The Theater des Westens (Theatre of the West) is one of the most famous theatres for

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

s and

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

s in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, Germany, located at 10–12 in Charlottenburg. It was founded in 1895 for plays. The present house was opened in 1896 and dedicated to

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

and

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyrical tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles (74) ...

made his debut in Berlin here, and the

Ballets Russes The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. A ...

appeared with

Anna Pavlova Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20th ...

. In the 1930s it was run as the Volkstheater Berlin. After World War II it served as the temporary opera house of Berlin, the Städtische Oper (Municipal Opera). In 1961 it became the first theatre in Germany to show musicals. Since then it has become the "German equivalent of Broadway extravaganzas", putting on plays and musical comedies.

History

The theatre was founded in 1895. The construction of the present building began in 1896, designed by

Bernhard Sehring Ernst Bernhard Sehring (1 June 1855 in Edderitz, Anhalt – 27 December 1941) was a German architect. Life Sehring came from a petty-bourgeois village background and was the son of a Dessau construction foreman. He was boarded by Professor Ha ...

. It was opened on 1 October 1896 with a fairy tale, Holger Drachmann's ''Tausendundeine Nacht''. From 1898 the house was used for

, from 1908 for

's first appearance in Berlin was in 1905 in Theater des Westens. In 1910, Diaghilev's

performed ''

Carnaval Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

'' on Schumann's music in a choreography by Mikhail Fokine.

appeared with the Ballets Russes in 1914. From 1922, the house was again used as an opera house, called "Große Volksoper" (Great People's Opera), under the direction of conductor Leo Blech. Short lived, the opera house closed in 1924. The theatre then showed a mixed program, under frequently changing management. The dancer

Mary Wigman Mary Wigman (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann; 13 November 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a German dancer and choreographer, notable as the pioneer of expressionist dance, dance therapy, and movement training without pointe shoes. She is co ...

and her company were a great success in 1926. Hans Lüppschütz took over, presenting traditional works including '' Die Fledermaus'' and '' Alt Heidelberg'' along with new productions. He engaged prominent actors, such as

Fritzi Massary Fritzi Massary (31 March 1882 – 30 January 1969) was an Austrian-American soprano singer and actress. Early life and career Fritzi Massary was born Friederike Massaryk in Vienna in the Austro-Hungarian Empire on 31 March 1882. She was one o ...

in ''Eine Frau von Format'' (1927) by , Max Adalbert in ''Das Ekel'' (1928) and

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

in ''Bitte Einsteigen'' (1928). From 1921, the cabaret theatre in the basement was directed by Trude Hesterberg. It was closed in 1928, but reopened in 1931 by Friedrich Hollaender as . Performers included

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

, Curt Bois,

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

, Erich Mühsam and Theo Lingen. The theatre was reopened on 23 December 1934 as the with Albert Lortzing's ''

Der Waffenschmied ''Der Waffenschmied'' (The Blacksmith, Armourer) is an opera (Singspiel) in three acts by Albert Lortzing. The German-language libretto was by the composer after Friedrich Wilheim von Ziegler's ''Liebhaber und Nebenbuhler in einer Person'' (Lover ...

''. It presented as part of "" (light entertainment), directed by Karl Jöken and his wife Edith Schollwer. Examples include performances such as , , and . It had to be closed after an air raid in 1944.

Städtische Oper

After World War II the building served as Berlin's opera house called , because the Deutsche Oper Berlin had been destroyed in 1943. On 4 September 1945 it was opened by a performance of Beethoven's ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, with ...

''. The General Manager was

Michael Bohnen Franz Michael Bohnen (2 May 1887 – 26 April 1965) was a German bass baritone opera singer and actor. Bohnen was very popular in the Roaring Twenties. Life Michael Bohnen was born in Cologne. He trained in opera singing at the Hochschule fü ...

