2024 - October - Berlin Friedrichstadt-Palast - Falling in Love

Newspapers and reviewers are practically overflowing with praise for the new Grand Show of the Friedrichstadt-Palast 'Falling in Love'. However, it was this sentence that first made me want to attend a show at the Friedrichstadt-Palast: 'It exceeds all expectations... truly all.'

This set the bar high, as I am an avowed opponent of musicals and have never been able to show genuine enthusiasm for a show ballet either. I certainly don’t want to undermine the performance of the actors. I have always been aware that they achieve greatness; I simply do not gravitate towards the genre.

Our afternoon show on a Sunday at 3:30 PM was nearly sold out, and the audience's mood was expectant and cheerful. By the way, there is a strict prohibition on filming during the show, which I appreciate, as it allows everyone to focus on the performance. I will explain later why I still took a few photos.

Of course, I was familiar with the Friedrichstadt-Palast, but the building from the GDR era is a matter of taste on the outside. The interior, however, impresses with a glamorous atmosphere, particularly due to the spacious staircases. Additionally, the palace rightly boasts the largest theater stage in the world.

My expectations were correspondingly high as the curtain rose. 'Falling in Love' tells the story of a deaf poet who lives in the color-segregated world of Diamond City. He is supposed to join one of the three colors - red, blue, or green - but does not understand the messages of these groups and is not understood in return. Using sign language, he tries to express himself but fails. He loses faith in himself but is eventually accepted by other outsiders.

The story is conveyed clearly and emotionally, and the songs composed specifically for the show fit well. This part feels like a musical and doesn’t quite match my taste. However, the show steadily escalates. The stage design is magnificent, and the costumes designed by star designer Jean Paul Gaultier, along with the sparkling Swarovski stones, make the performance a visual experience.

Then, quite unexpectedly for the story, acrobats appear. But what they deliver is simply sensational. There are continuous bursts of applause, and the first guests are leaping from their seats.

After an hour of truly good entertainment, there is a 30-minute break. The second part is also an hour long but not a minute dull. Now, the door to diversity is opened, bringing forth the central message that everyone can be who they want to be. From red, green, and blue, it turns colorful. And then the famous show ballet with its legendary cancan series takes the stage. Frenzied applause accompanies the young ladies and the one gentleman (!) in the middle.

By the way, in our performance, fittingly, our poet was a poetess! Unlike in the clips I had seen beforehand, here a woman falls in love with another woman.

In another impressive showpiece, trampoline acrobats and bar turners demonstrated their skills - absolutely fantastic!

When finally the largest Swarovski crystal hangs from the ceiling and symbolic petals fall, the last person in the audience is thrilled. For the grand finale, the ensemble and the audience dance together, and we were even urged to take out our phones.

Now you know why I was able to post these colorful photos!