Katharina Mehrling as Roxy Hart on stage Photo: dpa/Soeren Stache
By Michael Zöllner
The Komische Oper opened its alternative venue in the Schiller Theater on Saturday with the successful musical “Chicago”. Star director Barrie Kosky directed the film and Katharine Mehrling sang the lead role. What could go wrong? Nothing.
The Komische Oper and its audience are still at the feet of Barrie Kosky, the house’s former artistic director. Although he is no longer in office, his regular productions for the house are still home games. This was also the case on Saturday evening, when he celebrated the premiere of the successful musical “Chicago”.
As usual, he accurately presented the story of the two murderers Velma Kelly (Ruth Brauer-Kvam) and Roxie Hart (Katharine Mehrling). Kosky’s timing is unique, the jokes are spot on, the music (conductor: Adam Benzwi) moves quickly through the action.
Above all, Kosky knows how to stage the big dance scenes (choreography: Otto Pichler) as well as the solo performances of his artists. He always takes care of the large stage, which shines here with 6,500 LED lights (stage design: Michael Levine).
But he can also rely on an excellent ensemble: The great Andreja Schneider plays a bombastic prison guard as Mama Morton, Jörn-Felix Alt plays a fascinatingly slimy, greasy lawyer as Billy Flynn, and Ruth Brauer-Kvam plays a great Velma with a big voice and a lot of physical effort Kelly.
Ruth Brauer-Kvam as Velma Kelly in “Chicago” Photo: DAVIDS/Michael Ukas
But “Chicago” is above all her performance: Katharine Mehrling masters the role vocally effortlessly and also delivers the necessary dirt in her voice. With obvious pleasure she plays the vulgar brat and the murderous wannabe diva. Katharine Mehrling proves once again that she is one of the country’s biggest stage stars.