With works by Michael Praetorius, Georg Friedrich Händel, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, among others.

Christmas and choral music are inseparably linked. Therefore, the chamber choir of the Singakademie Cottbus e.V. under the direction of choirmaster and second conductor Christian Möbius invites you to a festive concert in the theater barn in Ströbitz. The program features popular and well-known Christmas carols and choral pieces. There are also lesser-known, but even more beautiful songs from all over Europe to discover. The audience will have plenty of opportunities to support the chamber choir actively and sing along. There is no better way to get into the festive spirit! The Christmas concert will be accompanied on the piano by Neritan Hysa.

Chamber choir of the Singakademie Cottbus e.V.
Neritan Hysa (piano)
Conductor: Christian Möbius

One day, a talking rabbit appears to Alice, whom she follows into a curious world. Here, different rules apply than the ones Alice was used to at home, leading to an adventurous journey filled with encounters with eccentric characters like the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts. Alice changes size and language, forgets everything she ever knew, and learns things she never knew. Even though Wonderland seems enchantingly magical, the nightmarish is her constant companion. Only with the power of her imagination and childlike fearlessness can she survive there.

With "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass," Lewis Carroll established dreamlike writing, literary nonsense, as an adequate response to a world becoming mechanized in the mid-19th century. Through the imaginative twisting of prevailing logic, he not only exposes it but also liberates himself from it. And so, Alice has become not only the heroine of Wonderland but also a cross-generational pop icon.

House director Philipp Rosendahl, together with an artistic team that for the first time in this bubbling combination combines its proven and appreciated creativity in Cottbus, creates a new musical narrative around the icon ALICE, which can establish a - albeit crazy - pause from normality.

Having his identity stolen on the internet is bad enough for Oli. But shortly afterwards, not only does his online life collapse: his real life is also stolen from him. Who is doing and saying such terrible things? Whom can Oli trust to perceive him as he really is while the world sees him as a monster? Soon he wonders if his real self ever existed. - In a German-language premiere, a profound thriller unfolds in which nothing is as it seems, and no one is who he is. Because perhaps Oli's story is being told from a completely different perspective, one that turns reality into unreality. Even the play and the author may have different names, as one may have lost oneself in the play during research? But rest assured, you will definitely get to see an entertaining, highly dramatic and confusing British crime thriller, told in dialogues as gripping as those of an exciting Netflix series, directed by in-house director Philipp Rosendahl, a lover of the well-made play - truly!

A coproduction with Lausitz Festival

The Criminal Dinner 'The Polterabend Killer' - this is a delicious multi-course menu in a stylish ambiance framed by an exciting criminal case that will take place at the Willmersdorfer Hof in Cottbus.

Madlen and Dennis' polterabend is supposed to be an unforgettable highlight. The young couple wants to celebrate their upcoming marriage with friends, relatives, and colleagues.

However, in the midst of the celebration, a terrible incident occurs. A rather important guest has been murdered. Luckily, the bride's father Hans-Peter Windisch is a police sergeant and hobby hunter.

Together with his friend Inspector Schimpanski, they want to apprehend the culprit to save his daughter's polterabend.

You will embark on the investigation with a lot of humor. Will the two investigators manage to solve the case?

The multi-course menu will be served by the gastronomy team of the Willmersdorfer Hof, guaranteeing thrills for both the nerves and the palate. Entry is at 6:30 p.m. - the event starts at 7:00 p.m.

Entry: 6:30 p.m. / Multi-course menu and theater play are included in the price / Table and seat placement will be assigned on-site.

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler based on the play by Christopher Bond
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
German version by Wilfried Steiner and Roman Hinze (2019)

“Okay, let's teach them how to be frightened!”, exclaimed Stephen Sondheim as he tackled a horror tale with SWEENEY TODD, which had long been well-known in England. He developed the story with suspenseful plot and characters whose exaggeration oscillates between monstrosity, eccentricity, and tragedy, reminiscent of the best horror films. Under the name Sweeney Todd, Benjamin Baker returns to his hometown of London after a long period of exile, seeking vengeance against the corrupt Judge Turpin. Not only did Turpin ensure his banishment, but he also took away Baker's wife and daughter.

