The Berlin musical “Line 1” has been running since 1986 and the performances still sell out quickly. Now the staging is being revised a bit. And there will also be a woman who has just been seen on television.
One of the most famous German musicals is being revised: The Berlin Grips Theater wants to show “Line 1” in a new production – for the first time since the premiere in 1986. The musical tells the story of a young woman who comes to West Berlin and all sorts of people in the subway meets.
“Natalie comes to West Berlin from the provinces and ends up at six fourteen at Zoo Station,” says the description. The 26-year-old Helena Charlotte Sigal takes on the role, she was also on the TV show “Who is stealing the show?” to see.
The musical by Volker Ludwig was first performed in 1986. Pictures from the year show a sausage stand and people reading newspapers on the stage. The premiere of the new production is scheduled for Thursday (March 30, 7:30 p.m.).
A new look at the 80s musical
During the pandemic, the desire arose in the house to “review and stage this timelessly beautiful story of life and survival in a big city with today’s perspective, although it was anchored in the 80s,” writes the theater team.
Until the outbreak of the pandemic, “Line 1” was played in the premiere production by Wolfgang Kolneder in the Grips Theater. But then, for the first time in history, it could no longer be shown after around 1900 performances.
Director Tim Egloff has now taken over the new production. The text and the compositions should not be changed, but the music has been partially rearranged, said a theater spokeswoman. There are also innovations in stage design, costumes, make-up and choreography.
The musical has already been shown in several countries and got an offshoot in South Korea. The new version includes an actor who has already attended the premiere in Berlin. Since then, 82-year-old Dietrich Lehmann has played the roles of “Hermann” and “Wilmersdorfer Widow Lotti”. “He didn’t miss a single performance,” said the spokeswoman. (dpa)