Die spinnen, die Römer by Sondheim, So. 13 Sept. 2020, Ab (2020/2020), Unter der Regie von Klaus Christian Schreiber, Dirigat William Ward Murta, Stadttheater, Bielefeld, Deutschland

"Without freedom, the free state falls apart / For the slave it is hopeless daydreaming ..." No, this comedy does not allude to current political conditions, nor is Pseudolus singing this, a character from an Asterix comic, where the As is well known, Romans also “spin” – but it could very well be. As a slave in ancient Rome, he doesn't have it easy: Hero, his young owner, has seen an enchantingly beautiful face at the neighboring window and instructs Pseudolus to fetch the lady that belongs to him immediately. But that comes with several problems. On the one hand, it is a brothel that Hero's parents have strictly forbidden him to enter; on the other hand, the beauty in question has already been promised to Captain Miles Gloriosus. And it's almost on the way. Nevertheless, Pseudolus agrees - on the condition that Hero guarantees him the freedom he has dreamed of if he manages to do it anyway. Of course, from this point onwards, the obstacles pile up, so that Pseudolus can't help but play virtuoso on the random organ of luck... Stephen Sondheim, an insider tip on Broadway since his involvement in West Side Story in 1957, had a surprise hit in 1962 with his comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum . The musical and the resulting film parodied the Quo Vadis brand monumental or »sandal films« that were so popular at the time . In addition to a lot of catchy tunes, Sondheim gave his first own work that unmistakable musical tone that would characterize his musicals like Into the Woods, Company or Sweeney Todd from then on and make him a legend. OCCUPATION