Review: ELISABETH IN CONCERT at Schönbrunn Palace

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

Let's have a blast with Elisabeth the Musical-Concert Version for the fourth and last time in the picturesque courtyard of Schönbrunn Palace.

The final round before the Concert- version is hitting the road for a strictly limited run and the last chance to welcome back familiar faces who have been with the show before. After Pia Douwes and Maya Hakvoort, another well-known (Dutch) musical actress, took over the part of Austria's famous Empress, Annemieke van Dam. She has an ongoing history with the show and the character, and to no surprise, she got offered the opportunity to recreate her part in Austria's famous in-house production.

Van Dam fulfilled the (to be honest, extremely high) expectations and amazed the audience with an utterly touching and candid performance with her showstopping "Ich Gehör Nur Mir," once again conducted by the show's composer, Sylvester Levay.

Returning to the part of Elisabeth's Assasin and the show's narrator (and secret star) Luigi Lucheni, Riccardo Greco can be seen as "the" perfect match for the Italian Anarchist. Compared with his energetic acting, his engagingly rough voice took the audience by storm. If the show is coming back as a fully staged version, you better sign Greco for the part.

Back in Vienna, Gino Emnes takes over the part of The Death for the first time. Emnes presented a somewhat different version than his Schönbrunn predecessor, Mark Seibert. Charming, intrigued, but utterly dangerous, compared with his distinctive voice, it is no surprise that Elisabeth felt for him (as did many others in the audience).

Also staring at Schönbrunn for the first time are Helen Schneider as Archduchess Sophie (wickedly dangerous), Bettina Mönch as Ludovika/Frau Wolf, and Armin Kahl as Emperor Franz-Joseph. Another familiar face is back on stage after his record-breaking run as Hans Hölzl/Falco in the latest VBW In-House production, ROCK ME AMADEUS, Moritz Mausser, who made his professional debut as Rudolph at last year's Concert. What a journey to witness and a joy to see him grow as a performer. It has been a fantastic year for Mausser; the best is yet to come.

As we have to say goodbye to the ELISABETH Concert series, the producers revealed that they will continue with another In-House production next summer. I AM FROM AUSTRIA, the jukebox musical with songs by Austrias Reinhard Fendrich is coming up next.

Never change the W(hip)inning Team!

Gil Mehmert (Director), Simon Eichenberger (Choreography), Carsten Paap (Musical Director), and the outstanding and often praised VBW Orchestra have been ensuring that the Concert Version is still as livid and fresh as it was at the beginning. Minor changes have been made; Elisabeth was played this time only by Annemieke van Dam, with no young Elisabeth to share the part. (an invention we fell in love with and something dearly missed) ELISABETH, in front of what was once Elisabeth's and now Sylvester Levay's home, has been a blast, experiencing familiar faces recreating their career-changing parts in such a unique event.

As mentioned before, there is no place like home, and ELISABETH in Vienna is, for many reasons, an incomparable must-see.

In ELISABETH, we got a carriage and, of course, the palace. We are curious what to expect from I AM FROM AUSTRIA, maybe a Miss Saigon'isch-like helicopter landing.

Last but not least, Christmas is coming earlier this season, with the EP- release of 6 Major songs from the Concert, starring Annemieke van Dam, Gino Emnes, Riccardo Greco, and Moritz Mausser.

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