Songs from Weimar Berlin
Apr 15, 2009
An Evening of Cabaret at the GHI | Performance at the GHI, in cooperation with the In Series theater company
The German Historical Institute and the Cultural Department of the German Embassy have joined together with the In Series theater company to present a selection of songs from the company’s current production, Berliner Kabarett. The evening will feature well-known works by Kurt Weill, Hanns Eisler, Bertolt Brecht, and Friedrich Holländer, among others.
As part of the program, Peter Jelavich, Professor of History at the Johns Hopkins University and author of the award-winning book Berlin Cabaret, will put these songs into historical context by offering general remarks on cabaret culture in 1920s Berlin.
An authority on modern German cultural history, Professor Jelavich is also the author of Munich and Theatrical Modernism: Politics, Playwriting, and Performance, 1890-1914, and Berlin Alexanderplatz: Radio, Film, and the Death of Weimar Culture.
- 6:30 - 7:30pm Performance and Commentary
- 7:30pm Reception
Please RSVP (acceptance only) by April 13, 2009. Tel: 202.387.3355 - Fax: 202.387.6437 - E-mail
Event Report
On April 15, 2009, the German Historical Institute and the Cultural Department of the German Embassy presented a program of songs from In Series Theater Company’s current production, Berliner Kabarett. Cast members Sally Martin, Tara McCredie, Ashley Ivey, and Jim Scopeletis performed classic works by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Friedrich Hollaender, and Hanns Eisler, among others. They were accompanied by pianists Alice Mikolajewski and Carla Hübner, the latter of whom is also the company founder and executive director.
The artists were joined on stage by Peter Jelavich, Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University and author of the award-winning book Berlin Cabaret. Peter Jelavich began by offering general remarks on the development of cabaret culture in Germany. He then offered more focused commentaries on each of the works performed, providing audience members with both helpful background information and entertaining tidbits. An authority on modern German cultural history, Professor Jelavich is also the author of Munich and Theatrical Modernism: Politics, Playwriting, and Performance, 1890-1914, and Berlin Alexanderplatz: Radio, Film, and the Death of Weimar Culture.
The full production of Berliner Kabarett is being performed at the Source Theater on U St. It has received glowing reviews in the Washington Times and the DC Theater Scene, and the GHI audience was similarly enthusiastic.