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Wintergarten Variété, Berlin, GER

June 7-October 6, 2007

“Zauber Zauber” is Twice the Magic

For those who don’t know German there are still lots of options for entertainment in Berlin.  Several theatres present variety shows of a kind that has completely died out in North America.  One that I and my non-German-speaking partner really enjoyed was “Zauber Zauber” (“Magic Magic”) at the Wintergarten Variété.  The theatre itself which opened in 1992 on Potsdammer Strasse is a wonderful attempt to recreate the atmosphere and style of the famed Wintergarten Variété on Friedrichstrasse that was the foremost variety theatre in Berlin from its founding in 1880 until it was destroyed by bombing in 1944.  Rich wood and brass and theatre memorabilia from the former Wintergarten adorn the walls in the lobby and very handsome 500-seat auditorium.  The audience is seated at tiered tables and food is on offer before the show and drinks before and during though no ticket holder is required to purchase either.

“Zauber Zauber” was one of the theatre’s most popular shows in 2006 and the present 2007 version attempts to repeat this success.  The host is the genial Dutch comedian Philip Simon.  The Wintergarten aims at providing entertainment for all ages, so there is nothing crude or lewd about Simon’s routines.  One might think there was nothing more to say about the unpleasantness of plane travel today, but Simon has a refreshingly quirky take on the subject that was truly hilarious.

Simon introduces seven magicians or magic teams.  Working in the classical style elegant Finnish magician Jay Niemi produces dove after dove out of nothing before escalating to cockatoos and a macaw.  Jan Becker, an appropriately odd looking mentalist, not only could tell people’s birthdates by reading their minds but had a young man mentally send a message to his girlfriend which she promptly acted upon.  Juliana Chen, a renowned card manipulator, seemed a bit off but she could still somehow shoot cards from her fingertips far into the audience.  The Collins Brothers are hilarious as comic magicians whose ineptitude keeps revealing how their tricks are done.  But in some ways the most enjoyable performer is a man known only as Burl, who has a knack for blowing all sorts of soap bubbles in all sorts of configurations.  The simplicity of his act seems to bring out a childlike pleasure in everyone.  “Zauber Zauber” plays until October 6, and is a delightful example of stylish but not overproduced family entertainment.

For more information see www.wintergarten-variete.de.              

©Christopher Hoile

Note: This review is a Stage Door exclusive.

Photo: Burl with bubble.