What would our cities be without their theater stages and concert halls? There, people play, laugh, cry and rage for all they're worth - at particularly good performances not only on stage, but also in the audience. And how much do we miss those evenings that touch us in such a special way, that transport us to other worlds and let us dream together? The good news is that until things really get going again, theater and music performances in Bremen can be attended digitally. We present three virtual stages that will sweeten the waiting time:
Table of contents
1. Bremen Shakespeare Company
2. Theater Bremen
3. Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra
Theater:
As the name suggests, the theater collective focuses on the world-famous Renaissance playwright Shakespeare. With its modern productions, the theater shows that Shakespeare's plays are anything but outdated. A Midsummer Night's Dream, for example, becomes a strange love affair between a divorce lawyer and a married man. Sounds more 21st century than Elizabethan England, doesn't it? In addition to such exciting experiments, the program also includes performances of contemporary plays as well as staged readings and discussions.
And that's how you experience it digitally:
Plays, readings and talk rounds from the current schedule can be brought into your own four walls for free via Zoom. The theater collective also has its own YouTube channel, where you can watch some of the performances whenever you want. The short episodes of "Daily Shakespeare" - the theater's own reality soap opera, so to speak - are funny to curious and also reach you via YouTube and take you behind the scenes.
Go to the game plan here.
And here you can access the YouTube channel.
Theater:
Theater Bremen is a municipal theater with four venues in the city. It stages a variety of genres: music, drama, dance, and theater for children and young people. As a municipal theater, it is also one of the central places in Bremen where people discuss theater, of course, but also current events.
How you experience it digitally:
Do you know those moments in the theater when everything is just right on stage, and for a short time you can indulge in the illusion of witnessing a true event? For that to work, you have to go full throttle not only on stage, but also behind the scenes. And that's exactly what the video series "Offstage" tells us about. The short videos show how rehearsals and costumes are sewn, how dancers keep fit, and what tricks of the trade are involved in lighting. In addition, poems are read aloud, musical pieces are performed and there is even footage of fun group dances in front of the municipal theater on Goetheplatz. The great thing is that the sequences are perfect for those short breaks in between. Or you can forgo your portion of YouTube in the evening and stream through the theater's digital channel instead.
Here go to the video format "Aus dem Off".
With almost 200 years of existence, the Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra is not only an integral part of Bremen's cultural scene, but also one of the world's most traditional orchestras. Johannes Brahms once celebrated his debut as a pianist with the Bremen Philharmonic, and today they continue to make music together with renowned artists, such as the soloist and trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth from Norway or the Russian conductor Mikhail Agrest. In non-lockdown times, the musicians make concert halls resound almost daily, in Bremen and elsewhere. Their standard repertoire includes philharmonic concerts as well as operas and chamber music. And on some days, they even get carried away with spontaneous concerts on the Markplatz - and do the city's landmark every honor.
And that's how you experience it digitally:
The beauty of live concerts is that you can observe the musicians' gestures and facial expressions while listening. When they bob their whole body to the beat, you want to pick up the instrument yourself. That's why we're so glad that some of the Bremen Philharmonic's concerts can not only be heard on demand, but also seen - on the orchestra's own YouTube channel. In addition to shorter trailers of performances, you can also find longer concert recordings there - including, by the way, of the aforementioned spontaneous concert. A clear advantage over live performances: If you particularly like a certain movement or piece while listening, you can have the name displayed in the play list and press repeat directly. By the way, you can also follow the Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra on Spotify. Our Tip: The newly released album "Kirschendiebe" - a reading with Anke Bär, musically accompanied by the Philharmoniker.
Look here stop by the YouTube channel.
Take the train to Bremen comfortably and without traffic jams: Plan arrival.
Cover photo: Bremen's stages are digitally open © adobestock/powell83
