Messeschlager Gisela

About

Axel Ranisch’s staging revives the 1960 GDR operetta Messeschlager Gisela as buoyant music theatre in the Spiegelzelt by Red City Hall. Avoiding both Western consumer critiques and shallow nostalgia, the production lets the show’s theatrical verve take center stage. Musically, it connects to the rediscovery of 1920s–30s jazz operettas, with a score that sparkles between salsa, waltz, and jazz. Scenic design by Saskia Wunsch and costumes by Alfred Mayerhofer bolster Christopher Tölle’s lively choreography. The staging playfully reflects quirks of the socialist-era workplace, with the self-critical boss Kuckuck rhyming his mea culpas as the collective wins out. Under Adam Benzwi, the Komische Oper orchestra highlights Natschinski’s strengths, earning enthusiastic reactions in the tent.