The fantastic world (musical)
The fantastic world is a musical , which in the original version was only performed by female actors. It was produced and premiered in Leipzig in 1995 as the first Leipzig musical . The music was composed by Christian Nóvé (band leader of the prog rock band DICE ), who is also responsible as the initiator, the libretto is by Torsten Seifert and Christian Nóvé.
Christian Nóvé planned the piece from the outset as a single-sex piece in order to look deep into the soul of people in general and not to be distracted by "female" or "male" categories.
Emergence
Initiator Christian Nóvé, who is also editor-in-chief and publisher of the ZeitPunkt-Kulturmagazin , started an open workshop "A musical is created" in 1991 in one of the first issues of his magazine, in which interested readers can work on the creation of a musical and then work on it to bring on stage. The progress should be described every month, making the creation process transparent for all readers. At the same time, some culture fans from the ZeitPunkt editorial team founded an association to oversee this project.
At that time, the first pieces of music for the musical were already being written in Nóvé's Scene Records recording studio. In July 1992, the copywriter and editor Torsten Seifert joined them, who from now on took care of the libretto.
After months in which the texts were further revised, individual scenes changed and new songs added, the makers decided to bring the piece to the stage under their own direction, with the help of sponsorship and funding. The Leipzig house was won as a venue . With Peter Makswitat there was also an experienced director who was already responsible for a total of over 60 productions.
The first of a total of five auditions took place in April 1995. Over 50 applications were received, of which the selected actresses began rehearsing in July 1995, sometimes under difficult conditions. On August 12, 1995, the curtain opened for the first time during a preview. After the world premiere on September 27, 1995, five more screenings followed. A total of over a thousand spectators saw this production at that time.
In 1997, Scene Records and FAN-Verlag finally released the CD "Die phantastische Welt", on which the 21 pieces from the musical can be heard.
In April 2000, "Die phantastische Welt" was staged again in a school production at the Paul Robeson School in Leipzig, but in contrast to the original version, it featured both young female and male actors.
action
Sylvia and Maria are looking for the "fantastic world". In doing so, they get into the mysterious labyrinth of "seven times seven worlds", in which the queen rules. Through dreams, it gains access to people's thoughts. That is what their power is based on. She wants to play an unequal game with the two women and dissuade them from their path.
Maria and Sylvia are assisted by the chameleon women Ethea, Lavea and Marcella. Together they move through the country "Free of Doubts" to Kali, the "City of the Deceived", to the "Temple of Power". In doing so, they win and lose fellow campaigners. Finally, Sylvia also goes to the queen's network and accepts her offer to become viceroy. The group is demoralized. In the "world of beautiful appearances" there is finally an open discussion. The queen tries to finally bring women into their power. But your attempt fails.
Maria, Lavea and the experienced Omnia arrive at the "Lake of Vanities". This lake promises infinite beauty to all who look at their face in its mirror. Behind the lake the women suspect the "fantastic world", which it is said that only the most beautiful and proudest can find their way into it. Maria believes that she has found the right candidates in beautiful Lavea and proud Omnia. But Lavea in particular succumbs to the lure of the eternal preservation of her youth.
The project seems to have finally failed. The world behind the "lake of vanity" is neither fantastic nor beautiful and the queen, for whom the game has long since become a test of strength, triumphs. For women, she announced, there is only one way from here to the "realm of lost souls". But suddenly Sylvia appears again. She had spent one night in the Queen's Dream Navigator and discovered one of the Queen's dreams. In it she learns of their desire to lock in the light. Sylvia now knows that the queen is not all-powerful either.
Your power is over the darkness, the dreams, the subconscious, the secrets - but not over the light that brings everything to light. Suddenly Maria understands what the lost friend is saying. Mary opens the way for the light and moves into it herself. Now she stands in the light, proud and beautiful. Little by little she brings the other women in. The light grows stronger and soon encompasses the whole group. The women stand on an unknown bank. You haven't found the fantastic world, but that is no longer important. You will not hide anymore. You are strong enough for the real world. Even if they are not always in the light there.
Songs
- What is wrong with me?
- Ideal images
- The fantastic world
- No turning back
- shadow
- Dance of the chameleon women
- ask
- Free from any doubt
- Dance of sadness
- Ruler of the world
- The dream world
- To fly
- Ethea's dream
- Sylvia's dream
- The temple of power
- Wrong masks
- Anything *
- Lake of vanity
- Lost everything
- Move into the light
- hand in hand
* Song 17 was removed from the premiere version by the director due to time constraints
The team of the world premiere
Contributors
| music | Christian Nóvé |
| text | Torsten Seifert, Christian Nóvé |
| Director | Peter Makswitat |
| choreography | Cornelia Richter |
| musical direction | Christian Nóvé |
| Sound engineer | Steffen Seifarth |
| Orchestra arrangements | Christoph Mansfeld |
| lighting | Jürgen Niescher |
| Costumes | Heidi Schelmat |
| Stage design | Daniela Hussel |
occupation
| Maria | Tina Romani |
| Sylvia | Nicole Ohliger |
| queen | Regine Lehmann-Lauenburg |
| Omnia | Claudia von Böhlen |
| Old + sadness | Marie-Luise Michael |
| Chameleon female Lavea | Cornelia Richter |
| Chameleon woman Ethea | Maria Lippemeier |
| Chameleon woman Marcella | Silke Heide |
| Chameleon woman Hüska | Yvonne Jersemann |
| A ("Inner Figure") | Grit Hoh |
| B ("Inner Figure") | Anke Hensel |
| maid | Annegret Morawe |
| Veil woman + priestess | Nicole standing firm |
swell
- Christian Nóvé, Torsten Seifert: The fantastic world - creation and performances of the Leipzig musical from 1991 until today. Leipzig 2000. ISBN 3-00-004166-4