, succeeded by

Heinz Tietjen Heinz Tietjen (24 June 1881 – 30 November 1967) was a German conductor and music producer born in Tangier, Morocco. Biography Tietjen was born in Tangier, Morocco. At age twenty-three, he held the position of producer at the Opera House in ...

. Ferenc Fricsay was the Musical Director from 1948 to 1952, singers included Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Grümmer,

Josef Greindl Josef Greindl (23 December 1912 - 16 April 1993) was a German operatic bass, remembered mainly for his performances of Wagnerian roles at Bayreuth beginning in 1943. Josef Greindl was born in Munich and studied at the Munich Music Academy with P ...

and Ernst Haefliger. Operas by

Werner Egk Werner Egk (, 17 May 1901 – 10 July 1983), born Werner Joseph Mayer, was a German composer. Early career He was born in the Swabian town of Auchsesheim, today part of Donauwörth, Germany. His family, of Catholic peasant stock, moved to Augs ...

, Boris Blacher and Luigi Nono were premiered during this time, including Hans Werner Henze's on 23 September 1956.

Musical

When the opera was moved to a new building in 1961, the Theater des Westens specialised in operettas and the new musical. The opening and first musical production was Loewe's '' My Fair Lady'' on 1 October 1961, This first performance of the work in German was conducted by

Franz Allers Franz Allers (August 6, 1905 - January 26, 1995) was a European-American conductor of ballet, opera, Broadway musicals, film scores, and symphony orchestras. Early life Franz Allers was born in Carlsbad, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic) in 1 ...

who had already conducted the world premiere, the leading roles were performed by

Karin Hübner Karin Hübner (, 16 September 1936 – 25 July 2006) was a German stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in more than forty films from 1955 to 1977. Her name is sometimes given as Karin Huebner. Hübner was born in Gera in Thuringia a ...

and

Paul Hubschmid Paul Hubschmid (; 20 July 1917 – 31 December 2001) was a Swiss actor. He was most notable for his role as Henry Higgins in a production of ''My Fair Lady''. In some of his Hollywood films he used the name Paul Christian. He appeared in dozens ...

. In 1978, the stage technology was improved. In 1981, a restoration of the interior was begun according to the architectural plans of Bernhard Sehring, the facade was restored in 1988. From 1984,

Götz Friedrich Götz Friedrich (4 August 1930 in Naumburg, Germany – 12 December 2000 in Berlin, Germany) was a German opera and theatre director. He was a student and assistant of Walter Felsenstein at the Komische Oper Berlin in (East) Berlin, where he we ...

was

intendant An intendant (; pt, intendente ; es, intendente ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In ...

and Helmut Baumann artistic director. They concentrated on musicals and were successful with ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'' and '' La Cage aux Folles''. In 1988 Friedrich staged ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', itse ...

'' with an "all black-opera". In a united Germany, the theatre faced strong competition and had difficulties in staging an attractive program. On 24 September 2002, the Senate of Berlin agreed to sell the theatre to Stage Entertainment, while the ownership of the building itself remained in the city. Renovations which began in January 2003 were estimated to have cost 10 million Euros. On 26 September 2003 the theatre opened again with ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

''. Stage Entertainment has no ensemble but presents productions of German and international companies.

Premieres

Leon Jessel Leon Jessel, or Léon Jessel (22 January 1871 – 4 January 1942) was a German composer of operettas and light classical music pieces. Today he is best known internationally as the composer of the popular jaunty march '' The Parade of the Tin So ...

: ''Die beiden Husaren'' (1913) * Jean Gilbert: ''Die Frau im Hermelin'' (1919) * Leon Jessel: ''Schwalbenhochzeit'' (1921) *

Eduard Künneke Eduard Künneke (also seen as Edward and spelled Künnecke) (27 January 1885 – 27 October 1953 in Berlin) was a German composer notable for his operettas, operas, theatre music and some orchestral works. Kuenneke was born in Emmerich am Rhein, ...

