Review: OLIVER EDWARD IN CONCERT- THE LOOM SESSION at Duckland Hamburg

The star of the hit musical & Julia, currently playing at the Stage Operettenhaus in Hamburg, invited audiences to an intimate solo concert on December 1st at Duckland Hamburg. Oliver has been part of the first non-English-speaking production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's HAMILTON in Hamburg, as was his special guest, Chiara Fuhrmann (Ensemble/Cover Schuyler Sisters), who is currently starring as Juliet in &Julia. HAMILTON has had a massive influence on so many lives and careers, creating a very special bond. The #hamfam is a global phenomenon — just like the show itself. Unsurprisingly, the first half of the concert was dedicated to their time in HAMILTON in Hamburg, featuring anecdotes and, of course, some very familiar songs in the — I can't mention it often enough — exceptionally well-done German translation. It was wonderful hearing "Brennst" (Burn) or "Es ist Ruhiger Uptown" (It's Quiet Uptown) again in such an intimate setting. It makes you wish the German version would return sooner rather than later.

Back to the Present
Or, in other words, back to &Julia, honoring their current engagement — the jukebox musical you definitely have to see — closing their current full circle of life. (Pardon the pun, but a certain lion is celebrating its 24th birthday on the other side of the river.)

Oliver walked the audience through the creative process of writing and presenting his own music from his project with Bram Tahamata, called 2 A.M.
To check out their songs, click here.

The audience loved it — and what's not to love? One of the concert's highlights was Oliver's performance of "Land of Lola" from Kinky BOOTS, which left many audience members curious to see what new colours he could bring to the role and to see him starring as Lola.

Artists we all know from major musical productions, performing in such an intimate setting, accompanied only by a piano. An invitation to something honest and pure — something we all need much more often. And Hamburg definitely needs more LOOM Sessions, more of this talent outside its usual habitat, showing what else they have in store. That's what my colleague, Laura Schuhmacher, told me right after the event.

Hamburg needs more of these sessions in 2026 — a New Year's resolution for the city and of course for Oliver.