STAGE TUBE: HOPE! The Obama Musical Opens in Frankfurt, January 17

Germany's Der Spiegel is reports that a new musical, "Hope! The Obama Musical Story," will open in Frankfurt on January 17th.

The German musical, performed in both English and German, pays tribute to, according to promotional material "th world's most powerful man" in song and dance. 

The musical is created by American writer and composer Randall Hutchins.  The musical tells the story of the historic 2008 Presidential campaign through the viewpoints of the different candidates and American public. Barack and Michelle Obama, John McCain, Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin (reportedly "surrounded by a troop of scantily clad dancers") all play key roles. Reportedly, the same actress is deliberately cast as both Palin and Clinton. The cast is headed by Jimmie Wilson, who plays Obama.

Song lyrics are both original and reflective of actual speeches from the 2008 campaign.  As stated on the production's website, "In HOPE, [Hutchins] combines an affectionately arranged mix regarding taste and aesthetics of different music styles in the field of Pop, Soul, Gospel, HipHop and Rock."

Says creator Randall Hutchins to Spiegel Online. "I found the atmosphere exciting and that was my inspiration. People hoped change would result in a better life. It was a beautiful, very social time."

It addition to following Obama's rise, the story centers on residents in an apartment-sharing community, including a politically disillusioned unemployed Puerto Rican, a conservative German-American widow and an African-American political activist.  Throughout the show, each becomes affected and united by Obama's message of change and hope for a new start.

To read more in Spiegel Online, click here.

The show will run at the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt am Main. Tickets are priced at between €42 and €151 ($60-$216). After Frankfurt, it is set to tour Germany, with plans to take it to the US in the future. For tickets and more information, click here.