Sweeney Todd reopens his old barber shop and partners with the shrewd pie-maker Mrs. Lovett, who takes care of the customers' appetites while Sweeney carries out his plan of revenge. His actions become increasingly ruthless and fanatical, putting a young lad literally in harm's way and endangering the happiness of a young couple.

New York 1922. The grand, extravagant parties at the estate of Jay Gatsby are legendary. Glamour, beauty, and the ecstatic longing for happiness unite people in dance and champagne. Gatsby has learned to be everything the world demands of him, but the price for his performance is high. His artificial paradise is meant to impress his lost love, but soon his dream becomes an illusion – and Gatsby must realize that true dreams cannot be fulfilled with money. THE GREAT GATSBY is considered a symbol of the failed "American Dream".

In Ströbitz, Fitzgerald's novel is complemented by poetic material. The poems from the pen of contemporary lyricist Ocean Vuong expand the narrative to include the realm of unspeakable longings and subconscious desires and fears. The poetic, ambivalent, and artificial language enriches Fitzgerald's pragmatic everyday language, which he gave to his characters overflowing with dull boredom.

The musician Thorsten Drücker, together with the singing acting ensemble, creates the musical world for the production, blending the music of the 1920s, contemporary pop, hit songs, and the evergreens of the 80s and 90s.

With authentic gin cocktails, champagne flutes, sequin dresses, and swinging hips along with well-oiled voices, the ensemble presents an evening on stage that gently questions what simmers beneath the surface while still bringing the glamour and elegance of the 1920s to Ströbitz.

Recomposition by The McDaniel Brothers for the Staatstheater Cottbus

The eerie fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffmann tells of the student Nathanael, who is haunted by a severe trauma from his childhood. A series of strange events occur, seemingly connected to the death of Nathanael's father. The Sandman appears, sometimes as a demon, sometimes as an invention of Nathanael's childlike self. Nathanael seems to succumb to madness, falls in love with a doll, and ultimately ends in tragic suicide.

E.T.A. Hoffmann is considered one of the most significant representatives of German Romanticism. Especially through his mystically eerie narratives, of which DER SANDMANN is probably the most well-known, he gained posthumous worldwide fame in the mid-19th century. In Cottbus, the stage adaptation by the American composer duo The McDaniel Brothers, choreographer Alessia Ruffolo, and co-theater director Philipp Rosendahl combines the mediums of acting, music, and dance. Following the traces of the unconscious, this recomposition explores the boundaries of the sayable, perceivable, and representable in dreamily branched images.

This work is created as a cross-genre project between theater and ballet as well as Cottbus musicians.

WORLD PREMIERE

The research piece created for Cottbus tells a Cottbus story revolving around five characters who respond differently to the opportunities and challenges of structural change.

After the death of her grandfather, young journalist Carla returns to her hometown of Cottbus. In her grandfather's house, she finds a folder labeled “POWER PLANT – for Carla”. Inside are stacks of documents containing information about the company LEAG, Vattenfall, the Jänschwalde power plant, the Baltic Sea, and the Gigawatt factory. As Carla begins to explore this further, she meets a variety of people: she encounters her grandfather's neighbor, a former activist whose home has been demolished twice. The friend of her son is fighting for a green future for LEAG. And his boss, in turn, is worried about supply security in the event of a coal exit. A story unfolds about the coal industry and its future, which also tells of alternatives and utopias, as well as the opportunities and failures of joint discussions.

Author Calle Fuhr's multi-voiced and humorous play is based on research from the investigative journalism collective CORRECTIV, whose findings, for example, regarding the state of water supply in the region, have already been published. In addition, they accompanied the production up to the premiere day with ongoing research. The latest results were published on the day of the premiere by CORRECTIV and presented exclusively on the Cottbus stage.

Fuhr regularly collaborates with journalistic collectives to develop current topics for the theater. From his conviction that storytelling influences our perception of the world, he finds in theater a place that can touch people, change perspectives, and enable understanding.

