Tutankhamun (musical)
| Musical dates | |
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| Title: | Tutankhamun |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Gerald Gratzer |
| Book: | Sissi Gruber, Niki Neuspiel |
| Lyrics: | Birgit Nawrata, Sissi Gruber |
| Premiere: | July 3, 2008 |
| Place of premiere: | Gutenstein Festival |
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Tutankhamun is a musical by Sissi Gruber (libretto) and Gerald Gratzer (music). It premiered on July 3, 2008 at the Gutenstein Festival.
action
The musical begins with the funeral of Akhenaten , Pharaoh of Egypt. The people are upset and they hope for a ruler who will lead them wisely and justly. Teje , Akhenaten's mother, is now looking for a new ruler whom she sees in Tutankhamun , Akhenaten's son with a concubine, through a directive from heaven . Haremhab , the commander-in-chief of the Pharaoh's army, and Eje , the powerful and influential vizier, are not enthusiastic about the nine-year-old because they would like to be Pharaoh themselves, but his grandmother has great confidence in him. Tutankhamun becomes ruler in a world empire that had gotten into an explosive situation under his predecessor. War is raging against Nubia and the individual gods ( Aton and Amun ) threaten to break out into civil war. The young Pharaoh is married to his best friend and half-sister Ankhesenamun . While the bride is sent to Achet-aton for security reasons , Tutankhamun's life is not made easy. Haremhab drills him to break, but the young Pharaoh finds strength in his now dead grandmother. He knows that she is always with him and supports him.
Tutankhamun grows up to be a young man and is now supposed to meet his wife Ankhesenamun. The two meet at the big annual Opet festival . Anchesenamun, however, no longer recognizes the old friend from childhood. Tutankhamun has become a spoiled and arrogant pharaoh who is ensnared by other women and who treats his subordinates in an impossible and condescending manner. The Queen courageously and honestly gives her opinion to her husband. She explains to him that she cannot love him like that and cannot be with him.
The young Pharaoh now realizes that he was influenced by Harmehab and treated as a puppet. He realizes that he could achieve great things with his wife. He now takes the business of government into his own hands and uses his power for the benefit of his people.
Anchesenamun no longer sees the monster in her husband and realizes how much she loves him.
But eternal love does not last forever. After an intrigue by Haremhab, the young pharaoh dies. The whole people are sad and realize how great their Pharaoh has made the kingdom.
Production history
Tutankhamun was premiered on July 3, 2008 and was then performed at the Gutenstein Festival until August 10, 2008. In October and November 2010, the musical was performed in an English-language version in Cairo and Alexandria. During this guest performance in Egypt, the entire stage, projection and sound equipment for Gutenstein's production was transported to Egypt.
Occupations
| Original cast World premiere, 2008 | |
|---|---|
| Tutankhamun | Jesper Tydén |
| Tutankhamun as a child | Caroline cousin |
| Ankhesenamun | Sabine Mayer |
| Haremhab | Rob Fowler |
| Eh | André Bauer |
| Teje | Kerstin Ibald |
| Saamiya | Kerstin Ibald |
| Ofir | Harald Tauber |
| Cast Performance series Egypt, 2010 | |
|---|---|
| Tutankhamun | Jesper Tydén |
| Ankhesenamun | Franziska Schuster |
| Haremhab | Drew Sarich |
| Eh | André Bauer |
| Teje | Kerstin Ibald |
| Saamiya | Kerstin Ibald |
| Ofir | Martin Berger |
Songs
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Stations of the musical
Austria
- Gutenstein Festival (World Premiere 2008)
Egypt
- Cairo (2010)
- Alexandria (2010)
Publications
CD
- 2008 cast album for world premiere in Gutenstein
- 2011 cast album for English-language performance in Egypt
DVD
- 2010 Tutankhamun - The Musical - Eternity lies in every moment