Sold out! Premiere in the Salzkammergut exceeds all expectations
St. Wolfgang am Wolfgangsee (OTS) – Ceremonial opening of the new Salzkammergut lake stage at the historic holiday resort in Ried am Wolfgangsee. 800 visitors, including 300 guests of honor Clergy, Society, culture, politics and business traveled by ship across the lake on the evening of May 23rd and enjoyed the evening atmosphere at the foot of the Falkenstein. The highlight was the eagerly awaited premiere of Franzobel’s WOLF – The Mystical, a mixture of mystical theater and entertaining musical about the life of Saint Wolfgang as part of the celebrations for the saint’s 1,100th birthday. The full moon rising during the second act completed the mystical atmosphere at Lake Wolfgangsee. The piece was applauded in the presence of the composer Gerd Hermann Ortler and the author Franzobel. The covered open-air stage will be used until the end of June.
Natural lakeside stage on the banks of Lake Wolfgangsee
With the opening of the new mobile and modular Salzkammergut lake stage on the evening of May 23, 2024, a new cultural chapter was opened at Lake Wolfgang. The innovative venue, a mobile and flexible “Art Machine” by architect Eduard Neversal, offers space for 800 visitors as well as ten wheelchair spaces on a total area of 26×40 meters. Both the stage and the audience area are completely covered, allowing performances of all kinds to take place in any weather.
With this lakeside stage, Lake Wolfgang will have an outstanding location on the water for regional and international cultural events. The newly developed modular system follows an ecologically sustainable way of thinking, is built close to nature using many wooden elements, among other things, and can be dismantled without leaving any residue after the performances. This allows the temporary venue to be adapted to different venues and requirements in the future without disrupting the holiday center’s natural beauty and regular school and summer camp operations.
Even the journey to the temporary theater is an unforgettable experience. On board the Wolfgangsee boat trip, visitors are taken from the piers of the Wolfgangsee communities to the lake stage at the foot of the mighty Falkenstein in 20 minutes. The ships can carry 800 people almost at the same time, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Big names are guests at Lake Wolfgangsee.
Ortler and Franzobel’s piece for the 1100th anniversary
The piece, which combines a cross-genre, mystical and rousing composition by Gerd Hermann Ortler and a libretto by Franzobel, offers songs that are likely to be hits as well as sophisticated musical theater. The director is Viktoria Schubert, who also co-wrote the lyrics of the songs. Jerôme Knols is responsible for the choreography, while conductor Christoph Huber is responsible for the musical direction.
Konstantin Zander can be seen in the role of Bishop Wolfgang von Regensburg, Kaj Lucke plays the devil in his role as helper and adversary at Lake Wolfgangsee. Bianca Basler plays Wolfgang’s girlfriend Kathi, Broadway World Austria Awards winner James Park takes on the role of Heinrich, Martin Bermoser appears as the father, and Dennis Kozeluh can be seen as Pope Benedict VII.
As part of the Mystical and the release of the first “Wolf” song, the song “Kein Heiligen / No Saint” was reinterpreted by the legendary opus band together with the Schick Sisters and in collaboration with Franzobel, Viktoria Schubert and Gerd Hermann Ortler.
The production (Viktoria Schubert) lives from lively dance scenes (Jerome Knols), great songs and lively direction. The contemporary lighting design (Stephanie Erb) and excellent sound (Christoph Hall) carry the music through mystical and show moments. The 20 actors place the saint in constantly changing contexts, for example as a cathedral student, as a leper, as a vicious Roman and finally as a people demanding that Wolfgang become a saint whom they can revere and from whom some can also make a good living.
Wolfgang’s life between God’s work and the devil’s doing
WOLF-das Mystical illuminates the big questions of human existence and deals with the life of Saint Wolfgang 1,100 years after the historical events. Franzobel’s libretto takes you into a colorful spectacle of thought and a fantastic journey through time. The author takes you through the eventful life of Lake Wolfgang’s namesake and presents it in a mixture of scenes, flashbacks and modern comments.
Wolfgang, who comes from a humble background, makes it to the episcopate. Supported by his school friend Heinrich. The devil accompanies him throughout his life as a spirit who wants evil and creates good. At the Abersee, the old name of the Wolfgangsee, both compete for souls: the devil for catching them, Wolfgang for deeds pleasing to God. A decisive hack throw enables the building of the church promised by Wolfgang, which can only be achieved with diabolical help. The first soul to cross the threshold of the church belongs to the devil – a poor wolf has to believe it. This is how the church is perfected and the devil is outwitted.
As the plot progresses, Wolfgang struggles with his own identity, searching for a balance between modesty, down-to-earthness and faith. Although sainthood is initially foreign to him, he recognizes his destiny through his actions. In doing so, WOLF challenges the audience to engage with different ideas of holiness.
Church and society are critically questioned, and the text continuously integrates current references. The plot is complemented by the humorous and often astute comments of the “Three Wise Women”, which serve as a postmodern contrast to medieval events. These elements, together with the dynamic production, the impressive landscape and the outstanding voices, made for an unforgettable evening in mystical musical theater.
With the exception of a few remaining tickets, all events are sold out. Game dates and ticket information below https://www.wolfmystical.at.
Press server general image, text: https://we.tl/FECT8IIgNi
Scene and guests of honor reception photos and text: https://we.tl/6ulPQdQB8l
Drone flight Salzkammergut lake stage: https://we.tl/GdAqA2AchS
Video recordings and scenes from the Mystical on request.
Image (with reference to the ©) and text free of charge in connection with the reporting on WOLF – The Musical. Copyright, image and scene description saved in the caption.
Questions & Contact:
DI (FH) Daniela Jäger, MBA
Mobil: + 43 664 4505447
E-Mail: presse@salzkammergutseebuehne.at
Web: wolfmystical.at