An evening to forget the gift stress and mulled wine gatherings …

The world-famous "Christmas Oratorio" by Johann Sebastian Bach continually creates an intense immersion into the story of the birth of Jesus: The jubilant choirs with timpani and trumpets make hearts race; the moving chorales have a contemplative effect, and the accounts of the Evangelist and the embedded arias are gripping.

Alongside the two festive cantatas 1 and 3, the magnificent "Orchestral Suite No. 3," which Bach composed entirely in the French style, will also be heard. It contains the famous beautiful "Air." The "Te Deum" by Marc-Antoine Charpentier leads us to the court of the Sun King Louis XIV in Versailles. Originally composed as a thanksgiving celebration for a military victory with timpani and trumpets, the "Prelude" later became known as the Eurovision anthem. The complete work with orchestra, choir, and soloists is one of the highlights of French Baroque music.

Johanna Kaldwei/Anne Martha Schuitemaker (Soprano)
Rahel Brede (Alto)
Isabelle Osenau (Alto)
Dirk Kleinke (Tenor)
Andreas Jäpel (Bass)
Chamber Choir of the Sing Academy Cottbus e.V.
Bach Consort Cottbus
Conductor: Christian Möbius

Vienna: These are taverns, bars, and sharp, black humor. Strolling along the Ring, one passes the State Opera, the Palace of Justice, and the Burgtheater, pausing for a moment in front of the imposing Hofburg or greeting the statue of Maria Theresa. The air is mild, the tram clangs cheerfully along its tracks, and everywhere a soft, melancholic yet joyful music wafts around. In one of the many coffee houses, one settles in to the sounds of a piano for the length of a cigarette to listen not only to the melodies but especially to the latest gossip. Afterwards, it's off for a walk along the Danube Canal, where one encounters the most charming little Viennese girls while trying to feed the pigeons. In the evening, a bit of cinema is welcome.

This musical evening in the theater barn takes the audience into the beautiful Danube metropolis. With Viennese hits, films, and stories, Frank Bernard and Heiko Walter dive straight into the wild Viennese life, sensing the true Habsburg flair and weaving the old and the new times together with a light touch. One almost feels as if one is there in person. When finally heading out to Grinzing to the famous Heuriger in the wine-soaked summer freshness, one would gladly order a second or third glass...

NOTE: The event is not accessible.

Behind the scenes of the state theater, EVERYTHING comes to life. The text by Alistair McDowall serves as the basis for the German premiere in Cottbus, allowing the audience to literally walk through the life of a woman backstage at the main stage.

In EVERYTHING, Alistair McDowall writes a monologue that tells the journey of a protagonist from cradle to grave in fast forward. Direct and raw, he puts the inner voice of a woman at the center: the first baby sounds, as babbling turns into sentences and crawling develops into walking, the gradual discovery of the world, the wonder, learning, and understanding. Then comes puberty, first love, first sex, followed by studies, starting a career, daily commutes to the office until retirement. Marriage, bearing a child, divorce, farewell – amidst books, movies, songs, vacations, daily routines, career plans, disappointments, hopes, and illnesses. And finally: The gradual disappearance. In the end, there is the same rustle as in the beginning, no longer promising but richer in experience.

Walking, struggling, wandering, and discovering through the main stage, the life story of a woman is brought to life by four actresses. Here lies "Everything" that life can consist of. The story remains subjective yet transcends itself, pointing to the universal aspects that define life. From birth to death, from the cafeteria to the grand stage – the theater, using the tools of theater and at all places within the theater, makes the stages and arcs of a life tangible.

She always surrounds us, yet we rarely make ourselves aware of her. Like our soul, we often only consider her when she is hurt: our skin. The way we deal with touches - both in a literal and a metaphorical sense - and their restrictions are determined by epochs and cultures. How we perceive contact and skin contact says a lot about us as individuals. The skin separates us from the environment, protects us from external influences. At the same time, it helps us communicate with others: if we feel ashamed, the skin turns red. If we are startled, it turns pale. When we think and ponder, the forehead wrinkles. If we are happy and laugh, wrinkles form around the mouth; if we are afraid, the skin makes our hair stand on end.