: ''Die lockende Flamme'' (1933) *

Walter Goetze Walter Wilhelm Goetze ometimes ''Götze''(17 April 1883 in Berlin – 24 March 1961 in Berlin) was a German composer of operettas and revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and ske ...

: ''

Der goldene Pierrot ''Der goldene Pierrot'' (''The Golden Pierrot'') is an operetta in eight scenes by Walter Goetze to a libretto by Oskar Felix and Otto Kleinert. It premiered on 31 March 1934 at the Theater des Westens in Berlin. Roles Plot Time and place: A ...

'' (1934) *

: ''Circe'' (1948) * Boris Blacher: ''Ein preußisches Märchen'' (1952) * Luigi Nono: ''Der rote Mantel'' (1954) * Max Baumann: ''Pelleas und Melisande'' (1954) * Hans Werner Henze: ''

König Hirsch ' (in English, ''The Stag King'') is an opera in three acts by Hans Werner Henze to a German libretto by after ''Il re cervo'', a theatrical fable (1762) by Carlo Gozzi. He revised it as ''Il re cervo'', premiered in 1963 at the Staatstheater Kas ...

'' (1956) * Oskar Sala: ''Paean'' (1960) * Boris Blacher: ''Rosamunde Floris'' (1960) *

Rio Reiser Ralph Christian Möbius (9 January 1950 – 20 August 1996), known professionally as Rio Reiser, was a German musician and the singer of rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He supported squatting in the early 1970s and later the green political part ...

: ''Robinson 2000'' (1967) *

James M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

: '' Peter Pan'' (1984) * : ''Eins, zwei, drei'' (1989) * Jürg Burth / Ulf Dietrich: ''Blue Jeans'' (1994) * : ''30–60–90° durchgehend geöffnet '' (1999) *

Burkhard Driest Burkhard Driest (; 28 April 1939 – 27 February 2020) was a German actor, writer and director, known for his acting work in Sam Peckinpah's ''Cross of Iron'' and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's ''Querelle''. He also wrote novels and screenplays. Li ...

: ' (2000) *

Konstantin Wecker Konstantin Alexander Wecker (born 1 June 1947, Munich) is a German singer-songwriter; he also works as a composer, author, and actor. Life and work Classically educated at the Wilhelmsgymnasium, Wecker got one of his first jobs as a songwriter a ...

: ''Schwejk it easy!'' (2001) * Rob Bolland und Ferdi Bolland: ''

3 Musketiers ''3 Musketiers'' is a Dutch musical, also known as 3 Musketiere (German), 3 Musketeers (English) and A 3 Testőr (Hungarian) written by Ferdi Bolland and Rob Bolland. The story is based on Alexandre Dumas, père's 1844 novel ''The Three Musketeer ...

'' (2005) * / : ' (2008)

Literature

*, Dissertation by Detlef Meyer zu Heringsdorf, published by Deutsche Oper Berlin 1988, *, published by the Genossenschaft Deutscher Bühnenangehöriger Verlag: Bühnenschriften-Vetriebs-Gesellschaft

References

External links

Theater des Westens
Berlin
History of the Opera House
Deutsche Oper Berlin
Götz Friedrich ist tot: Ewig hoffend, ewig liebend
''

Der Tagesspiegel ''Der Tagesspiegel'' (meaning ''The Daily Mirror'') is a German daily newspaper. It has regional correspondent offices in Washington D.C. and Potsdam. It is the only major newspaper in the capital to have increased its circulation, now 148,000, s ...

'', 13 December 2000
Intendant geschasst – Spielbetrieb gesichert
'' Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'', 21 August 2001
Official siteProjektindex Theater des Westens
Architekturmuseum TU Berlin
Denkmale in Berlin / Theater des Westens und Delphi-Palast
List of Monuments in Berlin
Josephine Baker in Berlin
cabaret-berlin.com
Theater des Westens
visitberlin.de {{Authority control Theatres in Berlin 1895 establishments in Germany Music venues completed in 1896