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New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern

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New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern

Feldzieg
#1New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern
Posted: 11/26/14 at 10:39am

A new musical just opened in Hamburg, Germany. Since I took the show as a real breakthrough in German Musical theatre, I thought some of you might be interested in hearing about this.

Hamburg is the 3rd largest musical theatre market after New York and London (albeit with a rather large distance between ranks 2 and 3). But up until this point, most musicals produced in Germany for the big stage were either international smash hits (Phantom, Lion King etc.) or at least mostly penned by Americans or Brits (Rocky). The few exceptions were not original story musicals but jukebox shows like “Hinterm Horizont” which is still running in Berlin. It took the music of German rock musician Udo Lindenberg and fabricated a story around it.

“The Miracle of Bern” is different. Yes, it is based on one of the most successful German movies. But it does not translate the movie as closely as possible onto the stage but rather takes the right inspirations to make it work as musical storytelling.

The show is based on a key moment in modern German history and culture. The first World Cup win of Germany’s national soccer team in 1954. You need to understand the cultural context in order to grasp the show’s emotional power. Not only was it the first win and a complete surprise since the team was a real underdog.

Keep in mind, this was nine years after the war. Nine years after the Germans tried to set the world on fire. Until then, most people knew how badly they screwed up. The Nazi regime was gone but most people still around had in some way been associated with it. They mostly avoided talking about it, though. The country was paralyzed and internationally disgraced. A lot of German men were still prisoners of war, most of them in Russia. And their families had learnt to somehow continue living without them.

The show focuses on such a family. The mother started her own business, a small bar with moderate success. Her youngest kid is infatuated with soccer. He adores soccer star Helmut Rahn (who went on to score the game-winning goal in the final) and sees him as some kind of substitute father figure. In the midst of this, the father returns from a Russian prison camp, suffering from PTSD, not even knowing of his youngest son’s existence. They struggle finding together as a family. The father comes off as an intruder while he at first does not even begin to understand how the roles in the family and the country as a whole have changed in his absence. He stubbornly tries to enforce the old rules and starts fight after fight.

All this emotionally powerful stuff is very well told in the musical format. Most melodies are intriguing and are being reprised in an emotionally fitting situation later on.

I was particularly impressed that the show did not flinch from the dark side of this story. Yes, the moment when the team wins the World Cup is incredibly cheerful. But you can only comprehend the significance of this when being fully aware of how utterly depressing these times had been. It was the first moment of collective joy. The first “we” moment after such a long time of private despair and silence. This was not so much about sports. This was about the slow building of a new country that is now, thank God, one of the world’s most respected and peaceful.

The show captures this spirit incredibly well and really delivers on the emotional side of the story. Again, I was very impressed. For me, it was the first time that I saw Broadway quality in German musical theatre. To many more shows like this!

Here is a video report about the show:

http://www.dw.de/miracle-of-bern-on-stage-in-hamburg/av-18084024

I do not expect this to move anywhere else though. The story is just too specifically German.

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Overthewall
#2New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern
Posted: 11/26/14 at 11:09am

Thanks for sharing - I was in Hamburg about a year and a half ago while they were still building the theater and hadn't even announced the show they were going to put up in it.

I wish it luck and can't wait to go back and see it - it sounds intriguing!

Erzlump
#2New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern
Posted: 11/26/14 at 11:28am

Here's another Video they did to promote the Show - Wunder geschehen / Miracles happen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu2jUtRX3sQ


And while the Show looks very nice and the ensemble is strong, I find the lyrics to be pretty bland (from what I've seen so far). I still hope it has a good run and that Musicals become even more popular in Germany.

Updated On: 11/26/14 at 11:28 AM

Feldzieg
#3New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern
Posted: 11/26/14 at 12:00pm

Yeah, I was not on board at all after seeing this Youtube video. Had the exact same reaction. In the show, however, the song does work. It's not the strongest moment, but a very catchy one.

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temms
#4New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern
Posted: 11/27/14 at 6:55am

Looks interesting. I've been following German musical theatre for a while now - I did a Wolfgang Bocksch "Evita" tour several years back, and I've noticed how there are far fewer American touring companies these days and far more local productions. I really think it's because of Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber and the whole globalization of musicals in the '80s - the result is that a generation of Germans grew up seeing musicals and saying "I want to do that!" and now they're coming of age and doing it.

Of course there was "Elizabeth" which I saw 20 years ago (!) and "Linie 1" and "Tanz Der Vampire" and others, so it's not totally out of the blue. But I agree with you that the time seems ripe for some exciting things in German musical theatre.

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Eurotrash
#5New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern
Posted: 11/27/14 at 10:16am

An interesting mega-musical production, as it's neither an import nor an obvious potential export. Hope it does well.


Why don't you go? Why don't you leave Manderley? He doesn't need you... he's got his memories. He doesn't love you, he wants to be alone again with her. You've nothing to stay for. You've nothing to live for really, have you?

Feldzieg
#6New Musical in Germany - Miracle of Bern
Posted: 11/27/14 at 11:25am

It's true - there have been German language story musicals. But "Elisabeth" and "Tanz der Vampire" are both Austrian productions. Vienna was first in producing original stuff, much of it really good. Germany now follows.

And "Linie 1" is a great show, but has - to my knowledge - never had a first class production. The Grips Theater in Berlin where it is still running is tiny.