PARDON MY ENGLISH
George Gershwin’s Dresden Musical
A musical set in Dresden? And this, written by one of the most successful musical composers of all time? Hard to believe, but true. Celebrated American composer George Gershwin surprised audiences on Broadway in 1934 with a musical that takes place in Dresden. Soft drinks are prohibited in Dresden and Bad Schandau. So people meet at secret clubs to enjoy the forbidden drinks. One of these speakeasies is run by gangster and moonshiner Golo Schmidt,
who suffers from a split personality. Whenever he receives a blow on the head – which happens quite often throughout the story – he transforms, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde style, into British secret agent Michael Bramleigh. As Bramleigh he falls in love with Police Commissioner Bauer’s daughter, of all people, the same Bauer in charge of shutting down the illegal sale of soft drinks and, with it, Golo’s business. Before the inevitably happy ending, we encounter several psychiatrists, witness a kidnapping to Bad Schandau complete with a successful
rescue operation, and learn something about the foibles of Dresden – and, in effect, American – police. Seventy years after its world première on Broadway, the musical is finally seeing its first European performance at the Dresden State Operetta. With “Pardon My English,” George Gerschwin offers us a fast-paced show full of parody, slapstick and a dash of absurdity. “Pardon My English” offers Gerschwin at his finest. It was this entertaining musical that first gave the world such beloved classics as “The Lorelei,” “Isn’t It a Pity” and “My Cousin in Milwaukee,”
songs which took on a life of their own even after the work disappeared from the stage, in the versions of Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand and other renowned artists. These popular songs can now be heard in their original context once again.
who suffers from a split personality. Whenever he receives a blow on the head – which happens quite often throughout the story – he transforms, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde style, into British secret agent Michael Bramleigh. As Bramleigh he falls in love with Police Commissioner Bauer’s daughter, of all people, the same Bauer in charge of shutting down the illegal sale of soft drinks and, with it, Golo’s business. Before the inevitably happy ending, we encounter several psychiatrists, witness a kidnapping to Bad Schandau complete with a successful
rescue operation, and learn something about the foibles of Dresden – and, in effect, American – police. Seventy years after its world première on Broadway, the musical is finally seeing its first European performance at the Dresden State Operetta. With “Pardon My English,” George Gerschwin offers us a fast-paced show full of parody, slapstick and a dash of absurdity. “Pardon My English” offers Gerschwin at his finest. It was this entertaining musical that first gave the world such beloved classics as “The Lorelei,” “Isn’t It a Pity” and “My Cousin in Milwaukee,”
songs which took on a life of their own even after the work disappeared from the stage, in the versions of Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand and other renowned artists. These popular songs can now be heard in their original context once again.
Cast
Production: Holger Hauer
Décor: Christoph Weyers
Choir production: Thomas Runge
Dramaturgy: André Meyer
Technical director: Marcus Großer
Shows
24.05.14 19:30
Appraissals