The skin can be caressed or petted, with it, humans feel and touch to determine if an object is warm or cold, it is the interface between the individual and the environment, a fascinating, large organ. Life stories are told through scars, the belly button being one, and wrinkles.

The dance evening by the young Spanish choreographer and Co-Ballet Director Inma López is dedicated to the skin and all the sensations we perceive through it. With the Cottbus Ballet ensemble, she explores the skin as a symbol of our soul.

With works by Michael Praetorius, Georg Friedrich Händel, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, among others.

Christmas and choral music are inseparably linked. Therefore, the chamber choir of the Singakademie Cottbus e.V. under the direction of choirmaster and second conductor Christian Möbius invites you to a festive concert in the theater barn in Ströbitz. The program features popular and well-known Christmas carols and choral pieces. There are also lesser-known, but even more beautiful songs from all over Europe to discover. The audience will have plenty of opportunities to support the chamber choir actively and sing along. There is no better way to get into the festive spirit! The Christmas concert will be accompanied on the piano by Neritan Hysa.

Chamber choir of the Singakademie Cottbus e.V.
Neritan Hysa (piano)
Conductor: Christian Möbius

The anarcho-street opera band ‘The Tiger Lillies’ has drawn inspiration for their concept album TWO PENNY OPERA from the two successful works “The Beggar’s Opera” from 1726 and the “Threepenny Opera” by Bertolt Brecht and Elisabeth Hauptmann that emerged 200 years later. In associative songs, they bring the lives, sufferings, and loves of the characters from the “Threepenny Opera” into focus.

Armin Petras (direction), Berit Jentzsch (choreography), and Miles Perkin (musical direction) have experience with the Tiger Lillies. The staging of the album “Lulu: A Murder Ballad” was performed on three stages in two cities over four years. In the interplay of music, dance, acting, stage, and costume, images are created for each song, with which the ensemble casts light: on the longings and romance of the young couple Mackie and Polly, on their criminal parents with dreams of a better life for their children, on the capitalist notions of success and happiness, on a Mackie who must face death, on moral decay and bourgeois aspirations, and the energies unleashed through lust, love, and passion. For this, the milieu of the London underworld is transposed into the world of the circus, of acrobats and tightrope walkers, of lion tamers and clowns.

The ensemble has practiced on all sorts of instruments, immersed themselves in acrobatics, juggling, clowning, and circus, warmed up their voices, and thus creates an ode to pop culture, a celebration of assertion and rock ’n’ roll, a spectacle of bizarre existences and their great and small feelings.

Over 40 years of St. Pauli Blues! As part of their "40th Anniversary VOL. II" tour, the Hamburg Blues Band presents the Hamburg rock shouter Gert Lange, Reggie Worthy (Ike & Tina Turner, Eric Burdon), drummer Eddie Filipp (Sweet, Inga Rumpf, Clem Clempson Band) and the 32-year-old exceptional guitarist Krissy Matthews "This guy is the real deal" (Beth Hart), songs from over 4 decades of HBB & the British guitar shooting stars. A musical fireworks display with friends, fellow travelers, real characters & originals.

In a castle in the midst of a forest full of goblins, grey gnomes, and wild female spirits, Ronja is born on a stormy night as the daughter of a robber chief. Almost simultaneously, a lightning bolt strikes and splits the walls. On one side of the hellish chasm that now separates the castle, Ronja grows up with her father Mattis and mother Lovis under the protection of their rough but loving band. Quickly, the Borka clan – the arch-enemies of the Mattis robbers – has settled cheekily and uninvited on the other half of the castle. But as Ronja grows older, she becomes friends with Birk, the son of the leader of the rival Borka clan. The two robber children find themselves caught between the fronts of their stubborn fathers and learn to make choices that allow their friendship to triumph over their families' enmity.

Astrid Lindgren's RONJA RÄUBERTOCHTER tells of the possibility of discovering the world with one's own eyes and the strength of being able to rely on others. Filled with robber songs from around the world, this year's family piece for the Christmas season transports us into Ronja's wild, magical cosmos full of curiosity, courage, hope, and the certainty that we can overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.