This might just be my favorite part.
The German students take some sort of famous musical, compress it down to less than 15 minutes in length, and then act the whole thing out in German.
All with no budget for the set, props, or costumes. Well, not just no budget, but I’d say essentially no interest either in spending time on creating a set, props, or costumes. Oh, and I don’t think there is a whole lot of rehearsing happening either.
But, what does it matter if someone blows a line? We would NEVER know.
You get the picture.
The end result is an unabashedly amusing adaptation. It’s glorious, really. Magoo was the star of the show last year, as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel:
Even though they don’t pay for them or make them, the show is NOT without props or costumes. The high school has a rather large drama closet holding costumes and props from hundreds of past productions.
Of course, the props don’t always fit the production perfectly, but the GermanFest works with what they have. Here’s one of my very favorite examples from last year of them getting by with what was on hand. Below you’ll see Her Gracefulness (obscured… but I bet she doesn’t mind) bringing in the moon. I don’t recall, but I’m thinking she was supposed to get Hansel and Gretel to go to sleep?
Check out the moon. Yep, that’s ET’s shadow flying across it. PRICELESS. You work with what you have.
The GermanFest production of Beauty and the Beast actually lucked out pretty well this year. The high school performed the full blown Beauty and the Beast musical a few years ago. (You can read a little about it HERE - Bud was the STUNT BEAST!) So, some pretty amazing costumes were available for the borrowing.
Even so, this year’s GermanFest production brought us such amazing moments as these:
Belle on a harrowing horseback ride. (Check out the smile on her face.)
Be Our Guest!! Da Kaff, third from the left, is rocking the wine bottle. I must admit I had to be corrected when I thought he was a salt shaker. The smiles are actually appropriate in this scene. Except maybe for Gaston, who is not supposed to be in the scene, but is quite clearly evident (and smiling!) standing between the amazing props behind the actors.
Gaston and the villagers rallying to attack the despicable Beast. (Smiles again. And such a terrifying picture of the Beast.)
Hold onto your hats for the final, amazing scene put on by the GermanFest acting troupe. When the high school performed Beauty and the Beast a few years ago our friend Kevin, the director, spent countless hours developing an amazing transformation scene. As the stunt Beast, Bud killed Gaston, and was mortally wounded himself. He lay down stricken. Cue the fog machine and a sobbing Belle, who secretly attaches a hook to a harness under Bud’s costume. Big guys off stage work the pulleys and Bud ascends amidst fog and strobe lights and the handsome prince appears. It was an amazing scene. And, that was for a high school, I can’t imagine how Broadway does it.
And the GermanFest? How would they act out the transformation? By doing this:
Yes, yes, that’s it. Sending in dudes (Grace’s brother again on the left) dressed as fairies and abracadabra, he’s transformed!! (Check out Belle’s smile… isn’t she supposed to be sobbing?)
Breathtaking. There are no words.
Up next: The GermanFest Polka Smackdown
HA! Man now I wish I could’ve witnessed Magoo’s Gretelness (how could I not know she was the STAR of such a fabulously put on production??) Looks like a great time and I am quite impressed how you are getting 4 (perhaps more) blogs about this fest! And I am liking this posting every day thing
That transformation scene was awesome. I wonder if they will release a DVD showing how they created the magic of the GermanFest. They can get quotes on the actors talking about the hours and makeup and prep work they put in.
Hey I’ll have everyone know that the witch’s cottage last year was due to seven hours of work one Saturday on my part along with about four from Magoo. I blame the no budget aspect.
I’d also like to point out that that is Jenny Winkler behind the moon, not me. I was the sand-lady and the sun last year. I did not have the advantage of being obscured from photo view because my props were much smaller.
And the German Fest is too much fun and so it’s pretty much impossible not to smile the whole time.
Little Couz????? What do you think now????? Do you have your bags packed????? Maybe you want to wait until you see the big finish before you decide to move up here and be in next year’s German Fest.