‘Ku’damm 56 – Das Musical’ Celebrates Its Premiere In Berlin
On November 28th, “Ku’damm 56 – Das Musical” celebrated its premiere at Berlin’s Stage Theater des Westens. The opening-night audience was delighted and rewarded the production with standing ovations. The musical based on the popular TV series of the same name is a joint project by BMG and UFA Fiction under the auspices of the Bertelsmann Content Alliance.
Three hours of great entertainment and emotion with plenty of thrills and chills awaited the audience at the premiere of “Ku’damm 56 – Das Musical” on Sunday evening at Berlin’s sold-out Stage Theater des Westens. The musical is a BMG and UFA Fiction co-production under the Bertelsmann Content Alliance umbrella. The premiere audience, which rewarded the performance with standing ovations, included Berlin’s future Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey, former Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit, actress Maria Furtwängler, and singer Marius Mueller-Westernhagen.
The UFA Fiction production “Ku’damm 56” already thrilled an audience of millions when it was broadcast on television. Now, after a one-year delay, the musical finally celebrated its premiere. The version was adapted for the stage in a close collaboration between Annette Hess, the story’s Grimme Prize-winning author, and the songwriting team Peter Plate and Ulf-Leo Sommer (who has worked with artists including Rosenstolz, Max Raabe, and Sarah Connor), and immediately captivated the audience, which gave a standing ovation at the end. Annette Hess, Peter Plate and Ulf-Leo Sommer are overjoyed: “After three years of preparation, we can safely say that this is one of most wonderful days of our lives.”
“Ku’damm 56 – Das Musical” tells the story of Caterina Schöllack, the owner of a dance school in Berlin, and her three daughters. The musical, like the series, is about new beginnings, first love, and self-determination in the era of Germany’s economic miracle. With emotionally charged songs and passionate performances and choreography by the cast, the musical conjures up a very special atmosphere and takes the audience on a moving journey back in time to the turbulent 1950s. The well-known singer Adel Tawil, who was also among the guests, was thrilled by the premiere: “It’s always amazing how Peter and Ulf put stories into songs, and this time have even created an entire musical as an homage to our city.”
“‘Ku’damm 56’ has all the makings of a stage hit,” wrote Berlin’s morning paper “Berliner Morgenpost” yesterday. “The performers give their all, and their energy is immediately transmitted to the audience. ... For one evening, we really forgot all about Corona. And for that alone, we cannot thank the piece enough.” The DPA newswire writes: “The opening-night audience was thrilled; some were dancing along by the end. The production refrains from any stage extravaganzas. The plot has been compressed, but the show retains both the wit and the feminist message of the TV version.”
Besides Annette Hess, Peter Plate and Ulf-Leo Sommer, director Christoph Drewitz (“The Fabulous World of Amelie”), the creative team is comprised of choreographer Jonathan Huor and “Westend” designer Andrew D. Edwards, who is responsible for the stage and costume design. The principal actors Sandra Leitner (“Amelie of Montmartre”) and David Jakobs (“The Hunchback of Notre Dame”) as Monika and Freddy sang and danced their way into the hearts of the audience on Sunday evening. Dominique Casimir, BMG EVP Global Repertoire & Marketing, UFA CEO Nico Hofmann, UFA Fiction Managing Director and Producer Benjamin Benedict, and UFA Fiction Producer Marc Lepetit are responsible for the production.
