german musicals

[simplywill]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 1:34pm

hello all,
Well I'm currently a musical theatre major at OCU with a background in vocal performance from UNT. I was required to study language and i chose german. Since then I've had an incredible curriousity for the language and its musical theatre. A friend of mine checked it out and loved it too. Some that are really popular: Elizabeth and Mozart. I love both. These musicals, origionally written in german, have gone accross the world, with mad props. I want to know more, if any1 has anything they can input on this topic, please feel free. Why havn't more american's heard of these? (things that make you go hmmm)

share the love,
Simply Will

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 2:01pm

hmmmmmmm, my little Jewish heart is frightened at the thought of going to a German musical.

[Bwaybabie]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 2:14pm

I think Dance of the Vampires was a German musical at first. Though I don't speak German and can't for the life of me remember the German title.

I'd like to know why David Hasselhoff is so popular over there.

Posted: 10/9/03 at 4:25pm

Tanz der Vampyr originally ran in Europe; I seem to remember it playing in Vienna for a bit.

Teacher, if it assuages your fear at all, Bernstein and James Levine (both Jewish) love love LOVE conducting Wagner.

[robbiej]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 4:34pm

Anybody want to be in my production of DAS BOOT! ?

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 5:00pm

is it in Germany that there's a stage version of HUNCHBACK? is it Disney's score?

[JakeB]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 5:30pm

Germany is like Broadway spread out all over the country. There are loads of shows there like Phantom, Lion King, Les Miserables has just opened there, Titanic (das Musical - I think it started life there), Dance of the Vampires, Mamma Mia, Saturday Night Fever, Starlight Express has been running there for years.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 5:36pm

what is OCU, Will?

Updated On: 10/9/03 at 05:36 PM

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 5:51pm

viciouscircle, that does help my fears a bit..thank you:)

[Deena Jones2]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 6:22pm

Jeckyll and Hyde is very popular thruout Germany and Vienna. Have you heard of Freudiana ( by the guys from Alan Parsons Project)- ran a few years ago. Freudiana has some really good music. There is a concept CD with Kiki Dee on it!! They also did a musical Gaudi but I do not know if it was ever produced.

There is also Barbarella coming to Vienna in Spring of 2004- by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. I don't know if its in German or English.

I believe there is also a hit musical playing in Vienna called What's Up?? wtih some famous band writing it..

[Deena Jones2]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 6:57pm

Oh, I forgot... Hair is ALWAYS being produced somewhere in Germany. The last revival ran for years last I saw was in Vienna too.

[sheekala]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 7:02pm

Disney's Hunchback was done in Germany, there is a cast recording available. Check Footlight Records for a large amount of international cast recordings, some are amazingly sung. Sunset Blvd. is a favorite of mine!

[Deena Jones2]

Posted: 10/9/03 at 7:08pm

Ya know, one more thing... there is a really good out of date book (maybe even out of print called The Blackwell Guide to Musical Theatre on Record by Kurt Ganzl.) Here you might find some more info on German recordings of Musicals that have been done from the 1930's to 1990. I don't know if there is an updated version of this book as mine was printed in 1990 but it is a GREAT source of info! There are some really interesting listings like Ute Lemper in Starlight Express , La Cage Aux Folles of course Les Mis plus many more.

Best,

Deena

Oh, there is an original cast recording in German of Freudiana and Footlight Records had it!

[simplywill]

Posted: 10/10/03 at 1:36am

Hey every1,
thanks for responding to my questions. You're all helping expand my knowledge and love. OCU is Oklahoma City University, the school i go to. Dance of the Vampires(Tanz von Vampyre, or whatever), i don't think is a good representative of the incredibleness that some origionally german musicals possess. Hello i mean look how long it ran. hehehe. NEway, thanks again. If you wish to add, keep 'em coming.

much love all de time
Will

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 10/10/03 at 3:37pm

There is a current German Phantom prodcution and yeah, Dance of the Vampires did orginate there but it was called Tanz Der Vampir but you guys knew that... =-)

Posted: 10/10/03 at 5:29pm

Jekyll and Hyde German cast is AWESOME, the Lucy is INCREDIBLE! Amazing voice, it's a favorite of mine!

[Phantom05]

Posted: 10/11/03 at 12:18am

Excuse Me........."simplywill"...First of all Tanz Der Vampire and Dance of the Vampires are two very different shows! I don't really want to go in to detail, I could write an essay, did you see either one of the productions....I DID! I have seen both versions, and let me tell you, Tanz Der Vampire is one of the most amazing representations of the caliber of musicals in Germany. It has almost nothing in common with its Broadway counterpart, and is far more amazing and rich in content! The German Tanz Der Vampire is currently one of Germany's most popular musicals, and has been running for the past 8 years in Vienna, Stuttgart, and now Hamburg. There are plans to open it in Sweden, Spain, London, and many are hopeing that the original German version, translated, will open on Broadway.....One can only hope!!! Sorry if I seem a little edgy on this subject, but unless you have seen both versions, and can compare the two, then you should really have nothing deragatory to say about either one!

Later!

Phantom05

Updated On: 10/11/03 at 12:18 AM

Posted: 10/11/03 at 2:47am

Do not forget the did a musical verison of DIANA (about Princess Diana)--- I have that and some other shows they did. I will have to look.

They also do many shows in English.

Japan has many theater cast recordings also. ASPECTS OF LOVE, STARLIGHT EXPRESS, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and even a musical of SCARLETT

[DoReMi]

Posted: 10/11/03 at 4:12am

Isn't "Metro" a German show...or maybe Polish???


Anyway you translate it....BAD.

Posted: 10/11/03 at 8:53am

METRO was a Polish show.
What about Cyrano? Remember that? What country was that from?

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 10/11/03 at 9:20am

As far as I knoe, the best representatives of German musicals are the operettas of Franz Lehar and Oscar Straus. They are usually performed in Vienna or Berlin, but almost never in the United States. Lehar, especially, was popular for his MERRY WIDOW and for the lieder he wrote for Richard Tauber. There are many recordings of Lehar operettas that might intrigue you.

Miriam

[Deena Jones2]

Posted: 10/11/03 at 10:02am

Cyrano originated in the Netherlands. On Broadway, the Dutch Cyrano originated then was replaced by Robert Guillaume! Thier leading lady was the always wonderful Anne Runolfsson. What is she doing?

Hey, simplywill- any info on Barbarella?

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 10/11/03 at 11:55am

is the SCARLETT the same as the GONE WITH THE WIND musical by Harold Rome?

[simplywill]

Posted: 10/11/03 at 3:05pm

phantom, wow, you've seen both, really cool. I didn't know that they weren't the same thing. I am actually really relieved to find out that the german one is leaps and bounds better. My faith in german theatre is renued.

onceadancer, my school is doing the merry widow, in the spring. I'm looking foward to seeing it.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 10/11/03 at 3:12pm

Hey simplywill, that's really cool.....I'm glad I could renew you faith, hahaha.....That's really awesome that your school is producing the Merry Widow, I hope it goes well!!!

See Ya Later!!!

Phantom05