Georg Kreisler: Adam Schaf hat Angst

A musical in two acts for one actor

Premiere: 21 June 2025, 7:30 PM, Theater im Palais Berlin

Cast:
Dennis Weissert (acting, singing)
Bijan Azadian (piano)
Director: Dennis Weissert
Musical Director: Bijan Azadian
Production Manager: Alina Gause
Set Design, Make-up: Laura Jammoul

Running time: approx. 1 hr 50 min. (interval after approx. 50 min.)

Adam Schaf is a deeply sad man - and the fact that he sings cheerful songs is the clearest proof of his sadness. That is how Georg Kreisler describes his title character. From Schaf's memories of the gruelling journey out of war, a cynical portrait of Germany - past and present - takes shape, one that never quite loses its sense of humour. As the author himself put it: "We are all afraid! But we live! Somehow!"

In his interpretation of Kreisler's singspiel, Dennis Weissert examines today's relationship with the postwar era and draws parallels between two realities shaped by existential fear. He stretches the arc from the German cabaret tradition to the American Broadway, placing his audience in a strange in-between world - somewhere between collapse and hope, between appeal and eulogy.

Original publisher: Josef Weinberger
Stage distribution: Musik und Bühne Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Wiesbaden