V37
Saturday, 6 March 2010
7 pm, Music theatre in the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau
"One Touch of Venus" SECOND PERFORMANCE
Musical comedy in two acts
Music: Kurt Weill
Words: Sidney Joseph Perelman und Frederic Ogden Nash
Musical direction: James Holmes
Stage direction: Klaus Seiffert
Choreography: Mario Mariano
Scenery/Costumes: Imme Kachel
Soloists: Ute Gfrerer and other
Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau
Choir and dance company of the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau
Students of musical/show performance at the Berlin University of the Arts
While standing in for an ill colleague, barber Rodney Hatch makes the acquaintance of smug art collector Whitelaw Savory, who is currently showing off his latest acquisition: an antique Greek statue of Venus, reputed to be more beautiful than any woman living. Rodney is convinced that his fiancée Gloria is even prettier, and as a joke he slips the engagement ring intended for Gloria onto the hand of the Venus in a quiet moment. The statue comes to life, immediately falling in love with our hero who vainly tries to flee. Thus begins an entangled chain of events. Rodney is accused of stealing the missing statue. Venus is able to consign her rival Gloria to the North Pole, whereupon the unlucky Rodney is suspected of murder and lands in prison. He is freed by Venus, they enjoy a night of passion, and Rodney is subsequently abandoned by the magically returned Gloria. Rodney slowly finds himself falling in love with the Venus.
A story which begins as purely comic, slowly introduces satirical bite and social-critical elements when the Greek goddess is faced with the realities of life as a working-class housewife. Venus is forced to recognise that the social system in which she finds herself permits only two roles for her, that of housekeeper or as an object of a purely aesthetic veneration. “One touch of Venus” is a witty version of the Pygmalion story, offering a charming blend of grotesque fairy-tale and topical satire. The musical became Weill’s greatest Broadway success, and features songs ranging from gentle love duets to swinging dance numbers. Some of the music, from Venus and Rodney’s wonderful love duet, the rumba “Speak Low” or “That’s him” topped the hit parade, and are still today regarded as standards of the era of classic American song.
Performed in German and English with German supertitles
A coproduction of the Kurt Weill Festival Dessau
with the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau
With kind support of the
Stadtwerke Dessau
Ticket Prices in €