Michael Kunze News

Following 12 hugely successful foreign language productions, critically acclaimed musical Rebecca by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay is to get its English language premiere in a new production at London’s Charing Cross Theatre in an English translation by Christopher Hampton.

Top stories include Topdog/Underdog beginning previews tonight! Plus, watch a video of Gavin Creel and Joshua Henry singing 'Agony' from Into The Woods, full casting for the national tour of On Your Feet!, and more!

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Rebecca the Musical in Vienna at the Raimund Theater. Known for being 'the two most successful German-language musical authors,'  Michael Kunze & Sylvester Levay's Rebecca has already captivated more than 2 million people worldwide in 12 countries and 10 languages.

REBECCA, the musical about love and obsession reaching from beyond the grave, is back! Daphne Du Maurier's novel has been adapted several times successfully for stage and screen, like Alfred Hitchcock's Academy-Awarded Version or the late Netflix Adaption with Lily James and Armie Hammer. Silvester Levay (Music) and Michael Kunze (Book and Lyrics) brought up a Musical Version of Du Maurier's gothic thriller back in 2006.

The worldwide hit about the Austrian Empress performed in French at the Bruxellons! Festival in Belgium.

After starting to educate the French-speaking audience of Brussels into the art of musical theater, with widely known titles such as The Sound of Music, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, and My Fair Lady, the Bruxellons! Festival has started venturing into lesser-known material with Blood Brother last year, which, despite being initially a big hit in London, had hardly been done since, let alone in a foreign language. This year's Elisabeth, originally commissioned by Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, had been seen over 10 million times throughout the world, becoming the most successful German musical of all time, but, despite having been translated 7 foreign languages, had yet to be done in either English or French.

The new production of Guys and Dolls in Japan has opened its curtain to a house full of enthusiastic audience at the prestigious Imperial Theatre on Thursday, June 9th in Tokyo.

What did our critic think of ELISABETH IN CONCERT at SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE? After the massive success in 2019, ELISABETH, the Musical about Austria's famous empress, is back at Schönbrunn Palace for a three-night-only run. You might never witness a concert in such a unique location perfect for one if not the most successful Austrian musical, written by Michael Kunze (book and lyrics) and Silvester Levay (music). The concert feels like a celebration of the show's unbroken success. Since opening night in 1992, ELISABETH has become a global phenomenon. More than twelve million people have seen the story about Elisabeth's tragic life and death. A Musical National treasure, history Made In Austria.

REBECCA finally returns to the Raimund Theater! Michael Kunze & Sylvester Levay ('Elisabeth,' 'Mozart!') have created another magnificent masterpiece that has already captivated more than 2 million visitors* worldwide in twelve countries and ten languages. The spectacular production, based on the world-famous novel by Daphne du Maurier, is coming back to Vienna this September. Francesca Zambello (Director of Original Production) is recreating the show for the revival run with Simon Eichenberg (Choreography) and Peter J. Davison. ( Set Design)

Christian Struppeck invited Austria's most influential press members to the Cast Presentation for the upcoming production of Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame into one of the most iconic landmarks in Vienna, the St. Stephans Cathedral with its famous bell, the Pummerin.

The young Princess Elizabeth 'Bess' Tudor, daughter of the legendary King Henry VIII and the notorious Anne Boleyn, grows up as an orphan in the care of her governess and her humanist tutor, while her half-sister as 'Bloody Mary' brutally rules over her subjects.

SPIRITED AWAY was brought to life at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo, bringing in a full house of attendees. This timeless masterpiece was recreated by the director of Les Misérables, John Caird, who brought iconic scenes to the stage with amazing performances with 32 performers and over 50 puppets designed by Toby Olié. 

Toho Co., Ltd. has just announced the world premiere of a new theatrical production based on Studio Ghibli’s Oscar-winning film SPIRITED AWAY (original title: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi). This production will be the first ever stage adaptation of the 2001 animated masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki which became a massive box office hit in Japan and earned worldwide acclaim including Academy Award for Best Animated Feature of 2002.

From the 13th to the 18th of February 2020, The Musical Showroom will be presenting the Austrian premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical ASPECTS OF LOVE at the Theater Arche in Vienna. The musical tells in 2 acts the tragic and emotional story of a family and their companions over three generations.

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.

You can put on a revival of a hit show. You can add or cut songs, costumes or scenes. Some might love it, others might moan about it and some even don't care about it.

Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay's Elisabeth will play at Schloss Schonbrunn Ehrenhof July 5 and July 6, 2019.

Zum 20. Geburtstag des Stage Metronom Theaters im Herbst 2019 holt Stage Entertainment ein echtes Kult-Musical ins Ruhrgebiet: TANZ DER VAMPIRE. Damit kehrt eines der beliebtesten Musicals uberhaupt nach Oberhausen zuruck, da die Blutsauger hier bereits von 2008 bis 2010 zu Gast waren, bestatigt Jurgen Marx, Area Director der Region SudWest bei Stage Entertainment: „TANZ DER VAMPIRE ist eines der beliebtesten Musicals weltweit. Fans kommen immer wieder mit der Bitte auf uns zu, diese Show endlich wieder auf den Spielplan zu setzen. Wir freuen uns sehr daruber, dass wir diesen Wunsch nun ausgerechnet zum 20. Geburtstag des Stage Metronom Theaters in Oberhausen erfullen konnen.' Tickets fur die funfmonatige Spielzeit sind ab sofort erhaltlich unter www.musicals.de

Whenever one of my US friends asks me about a successful German musical, it is for sure "Dance of the Vampires" that comes immediately to my mind. It was Jim Steinman (music) and Michael Kunze (lyrics) created the musical adaption of Roman Polanski's film from 1967. The show premiered in 1997, and has been running - with some short breaks - in Germany and Austria ever since.