Martin Ganeider - Page 8

First, when there's nothing........just take a famous movie and adapt it for the stage, voilá, you got a musical.

Not sure how to spend Valentines Day? There are plenty of options to spend the afternoon/evening with your beloved one. Apart from all the fine restaurants and Jewellery stores, there is some fine entertainment, offering something for everyone's taste. Here are some of our favorites for Valentine's day.

It's busy at the Mehr! Theater in Hamburg these days. The German-speaking premiere of J.K. Rowling's epic Masterpiece is just around the corner. Rehearsals are in full swing, the level of excitement is growing as everybody can't wait to see how HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is going to be live on stage. 'The Chosen One', Austrias Markus Schöttl, who will be Harry Potter in Hamburg found some time during rehearsals to talk with us about his journey into the Wizarding World of J.K. Rowling.

MUSICAL-COCKTAIL, Austria's very own Musical Magazine together with the Vienna Coffee Roastery are presenting an All-Star Charity Gala-Concert for the benefit of the organ restoration on the 8th of May at the historic Augustinian Church in the heart of Vienna.

Christian Struppeck announced earlier today the extension of Andrew Lloyd Webbers CATS. Due to the sold-out run, CATS will be back at the RONACHER after a short summer break in October 2020. Tickets will be on sale on January 21st. Get sure to grab yours as soon as possible. It is, after all these years, as magical as ever! Click here to read everything about Opening Night.

MUSICAL UNPLUGGED, by now an institution in Austria's entertainment sector, invited into the Studio 44, near the beautiful Baroque Palace Belvedere in the heart of Vienna. Only once or twice a year, Florian Schützenhofer, the founder of MU gathers together some great voices for a unique concert experience, the perfect entertainment after a long day in the office. Due to a sudden illness of Richard Redl, Jakob Semotan ( MU Veteran) took over all of Redls songs and got himself a busy evening on stage. Semotan opened the evening on a high with Heaven On Their Minds (Jesus Christ Superstar) and set himself a high standard for the rest of the evening. One spouse said during the intermission that Semotans voice sounded crystal clear, it's like listening to a professional recording in your own living room. Concerts like these are on risk to bore audiences by wrong song choices, or by hiring just names instead of artists. Neither did the MU-Team. The likes of DENISE SCHRENZER, Drag Queen NAOMI KING, RANDY DIAMOND, MICHAEL VINZENZ, and Creator FLORIAN SCH?oeTZENHOFER followed JAKOB SEMOTANS energetic Opening. It went out to be a firework of beautiful often and not so often heard Musical Anthems as well as some Chart Hits. Another one great voice took over the microphone, CHRISTOPH APFELBECK ( U/S Count KROLOCK; Dance Of The Vampires Stuttgart). It's a mess that a voice like his is going to leave Vienna, Apfelbecks voice is something you can't get enough from. It's one thing to belt out loud but it's so much harder to enchant the room with soft notes. The audience got beguiled by APFELBECKS tempting voice. The artists got accompanied by MICHAEL R?-MER, who is currently conducting the VBW Orchestra at the city's most beautiful Junkyard. Sometimes, a piano and a guy who knows how to use it are all that you need. R?-MER set the Feurich 218 literally on fire with passion and precision. When you get the chance to see MUSICAL UNPLUGGED, do not hesitate, go for it and you will get an entertaining evening, free voices, one piano, a promise MU is able to fulfill.

Mondays are made for Musicals. There might be no better way to start the week than with a lovely concert on a cold December night. Imagine a bunch of talented Artists, gathered together for a very intimate concert, like the ones at Feinstein's/54 Below. The only difference is, you can't buy any tickets, you had to put your name into a hat and if you are lucky enough you got an invitation for this unique and free event.

Well-known Musical Actress Wietske van Tongeren is going to play EVITA next summer in the Musicalsommer Winzendorf production. Van Tongeren is currently stepping in as Grizabella in the sold-out run of CATS in Vienna. Winzendorf will be a breathtaking location for the Andrew Lloyd Webbers dramatic show about the most famous and powerful women in Argentine history. Director Marika Lichter told the press, that she knew in the moment she was watching pictures from Evita, who would be a perfect fit for her production in Winzendorf.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is going to open the first German production in march 2020 at the Mehr! Theater am Großmarkt in Hamburg. Today, Producer Maik Klokow presented the Cast for Germany's Harry Potter. Austria's Markus Schöttl (from Klagenfurt) is going to play Harry Potter. Schöttl is well known for his talents on and off stage. He will be the first German Harry Potter in this magnificent and unique show. We are looking forward to see some magic, created live on stage by Markus Schöttl and the Cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The magical masterpiece from Stephen Sondheim ( Music and Lyrics) and James Lapine (Book) is coming back to Austria for 12 nights only in 2020. Maya Hakvoort (Elisabeth, Evita, Fantine, Norma Desmond, and many others) gathered together some of the finest artists for one of the must-see events next summer. Linda Hold and Birgit Noisternig ( Choreography), Dean Welterlen (Director) and Jeff Frohner (Musical Director) are taking care of Sondheims not so fairy tale. Into the Woods/ Ab in den Wald (German lyrics by Michael Kunze) is a very unusual choice for a summer production. Apart from cheesy funny shows, Maya Hakvoort is showing some guts for putting on such a pretentious show. Hakvoort is not only producing the show she is also playing the Witch, accompanied by Ann Mandrella ( the Baker's Wife), Reinwald Kranner ( the Baker), Jan Amann ( the Wolf, Prince), Andreas Kammerzelt ( Stepmother, Prince), Eve Rades ( Cinderella), Missy May ( Little Red Ridding Hood), Nazide Aylin ( Rapunzel), Matthias Trattner ( Jack), Inez Timmer ( Jacks Mother and others), Thomas Weissengruber ( The Narrator), Stephanie Rieger ( Stepsister) and Silke Braas-Wolter (Stepsister). For tickets and further information visit www.somerfestspiele-brunn.at

HitSquad released the Live Recording from the Musical Mega Event of this year's summer, ELISABETH in CONCERT. An All-Star Cast lead by Pia Douwes, together with the amazing Orchestra of the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, created a special night for an audience of 22000 people at the two night only event.

The Vereinigte Bühnen Wien got together to celebrate the traditional Season Opening at the summerstage, Oswald Schellmanns In-Location in the heart of the city. Artistic Director Christian Struppeck talked about the upcoming CATS Opening and and was looking forward to set a new record. Cast and Orchestra just finished the 'Sitzprobe'. AD Struppeck is really passionate, when he is talking about this production. Something really special to expect from the Vienna CATS. The hand-picked cast is a mix of well known artists and some fresh faces. A relaxing get together during the stressful rehearsals. It is less than 3 weeks until Opening Night.