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The almost 700 guests at the world premiere had gathered in the theater and were looking forward to the start of the latest musical from the spotlight company. But he only succeeded at the second attempt.
Update from June 6th, 7:39 a.m.: After the video system went on strike at the beginning of the premiere, the piece ran smoothly and without any problems – at a high pace. The premiere guests were enthusiastic about the visualization. The images were impressive, it was said several times.
The Hessentag couple Vera and Max Dudyka didn't miss the premiere. He said: “That was amazing. The best I've ever seen in musicals, outstanding.” His wife added: “I'll definitely watch it again, you didn't know where to look. And the hanger at the beginning makes it so authentic and lively.”
Successful world premiere of “Schimmelreiter” in Fulda
“Boniface” actor Reinhard Brussmann was also among the guests. “The music,” he explained, “is really Dennis Martin's signature. And the pictures! You've never seen anything like that here before.” The director of the Hersfeld Festival. Elke Hesse was enthusiastic about the technical possibilities. “Great pictures,” she said. It didn't bother her at all that everything didn't work out right from the start. “This is theater life.” The sound was just too loud for her.
Musical singer Johanna Zett, known from “Medicus” and “Robin Hood” among others, said: “The cast gave it their all, has a lot of work behind them and still ahead of them. Great cinema. They didn't let the show stop show. My respect!”
Composer Denkis Martin, whose pulse wasn't quite low at the premiere party, explained the mistake: “It's just rock 'n' roll, so the drummer just has to play alone a little longer.” Incidentally, the unplanned interim moderation by producer Peter Scholz was “the birth of a spotlight standup comedian,” added Christoph Jilo from the spotlight creative team with a laugh. And how did main actor Sascha “Hauke Haien” Kurth feel about the stop? “It's just a lot of technology,” he said. “Something like that happens. And it's better to stop and start again instead of muddling through.”
After the show, the celebration continued until late into the night; the actors had long since mingled with the guests. In short: an all-round successful evening. Despite or because of the small “flaw”. Who ultimately wasn't one, but who once again highlighted what was special and lively about this world premiere.
+++ 8.10 p.m.: After a short break, Peter Scholz gave the cautious all-clear: “It looks good.” The musical producer bridged the waiting time for his audience with humor. After all, mishaps are part of the theater business. Maybe the dress rehearsal went a little too smoothly? In any case, everything started smoothly on the second attempt and the world premiere took place in the Fulda Castle Theater.
The musical “The Schimmelreiter” celebrates its world premiere in Fulda
+++ 7:49 p.m.: And there is actually a small breakdown at the world premiere: the video system, fundamental to the innovative and spectacular stage design in the “Schimmelreiter” musical, goes on strike. So the start of the performance is delayed a little. “This has never happened to us at a premiere,” says Peter Scholz, commenting on the technical faux pas. We can only hope that the technicians in the background will quickly find a solution and the premiere can start as planned.
+++ 7:41 p.m.: Before the curtain finally rises on the premiere performance, spotlight producer Peter Scholz says a few words of welcome. Already here huge cheers break out in the audience. There seems to be great anticipation for the performance.
Although not everyone on the team had read the Storm novella in advance, “everyone went along with Dennis Martin's vision of turning 'Schimmelreiter' into a musical,” said Scholz, emphasizing some of the current aspects of the 1888 novella, including natural disasters and climate change. The spotlight producer then thanked the sponsors, the city of Fulda and all musical fans. He then “set the stage for an incredible ensemble.”
Premiere guests gather for a champagne reception in the theater foyer
+++ 7:27 p.m.: The foyer slowly empties and the premiere guests take their seats in the theater hall. The world premiere of the musical “The Schimmelreiter” starts here at 7:30 p.m. Composer Dennis Martin and director Simon Eichenberger, who previously also mingled with the premiere guests, can now reap the rewards of their work. After the performance, the hopefully successful premiere will be celebrated with a big party, to which the actors will also come.
