"Absolutely anarchic"

Created: 01/02/2023, 08:00

By: Michaele Heske

Sheer horror: Fritz is standing on the parapet and threatens to fall down.

© Birgit Lang

The ensemble of the Opera Incognita ignited a firework of lively melodies on New Year's Eve.

Dorfen – The approximately 250 spectators in the Jakobmayer Hall could hardly catch their breath, the punch lines were cracking so quickly.

Jaques Offenbach's “Grand Duchess of Gerolstein” is a fun and turbulent operetta with completely insane characters.

On the one hand a shrill romantic comedy full of trials and tribulations, but on the other hand also a bitter military satire.

The crazy ensemble number right at the beginning of the absurd stage show puts the audience in a champagne mood: "Piff Paff Puff und Tataratatumm", not only General Bumm and Baron Puck are dancing, but also the chorus of soldiers.

The corps, in which only singers from Dorfen repeat, mocks the whole military fuss.

There's Fritz, a common soldier.

He is promoted to general from time to time at Fritzenshausen - solely because the Grand Duchess of Gerolstein falls in love with him.

Robert Gregor Kühn, alias Fritz, now goes to war and of course wins the battle in which the fictional opponent surrenders without a fight after a night of drinking.

Of course, this scenario is not in the spirit of Baron Puck, played brilliantly by baritone Konstantin Riedl from Dorfen.

He allies himself with General Bumm (Manuel Kundiger).

"May the force be with us," hope the two friends, whose goal is to pair the grand duchess with Prince Paul (Florian Dengler): The dandy with Ray-Ban sunglasses and a light pink suit is somehow reminiscent of John Travolta.

Sometimes in a pink coat, then again as a sexy vamp in a black evening dress, mezzo-soprano Frauke Mayer crowns this performance as Grand Duchess von Gerolstein.

She tries to win Fritzen's love, who in turn is engaged to the farm girl Wanda (Franziska Zwink).

Because the war hero does not reciprocate her advances, she plans revenge and stages a murder plot with Bumm, Puck and Paul.

In the end, however, and Mayer works this out fantastically, the Grand Duchess confesses to her indestructible lust for life and not only tames her own feelings of revenge, but also everyone else's.

Everyone gets who they deserve.

The corks pop and the Gerolsteiner dances totally tipsy on the table in her wedding dress.

"Absolutely anarchic - there's nothing to be afraid of," says the musical director Ernst Bartmann, who brought Offenbach's operetta to the stage together with artistic director Andreas Wiedermann.

Spectator Hannah Wastlhuber (22) said after the performance: "Totally weird, that fits the turn of the year." Representing the audience, who applauded for a long time, Alex Steinbach (28) added: "It's really strong what's brought to the stage here in the Jakobmayer will."

Further performances:

January 5th and 6th, 8 p.m., in the Jakobmayer Hall in Dorfen.