Magic Theater: Offenbach's Hoffmann inspires in Düsseldorf!

Magic Theater: Offenbach's Hoffmann inspires in Düsseldorf!

"Hoffmann's stories", the unfinished opera of Jacques Offenbach, is currently celebrating great success in Düsseldorf. The new staging was premiered on September 30, 2023 in Graz and has now reached the Düsseldorf Opera House. Staged by Tobias Ribitzki, the piece represents a fascinating combination of different stories of black romance. The performance deals with the challenges that an unfinished work brings with it, through a creative approach that comes to the fore the versatility of the direction and the actor.

The work, which originally celebrated its premiere in Paris in 1881, was also listed for the first time in German at the Vienna Ringtheater in German in the same year. It plays in four different locations and includes several plot lines that revolve around the poet Hoffmann and his unfortunate love affairs, as the fragile character sketches of Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta show. Particularly noteworthy is the innovative stage concept, which was made multimedia by the British theater collective "1927", as well as the integration of folding mouth dolls by the Australian figure theater guru Neville Tranter.

The performance in Düsseldorf

In Düsseldorf, the staging of Ribitzki is creatively implemented. The five stories are distributed on a total of four directorial teams. This reflects the torn soul situation of the title hero, who is looking for fulfilled love. Ovidiu Purcel debut in the role of Hoffmann and is praised for his acting performance, especially in the dramatic moments, even if he shows some difficulties in the altitudes of the game.

Kimberley Boettger-Soller plays the Muse Niklaus and receives appreciative feedback for its performance. The choir of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein shows particularly strong performance in the Giulietta act, while Bogdan Taloş takes over several roles, including that of the city council Lindorf and that of the bad guys. Maria Kataeva, who embodies the muse, impresses the audience with her vocal performance.

programs and tickets

fans of the opera still have the opportunity to experience the staging. The following performance dates are scheduled in the Düsseldorf opera house:

cards are available on the website Operamrhein.de or by phone. This staging of the "Hoffmann's stories" offers an exciting mix of music, theater and art form, which impressively embodies the challenges and creative potential of Offenbach.