BWW Exclusive: Joe's Pub-Bound Sven Ratzke Picks His Top 5 Favorite Bowie Songs

By: May. 11, 2016
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

Sven Ratzke - the transgressive European Entertainer Extraordinaire - will celebrate the New York debut of his international hit show STARMAN at Joe's Pub at the Public for three shows only from May 23-26.Inspired by the iconic musician and songwriter David Bowie, the program combines many of the artist's famous numbers such as "Space Oddity," "Rebel Rebel," "Heroes," and "Rock and Roll Suicide" with album deep cuts and inspired original songs by Ratzke and Rachelle Garniez. More than a mere tribute show, STARMAN is a one-man rock musical with unique characters and bold reinventions of glam rock classics.

Ratzke is internationally-recognized for the title role in the first-ever Berlin production of Hedwig and theAngry Inch. John Cameron Mitchell, the musical's creator and the original star, declared "Sven is the best Hedwig I've ever seen." After its smash run in Berlin at the Admiralspalast, Ratzke brought the show to Utrecht and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Basel and Vienna. Ratzke's Hedwig returns to Berlin in October and travels to Hamburg in November.

To celebrate the upcoming New York premier of STARMAN, BroadwayWorld asked Sven to choose his favorite David Bowie songs. Take a look below at his picks, including a bonus performance from Ratzke himself!

Sven Ratzke will perform STARMAN at Joe's Pub at The Public on Monday, May 23 at 9:30 PM; Tuesday, May 24 at 7:30 PM; and Thursday, May 26 at 9:30 PM. For tickets - which cost $20 - call (212) 967-7555 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, visit JoesPub.com, or visit in person at The Public Theater Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street from 2:00 PM daily.

"Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)"

I love this song. Maybe it's a bit cheesy, but I love how cool it is. Bowie is just the height of coolness. Slow and sexy at the beginning, then it explodes. I love the chorus also. This song is not in my show but it's an inspiration!

"Weeping Wall"

I never really liked Bowie's three Berlin records when I was a kid, they were almost too strange and spooky. But later I learned to love them, especially the album 'Low.' These sounds, this atmosphere. You don't need to take drugs, just listen. NYC songwriter Rachelle Garniez and I created an original song called 'The Torch' that is very much inspired by the album 'Low,' about destructive and wild love affair with a drag queen in Berlin!

"Let's Dance"

This is how I got to know Bowie, somewhere near end of the 1980s. I was around 10, listening to Falco and Michael Jackson, but then this cool man came along and changed everything. This song is not in my show, because I chose only songs from the 70s. The period when Bowie wasn't a radio artist and not that mainstream that made more. This might be confusing and moving music, but this is a great dance track.

"Heroes"

A milestone! This song shows what a great writer Bowie was. It has all these great images. I created my very own interpretation of it that's more melancholic. But part of what made him great is that you can make his songs your own.

"Life on Mars"

One of my favorites. What a beautiful song, almost like a mini-opera. Bowie was very inspired by musicals and theatre. And what is this song really about? I love that you have to figure that out.

And, BONUS:

"Rebel Rebel" Performed by Sven Ratzke

Here is my performance of Bowie's classic on Dutch TV after he died. This song has a great energy. And this song is almost the theme for the show: it doesn't matter how you look, how you act. It's as if to say, 'You are just fascinating and that's why I've fallen for you, you crazy creature.' I really love that.



Videos