Judith Kuckart

The musical begins in post-war Germany. For a pregnant moment, the circumstances are unclear. In this moment, before the American dream and the economic miracle show the way out, the outsiders are superior to so-called bourgeois because they know better how to survive. One of these outsiders is Carmen. The origin and the fate of the woman are hidden in darkness, when she appears in a large German city after the war. Such a woman is fascinating, not to be grasped. She awakens longings, wonders, and fears, in both men and women.

Marie is a woman who has her heart in the right place. She loves Jo. Jo comes from a good family, and his youthful charm seduces everyone. He has grown into his love for Marie as if into a trusted garment, and realizes too late that without Marie he has nothing. Earlier, Carmen kidnapped him and took him into her dark half-world, and Jo has fallen in love with his kidnapper. Everything happens as it must happen…. (Announcement Bad Hersfelder Festspiele)

"It may seem absurd to tell the famous story of this fatal passion in such a different way, but we find in Bad Hersfeld a more than passable musical under the direction of Nico Rabenalds, one which would also work well in city theaters." (Frankfurter Rundschau)

The music for the musical originates from Wolfgang Schmidtke, who oriented himself on jazz, the entertainment music in post-war Germany, and combined it with famous pieces from the classic Carmen opera.