Klagenfurt City Theater is dedicated to wonder and humanity

“I have placed the dignity of humanity in your hands, protect it!” These words by Friedrich Schiller are written in golden letters in the foyer of the City Theater and provide something like a common thread for next season's program, which is, says director Aaron Steele: “Against the anti-democratic currents in the assembly I want to say on stage 'how people can preserve their humanity.'” To this end, he has drawn up a program that also focuses, in addition to the social and political dimension, on another important function of theatre: “We will make you amazed!” is the motto for 2024/25: “This is what theater wants: to make you amazed, involved, touched, inspired, brought together and opened up.” Spaces where people can find each other and themselves.

After opening three seasons, each with a portion of Richard Wagner's “Ring,” the standout “Rheingold” will not only be the season opener, but will mark the end of the main stage production in May 2025 — it will also be conductor Nicholas Melton's last on the podium before bidding farewell. musician in June 2025 and devotes himself entirely to his activities as principal conductor of the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra and the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra (Sydney). The City Theater is currently searching for a new music director, and a successor is scheduled to be identified by the end of June in coordination with the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra.

Nicholas Melton will also direct the inaugural production, Puccini's crime thriller opera Tosca. Last year, the Carinthian Gerd Kohr was honored with the Austrian State Prize, and the city theater is staging his opera “Stalerhof” from October. The play, about a mentally disabled farmer's daughter abused by a farmhand, was brought to the stage by an in-house team, Sophie Springer (director), Tom Stengel (stage) and Bettina Breitinker (costumes). Overall, Aaron Steele is keen to bring “artists at home” more into the spotlight. Hannah Eisendel, currently an accompanist at City Theater, will provide musical direction for the musical “Sister Act.” Dance fans can look forward to the return of the Vienna Performance Academy, which delighted with “Carmina Burana/Firebird” in 2021 and will devote itself to the music of Gershwin and Bernstein.

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Andreas Eckert in “Master Class”

© Katharina Schiffel

The acting season begins with a legendary production of the Vienna People's Theater: Andrea Eckert plays the role of opera singer Maria Callas in “Master Class”. The comedy “My Friend Harvey” produced by Carinthian director Mira Stadler asks questions about “the craziness we all probably have.” It will be a “classic” in the true sense of the word in February with Goethe's “Iphigenie auf Tauris”, and there will also be premieres again: the return of Noam Brusilovsky, whose work on the Franz-Fürst case (“I Don't See”) was honored with the return of Nestroy for the project “QUEERinthia “. Based on a popular festival, it will reflect on gays and other queer minorities (starting in April). Büchner Prize winner Josef Winkler has composed the piece “Night and Day in the Chaim Soutine Pastry Shop” for the City Theater, which will premiere with Anne Benénent in the title role in May 2025 in the atrium of the Kärnten Museum. .

Naum Brusilovsky (Special Award) at the Nestroy Awards Ceremony

© APA

There will also be dancing again: the Vienna Performance Academy (“Carmina Burana/Firebird” 2021) returns with “Dance Rings” and will perform to music by Gershwin, Bernstein and Company (from February). For young visitors and the young at heart, there is Michael Ende's “Momo”, a classic on the grand stage, as well as “Die Nibelungen” as a road movie in a co-production with the Kukukk Theater and “Miss Sonnenschein und Mister”. “Glücklich” for the youngest visitors. In the “Instead of Theater” series, Sterman and Greissmann, among others, will read texts by Loriot (September 22) and theater greats such as Karl Markovich, Julia Stemberger and Katharina Strasser will devote themselves to the famous Viennese characters Gerhard Brunner and Georg. Kreisler (December 1). The Carinthian Symphony Orchestra invites you to four concerts, including an evening of film music under the slogan “An Evening at the Oscars” (December 19).

How much the Carinthian public values ​​the house is shown by the current occupancy rate of over 85 percent and the increasing numbers of subscriptions (currently 3,333 subscribers, plus 446 subscribers to the KSO concerts). The Friends of the City Theater also already had more than 300 supporters at home. As a small thank you to the audience, there will again be a two-day theatrical festival at the beginning of the season: under the slogan “Walk!”, not only will there be a colorful program in September, but you can also take a look behind the scenes at the company.