Alice – Game of Your Life

Description

Musical theater piece about the pianist Alice Herz-Sommer by Kim Langner (nominated for the
Theaterpreis FAUST 2023). In a unique symbiosis of piano concert, biography, and drama, the one-person show depicts the extraordinary life of the Jewish pianist Alice Herz-Sommer (1903–2014). The evening addresses the stark contrast between the beauty of music and the horror of the Theresienstadt ghetto, to which Alice was deported with her family in 1943. There, she fought for survival with her six-year-old son and gave over 100 concerts under extreme conditions. The music – from Bach and Beethoven to Chopin and Gershwin – was much more than just accompaniment:
It was Alice's shield against bitterness and despair. The piece makes tangible how her unwavering optimism and her love for the piano carried her through the darkest hours of her life. For actress Natalie O’Hara, known to a broad audience mainly from TV productions like Der Bergdoktor, this project represents the greatest artistic challenge of her career. She prepared intensively for four years, not only to shine as an actress in over 20 different roles but also to interpret the demanding piano works from Chopin to Debussy live on stage. "What Alice and I share is the love for the piano," says O’Hara. "If I can get just one person to surrender to this music with this piece, it was worth it." Accompanying the theater evening, her piano album Für Alice was released in 2023. The work resulted from close collaboration between Natalie O’Hara and author Kim Langner. Inspired by her own Jewish roots and her great-grandfather's story, Langner developed a minimalist yet vivid concept: an empty stage, a piano, and the pure power of transformation. An emotional theater experience about the power of music. With Natalie O’Hara. Director: François Camus
Musical direction: Matthias Stötzel
Video & sound design: Studio Eigengrau
Lighting design: Daniel Sestak
Production: Natalie O’Hara and Michael Hildebrandt. Additional information:
Piece introduction: 7:00 PM in the Small Hall

Highlights

• Musical theater piece about Alice Herz-Sommer
• Actress Natalie O’Hara in over 20 roles
• Live piano interpretations from Chopin to Debussy

General Information

The piece tells the moving life story of the Jewish pianist Alice Herz-Sommer, who lived in the Theresienstadt ghetto during the Holocaust. It combines piano music with acting and addresses the unwavering optimism of the artist amidst suffering and despair.

Location

Romäusring 2, 78050 Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany

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