Madame Lothár Theater

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The former Madame Lothár theater in Kolpingstrasse (April 2008)

The Madame Lothár Theater in Bremen's Schnoorviertel was a privately run travesty theater that became known nationwide as a cabaret in the field of travesty , chanson and comedy and was considered a "Bremen institution". Madame Lothár was also the stage name of the theater's founder and owner Lothar Gräbs (1933-2013), who made a career as a travesty artist . The travesty theater existed from 1992 to 2008.

As its successor, the Teatro Magico has been operated there since March 2009 under new and meanwhile changing management in the form of an event theater.

history

The theater was founded in 1992 by the hotel and catering specialist and travesty artist Lothar Gräbs and was initially called Madame Lothar's Travesty Theater . It was located in the residential building at Kolpingstrasse 9 .

Lothar Gräbs alias Madame Lothár

Lothar Gräbs (born January 15, 1933 in Essen ; † November 19, 2013 in Bremen) grew up in Essen, trained as a waiter with the Krupp family in the " Villa Hügel " and also studied speaking and singing at the Folkwang School in Essen and dance, among others with the dance teacher Kurt Jooss . He completed his further training in the catering and hotel sector at the Hotel Montana in Neuchâtel , Switzerland , where he was also able to continue his artistic training with the well-known dancer Harald Kreutzberg .

He then worked in the restaurant business and came to Bremen through various international positions in the early 1960s. There, Gräbs became managing director of the Emil Fritz companies in the well-known Astoria Varieté , where he made contacts with well-known artists such as Angèle Durand , Brigitte Mira , Siegfried and Roy and Nana Gualdi and was later able to get ideas from them for his own artistic work .

After the closure of the Astoria Variety Show, Gräbs started his own business in 1969 with the Mic Mac cabaret in Bremen's Ostertorviertel, where he promoted young travesty artists such as Mary Morgan (also known as Mary ). Gräbs also appeared there as a travesty artist and developed the travesty figure Madame Lothár . In addition, he took on theater roles in the Packhaustheater Bremen .

Lothar Gräbs' Madame Lothár Theater

After Schnoor GmbH , who was interested in a cultural revitalization of the Bremen Schnoor district in Bremen's old town ( Bremen-Mitte district ), made him an offer, Gräbs founded 1992 together with Matthias Schnaars, who took over the gastronomic and business area, the Madame Lothár theater. The theater was set up in the vaulted cellar of a former residential building built in 1820 and an additional storey in 1888 at Kolpingstrasse 9, which was placed under monument protection in 1973 as part of the so-called Schnoor monument group . The auditorium has around 100 seats. In the Madame Lothár theater there was also a gastronomic offer as well as a bar integrated into the audience area .

After a few teething problems, Madame Lothár , in which Gräbs also appeared in this role, achieved great success with the audience with a varied program and many guest appearances by well-known artists and became known beyond Bremen. As a result of protracted illnesses in which he lost a leg, Gräbs had to limit his active stage activities from the mid-1990s. Gräb's partner Matthias Schnaars, who in the meantime had also made a career there as a travesty artist under the artist name Matthi-As, also withdrew from the stage in 2005 and died in May 2010.

As a result, the program, which was known for its imaginative costumes, comedy and parody, was contested by a permanent house ensemble , the ML-Sisters , as well as guest appearances by various artists, cabaret actors and travesty artists from home and abroad. Gräbs, who had to rely on a wheelchair after losing his second leg in the summer of 2002, still guided his theater guests through the program as Madame Lothar . He celebrated his 75th birthday in January 2008 with a stage show.

Among others, the following artists appeared in the theater: Lys Assia , Laurence Gèrrard (as Marlene-Dietrich-Double), Nana Gualdi, Heidi Kabel , Su Kramer , Evelyn Künneke , Brigitte Mira, Tina Rainford , Mary Roos and her sister Tina York , the Jacob Sisters and Helen Vita . Gräbs was also involved in the social field and supported institutions serving the common good through charity events , for example on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of his theater in June 2002 for the benefit of the Bremen Children's Clinic.

In May 2008, Gräbs had to give up the operation of his travesty theater due to financial difficulties that led to insolvency proceedings.

In January 2013, Gräbs celebrated his 80th birthday with a charity gala in aid of the non-profit association Bremen Children in Need . Lothar Gräbs died in November of the same year.

The Teatro Magico

At the beginning of 2009 the theater was taken over by the event manager Thomas Vehorn, who reopened it under a new name as Teatro Magico at the beginning of March 2009 after renovation and refurbishment . At the opening show, travesty star Lilo Wanders appeared as a guest of honor. In the form of an event theater , cabaret performances , travesty shows, variety shows and cabaret are offered there. In addition, the theater vaulted cellar is also used for exhibitions, company celebrations and competitions for young talent.

The converted and renovated theater has around 90 seats and is equipped with a small stage and a bar. After Vehorn had to file for bankruptcy in March 2010, the Teatro Magico has been operating since May 2010 under the direction of Wolfgang Schwarze. The non-assets Teatro Magico UG (limited liability) was officially deleted from the commercial register on September 10, 2012 on the basis of § 394 FamFG .

Discography

  • Madame Lothár & Matthi-As: Travestie Theater Bremen. Live recording (audio CD)
  • Madame Lothár: Madame Lothár - Live (2000; audio CD)

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ (map): Travesty artist Lothar Gräbs is dead. In: Weser-Kurier from November 22, 2013, p. 9.
  2. ↑ a b Monika Felsing (Ed.): Our Astoria: Memories of Bremen's great variety in the fifties and sixties . BoD , Norderstedt 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-4620-5 , pp. 55-56.
  3. ↑ Monument database of the LfD Bremen
  4. ↑ Cf. u. a .: Claudia Kohlhase: Potztausend Grandezza! In: taz of January 16, 1993; Hannes Krug: "Marginal group of travesty visitors" . In: taz of August 10, 2002.
  5. ↑ Birgit Köhler: Serious person with a feather boa. Lothar Gräbs still has to fight against prejudice against travesty . In: Weser Report of May 13, 2001; Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  6. ↑ Alice Bachmann: Once a stage, always a stage. Lothar Gräbs is 75 years old and still loves high heels. In: District newspaper Syke from January 16, 2008.
  7. ↑ Wilfried Hippen: Dietrich herself ... ... a guest in the Schnoor . In: taz from 8./9. November 1997.
  8. ^ Corinna Laubach: People of the world. When “old” friends find their way back to Bremen . In: Die Welt from May 30, 2002; Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  9. ↑ Sigrid Schuer: Former travesty star Lothar Gräbs appears at his birthday gala . In: Weser-Kurier from January 21, 2013; Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  10. ↑ People of the world. Noble donors from the Schnoor . In: Die Welt of July 29, 2002; Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  11. ↑ (mf): Lothar Gräbs is celebrating his 80th birthday . In: Weser-Kurier from January 21, 2013; Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  12. ↑ online-handelsregister.de
  13. ↑ Anna Hecker: Teatro Magico begins a new cabaret chapter in the Schnoor . In: Courier on Sunday March 6, 2009.

Coordinates: 53 ° 4 ′ 22.3 "  N , 8 ° 48 ′ 39.5"  E