Iron Curtain Man – The Online Show
Click here for the livestream at dringeblieben.de.
In addition, the stream will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.
Last year, the Neuköllner Oper brought a forgotten superstar of the GDR back to the stage. Dean Reed broke the hearts of the audience once again in IRON CURTAIN MAN, as he danced, sang and acted a revue through his life.
But one of the most important questions remained unanswered: How would the Red Cowboy be today? And what if the GDR had never gone under and, even better, had been the only country to remain corona-free?
We present your favorite GDR star Dean Reed as the hero of a unique series of broadcasts. On six evenings, a dazzling Dean from different eras of his career will perform and rehearse his songs live in front of an audience of millions. Along for the ride are friends from his life, but also new adversaries and commentators.
But which of the Deans actually deserves the title The Dean of Germany?
Of course, only a qualified jury can judge that: In true communist fashion, you influence events from home and can even vote for something real at the end. In the big show finale on May 6, 2021, all six Deans will battle it out to find out who is The Dean of Germany. Tune in and join in the decision!
Admission to all seven shows is free, but you are welcome to support us with a soli contribution of your choice! Either via the donation function at dringeblieben or simply by sending an SMS to 81190 with the text: Oper5 or Oper10. The amount you choose (5 or 10 €) will be debited from your mobile phone provider, plus any charges for sending the SMS.
All 7 shows at a glance:
4/17/2021, 9pm
(1/7) Virus of Freedom
In the first edition of THE DEAN OF GERMANY, we meet the young country dean who just rolled into Hollywood fresh. He meets the outsized, legendary acting coach Paton Price. True to his motto, “This is where people are made,” Price infects the young cowboy boy with the virus of freedom – a young pacifist is born and a first unforgettable hit of silvery infused sadness. Plus: the world’s most dangerous, smoky news. And a duel for love.
4/20/2021, 9-9:30 p.m.
(2/7) How to Catch a Hit
In the second edition of THE DEAN OF GERMANY we invite Dean, the idol of Soviet youth. Who was this freedom fighter at the microphone? What did he move in the people of the East? And can an unforgettable pop song be a mouse or a snake to pounce on as a bird of prey? In addition: The Only German Television returns with the Current Camera. A ring swings around liberated hips and a real head of state has his say.
Missed the Show? Watch the recording here
4/22/2021, 9-9:30 p.m.
(3/7) Life is Like
Finally, it’s time. Dean, at the height of his fame, visits THE DEAN OF GERMANY. This Dean makes movies, records, washes American flags and still has time to rehearse a song with us so that eternity can finally memorize it. In addition, for the first time in the history of THE DEAN OF GERMANY, we will show a live marriage proposal. An evening that everyone should liken.
4/27/2021, 9-9:30 p.m.
(4/7) Powerlessness isn’t Private
It gets private. None other than the dear parents of our superstar have their say. Are you the secret behind their son’s creativity? Can their boy sing a song with only one syllable? And who will win in the boxing duel Dean against Dean? Does the Current Camera know the answer to that? It’s back again, taking us through the wild contemporary history of Dean’s life, full of riots at the Alex, absconding writers and protests in South America.
4/29/2021, 9-9:30 p.m.
(5/7) Flirt with Red
We’d like to get a little more serious now. Because in the fifth edition of THE DEAN OF GERMANY we show the quiet moments of the superstar who rocked the East. In unforgotten classics he reflects on the lost homeland. From the very same, even a completely different, great legend is switched on. We’ll just say James. Dean will give it his all in this edition. Between love, criticism and politics, he holds his own and comes, as always, to a grandiose finale.
5/4/2021, 9-9:30 p.m.
(6/7) There is only way of doing this right and that is with freedom
What was that about Manfred Krug and the revolution in South America? The penultimate edition of THE DEAN OF GERMANY shows that Dean Reed has also brought the medium of the cooking show to perfection. From blood-red borscht burgers, the singer takes us to the deep-orange sunsets of South America and a time when he fought alongside Victor Jara for the liberation of the oppressed. Goosebumps and a treat for the palate and, of course, another hit. Because they all have to sing – and in the last edition they finally sing against each other.
afterwards from 9.45 pm: LAB1 (oper.digital)
6.5.2021, 9-10 pm.
(7/7) FINALE: Dean of Deans
In the past six episodes, viewers have voted for their favorite Dean, and we have chosen a jury from among the viewers. On the last evening, the jury will come together to choose THE DEAN OF GERMANY. Once again we travel along the stages of his life via Hitexpress. But in the end only one can become the Dean of all Deans.
Be there at the grand finale. Live, interactive and at home on your devices, dear comrades.
TRAILER
Streaming was yesterday – on all seven evenings between April 17 and May 6, the live show THE DEAN OF GERMANY meets the new oper.digital project funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation – with digital tools opening up new fields of participation for the audience. The digitization of musical theater goes into the next round!
Project partner: Verworner-Krause Chamber Orchestra
Participants: Einstein Center Digital Future, kultursystem, kling klang klong, Trickster Orchestra, Jonas Urbat, Paul Bießmann, Cultural Design, Kulturdata and many more.
The project oper.digital is implemented by the Neuköllner Opera in collaboration with the Verworner-Krause-Kammerorchester and is developed within the framework of “dive in. Program for Digital Interactions” of the Federal Cultural Foundation, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) in the NEUSTART KULTUR program.
Director/Text: Fabian Gerhardt | Text: Lars Werner | Music/Musical direction: Claas Krause/Christopher Verworner | Choreography: Lilit Hakobyan | Stage: Michael Graessner | Costume: Sophie Peters | Videos: Vincent Stefan | Dramaturgy: Änne-Marthe Kühn | Live-Camera: Julia Weingarten, Kirsten Weingarten
With: Frédéric Brossier, Sophia Euskirchen, Raphael Dwinger, Franziska Junge, Claudia Renner, Meik van Severen and the members of the VKKO (Verworner-Krause Chamber Orchestra) Jan Landowski (Trombone), Edward King (Violoncello), Georg Stirnweiß/Sven Holscher (Bass), Philip Dornbusch (Drums), Maria Schneider (Percussion)
© Photo: Vincent Stefan / Graphics: David Sernau
