Top 5 German Language Musicals

In case my last post wasn't any indication, it's safe to say I've been...fascinated by German language musicals lately to the point they've inspired me to learn German. So to sum up why I love them (and introduce you to something different), I decided to rank my favourite ones. To qualify they must've premiered in Germany, Austria or Switzerland first, so those which opened in another country & later had a recording in German don't count like Rudolf: Affaire Mayerling & Marie Antoinette (which premiered in Hungary & Japan respectively) while those which were made in another language in workshops & then translated to German for its premiere run do i.e. Schikaneder & Hunchback of Notre Dame (both workshopped in English). And if you're unsure about them due to the language barrier, I'll be adding three song recommendations from each show to check out.

1) Elisabeth. I'm going to honest, I wasn't sure about this show when I first came across it through a YouTube recommendation. I was scared that I would've found it too confusing and after looking it up and finding out it had numerous changes over the years, it made me feel like I'd never be watching the same show. That is until I finally watched it and was entranced by its beautiful score, compelling characters and tragic story about such a fascinating historical figure who ultimately led a tragic life after being romanticised by society for over a century. Showing her love-hate relationship with the personification of Death from her marriage to Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph at sixteen to her murder by the show's narrator Luigi Lucheni, it never fails to make me cry by the end. It may be easy to call it the Austrian Evita due to the similar structures, but Elisabeth stands out on its own and belongs in the ranks of shows like Les Miz or Phantom. If there's ever a revival in Vienna or around Germany, I'd see it in a heartbeat (or just head over to Japan where it's remained successful for over 20 years).
Song recommendations: Ich gehor nur mir (I Belong to Me), Die Schatten Werden Langer (the Shadows are Getting Longer), Der Schleier Fallt (The Veil Falls)


2) Tanz Der Vampire (Dance of the Vampires). Despite it being number two, this is actually the musical which made me fall in love with German language shows. I've already been through why I love this in my post about its Broadway incarnation's failure (less said about it, the better), but here's a quick recap: Jim Steinman's rock score is catchy and fun (along with a surprisingly effective use of Total Eclipse of the Heart), the story is hilarious while endearing, the characters are all lovable and some of the best dance sequences I've seen in a show. An adaptation of Roman Polanksi's 1967 vampire spoof, it's one of those rare adaptations which improves the material by taking full advantage of its silliness without sacrificing the story, characters and emotions. It's the type of camp that is entirely self aware and I bloody love it.
Song recommendations: Totale Finsternis (Total Eclipse), Starker Als Wir Sind (Stronger Than We Are), Die Unstillbare Gier (The Insatiable Greed)


3) Rebecca. This adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's classic novel genuinely surprised me. With enchanting songs, a gripping mystery plot and beautiful costumes & sets (with possibly the best set piece for a climax which puts Phantom's chandelier & Miss Saigon's helicopter to shame), it's one of those adaptations which may sound strange on paper, but in execution is amazing. Even if the planned Broadway production never happened due to one person scamming the producers millions through fabricating an investor, I still hope an English version will eventually come (there are English demos on Youtube featuring European theatre legends Pia Douwes and Uwe Kroeger as Mrs Danvers & Maxim de Winter on YouTube).
Song recommendations: Ich Hab Getraumt von Manderley (I've Dreamt of Manderley), Jenseits der Nacht (Beyond the Night), Rebecca



4) Schikaneder. The only issue with this is there's no live recording available anywhere, let alone one with English subtitles. Does that mean it's not worth checking out whatever clips there are or the soundtrack? Absolutely not. Telling the story of Emmanuel and Eleonore Schikaneder's turbulent marriage filled with infidelity, this quirky romantic comedy shows the two of them forced to work together as he writes the libretto for one of the most popular operas of all time, Mozart's The Magic Flute. Composed by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Prince of Egypt & Pocahontas), the score has sweeping melodies which feel reminiscent of Mozart while remaining unique and are guaranteed to make you smile. Topping off with an immaculate production design and two lovable leads even with their faults, it's honestly a shame it didn't last long in Vienna given how successful it was critically and financially. With rumours of a Broadway production happening, let's pray that Trevor Nunn will be back in the director's chair and won't let it be messed up like the other attempts to bring German language musicals across the Atlantic.
Song recommendations: Traum Gross (Dream Big), Mein Lied (My Song), Lezter Vorhang (Last Curtain)

5) Mozart! Das Musical. It took a while for me to get used to its unconventionally modern production design (this is judging the 2015 revival recording I watched), but it's grown on me. With musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the centre, the show focuses mostly on his rocky relationship with his father, his romance with Constanze Weber and being restricted of his talent by patron Archbishop Colloredo, all while trying to live up to his image shown through his child form following him throughout the show. Even with his eccentric and impulsive behaviour, you still relate to Mozart throughout his struggles as the people around him try to control his talents. The emotions are strong in this show with some great songs and performances which are definitely worth checking out, and some sequences can look amazing when looking past the anachronistic production design.
Song recommendations: Der Prinze ist Fort (The Prince is Gone), Wir Zwei Zusammen (We Two Together), Ich Bin, Ich Bin Musik (I Am, I Am Music)

Honorable mention: Der Glockner von Notre Dame (Hunchback of Notre Dame). Yep, the stage adaptation of Disney's 1996 film started life in Berlin. The transition to stage was probably composer Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz's way of making the Hunchback adaptation they wanted by taking Victor Hugo's novel's darker elements compared to the film's Disneyfied elements with cartoony sidekicks and overly happy ending. The new songs and changes made sense plot-wise and the music fit very well in a theatrical setting with its scope and style. With all this praise, why is it an honourable mention? Because I feel it actually improved once it crossed over to America with its plot changes and improved sets and songs. And Germany were clearly aware of this as they used the American book and sets when it revived in Berlin. Regardless of which version, it's still an amazing show which will possibly remind you a that is better than you remember it.
Song recommendations: Someday, Flight into Egypt & A Place of Miracles

And here are a few few other shows worth taking a look at:

Rudolf: Affaire Mayerling. Frank Wildhorn's (Jekyll & Hyde) telling of Elisabeth's (yep, the same Elisabeth from above) son Rudolf and his romance with Mary Vestera with its political ramifications leading to their suicide pact in Mayerling. I know I didn't count it on the list as it opened in Hungary, but its Austrian recording is pretty good. Doesn't really have a compelling plot with the affair being far fetched in historical accuracy, characters who deserved more dimension hardly getting any and the production design not really fitting the tone or setting, but the performances were amazing (especially Drew Sarich in the titular role), there were some songs that got stuck in my head and the ending made me cry.

Artus: Excalibur. Another Frank Wildhorn penned show, this time about the King Arthur legend, I did find some YouTube clips and some of the songs are pretty good, but I can't really judge it as I'm not as familiar with it compared to the rest of the shows I've mentioned. It seems to have gained a cult following though, and what recordings there are do feature some of the most popular actors within the German language theatre community.

If you're interested in watching any of these on YouTube (most of which you can with English subtitles), don't be surprised if you see the same actors scattered around as the theatre community is very tight-knit compared to West End and Broadway (which I'll talk about another time). As for my thoughts on the failed English adaptations, I do have one suggestion of fixing the problem: bring them to England first. West End & UK Tour productions do have their mix of sophisticated aand guilty pleasure musicals with that experimental style Brits can resonate with compared to America's more mechanical way of producing shows which don't have much longevity in comparison.