My Saturday night activity was a trip to the Stage Theater am Potsdamer Platz, about a 15 minute walk from the hotel, to see Hinterm Horizont: Das Berlin Musical mit den Hits von Udo Lindenburg.
You can’t miss the theatre – the large illuminated display above the entrance can be seen from quite a distance! As I approached, a very well dressed doorman was taking photos for other theatre goers underneath the theater entrance, and I asked if he could do the same for me before letting me in.
I was able to leave my coat at the cloakroom before I went to buy a copy of the programme, and then heading up to the second floor to wait for the doors to be opened.
In total the show lasted 3 hours, including a 20 minute interval during which I went to get a drink from the bar and got a copy of the Hinterm Horizont CD, which I shall be listening to on Monday evening while driving back from Gatwick.
The show was rather enjoyable – for non-German speakers there are English subtitles on screens either side of the stage. Useful to help you follow but don’t rely on them, because if you’re reading the screens you’re looking away from the stage. I just glanced at one of the screens every now and then and relied on my knowledge of German to help me understand.
It’s quite an interesting story; Udo Lindenburg was the first musician to play a gig in the DDR (the Deutsche Demokratische Republik, or East Germany). His performance at Palast der Republik in 1983 caused great concern for the East German authorities, and the East German authorities did their very best to stop Udo mania. Meanwhile, Lindenburg had fallen in love with Jessie, a girl from the East German district of Pankow, but can not stay with her as he has only a 1 day pass in to the East of the city.
I really enjoyed the musical: it was a great way to spend my Saturday night! It’s late now so I’m off to bed. Tomorrow, I’m off to the Rechstag for a tour of the German Parliament, I’m loking forward to that.
I’m off to bed now.
Gute nacht.
FH.