+++ 7:08 p.m.: The foyer in the palace theater is increasingly filling up. The director of the Bad Hersfeld Festival, Elke Hesse, also doesn't want to miss the world premiere in Fulda. “I’m already very excited about the musical,” says the Austrian. The guests also include the former mayors of Fulda Alois Rhiel and Gerhard Möller as well as Dr. Thomas and Michael Schmitt, editors and publishers of the Fuldaer Zeitung.
Mayor Dag Wehner is also there, as is Fulda Bishop Dr. Michael Gerber. And Mayor Dr. Heiko Wingenfeld is in the foyer with two women at his side: his wife Lioba and Diana Stolz, Hessian family minister and guest of honor at the world premiere. “I traveled from Bergstrasse to Fulda and am really looking forward to the piece,” says the minister.
Update from June 5th, 6:23 p.m.: In keeping with the play “Der Schimmelreiter”, which tells the story of the dike chief Hauke Haien, who wants to protect his country and the people there against the relentless power of the sea, the red carpet in the Fulda Castle Theater is not red at all this year, but blue. The first premiere guests have been arriving there since 6 p.m The Fulda Hessentag couple Vera and Max Dudyka are among them.
Shortly after 6 p.m. there is already a lot going on in front of the Fulda Castle Theater. At first the doors were locked, but then we went into the foyer, where the large photo wall with the “Schimmelreiter” logo was already waiting for the guests. There are also others among the guests Max von Bredow, who can currently be seen in the latest season of “First Dates Hotel” as a waiter and bartenderand Johanna Zett, who was already seen as Marian in Robin Hood in Fulda and is currently rehearsing for “Something Rotten” in Bad Hersfeld.
“The Schimmelreiter” is the ninth world premiere by the Fulda musical company spotlight. As usual, the music was composed by Dennis Martin, and director Simon Eichenberger was responsible for the production. According to his own statement, Eichenberger has been following the Fulda musical productions for a long time, and now he is involved himself for the first time: “I am particularly pleased that we have finally managed to realize a joint project.”
First report from June 5th, 3:13 p.m.: Fulda – Theodor Storm's famous story “The Schimmelreiter” comes to the stage as a musical. The premiere will take place this evening at 7.30 p.m. in the Fulda Castle Theater. The new piece is intended to build on the previous successes of the Fulda production company spotlight musicals such as “Boniface”, “The Pope” and “Robin Hood”.
Sascha Kurth takes on the role of the tragic dike chief Hauke Haien – Kurth is already familiar to the audience from previous spotlight productions. At his side is Pamina Lenn as Elke Volkerts, who, together with her husband, fights against superstition, storms and social resistance with courage and inner strength. 45,000 tickets for the musical, which will be shown in Fulda until September 6th, have already been sold in advance.
Composer Dennis Martin: “The musical is a total work of art”
In conversation with the Fulda newspaper the two main actors spoke about their roles shortly before the world premiere. While Pamina Lenn, who “loves mystical and spooky material,” was immediately impressed by the idea of bringing “Schimmelreiter” to the stage as a musical, Sascha Kurth admits that she was initially skeptical. “I found the story exciting, but I lacked the imagination of what a musical adaptation like this could look like. Once I understood Dennis Martin's vision, the skepticism disappeared,” he says.
Both of them had never been on stage together before “Schimmelreiter”, but now they feel very comfortable with each other and with their roles. “I really admire Elke for how long she can stay positive and hopeful. Even though a lot of things are directed against her, her husband and her family, she finds light in every dark situation,” says Pamina Lenn about her Elke Volkerts.
For spotlight composer Dennis Martin goes a dream come true with the musical production of “Schimmelreiter”.. “I'm totally happy with the result. I'm very proud of the entire team. For me, this musical is a real work of art,” enthuses the Fulda native. They remained largely true to the literary original, but “character profiles of the characters and the language were made a little more modern”.
