathy Selden while escaping from his fans and fall in love for her. Lina has troubles with the sharp tune of her voice, and Cosmo and Don decides to dub her, using Kathy’s voice, to save their movie. When the jealous Lina finds the strategy of the studio, she does not want to share the credits with Kathy and tries to force the studio to use Kathy in the shadow to dub her in other productions. But when Lina decides to speech and sing to the audience, the truth arises.
Director: Werner Sobotka
Choreography: Ramesh Nair
Musical Director: Christian Frank
Costume: Elisabeth Gressel
Cast:
Gaines Hall, Ramesh Nair, Nina Weiß, Jennifer Kossina,Daniela Lehner, Wilbirg Helml, Katharina Strohmayer, Jennifer Pöll, Katharina Dorian, Kathrin Mersch, Ronnie Vero Wagner, Christian Petru, Oliver Liebl, Markus Simader, Thomas Weissengruber
“Die spinnen die Römer” - Volksoper Wien
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.
Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251–183 BC), specifically Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosusand Mostellaria, the musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The plot displays many classic elements of farce, including puns, the slamming of doors, cases of mistaken identity (frequently involving characters disguising themselves as one another), and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from the line that vaudeville comedians often used to begin a story: “A funny thing happened on the way to the theater”.
The musical’s original 1962 Broadway run won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Author (Musical).A Funny Thing has enjoyed several Broadway and West End revivals and was made into a successful film starring the original lead of the musical, Zero Mostel.
Director: Werner Sobotka
Choreography: Ramesh Nair
Musical Director: Michael Levy
Costume: Elisabeth Gressel
Cast:
Robert Meyer, Sigrid Hauser, Bettina Mönch, Paul Schweinester, Dagmar Hellberg, Boris Pfeiffer,Herbert Steinböck, Gernot Kranner, Caroline Ciglenec, Eva Prenner, Wilbirg Helml, Miriam Mayer, Lynsey Thurgar, Jennifer Kossina, Michael Höfner, Oliver Liebl, Ronnie Vero Wagner, Tom Schimon,