22. 12. 11. - 16:17

Drama, comedy and cinema highlights for Vienna

A musical drama by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and "Der einsame Weg" will be staged in Vienna next month.

Brecht’s "Dreigroschenoper" (The Threepenny Opera) was performed at the Schauspielhaus Graz (www.schauspielhaus-graz.com) to wide acclaim before the production moved to Vienna’s Volkstheater. Marcello de Nardo stars in the popular musical drama which was first performed in Berlin, Germany, in 1928.

"Criminals were pushed to the borders of society in the 1930s. They have arrived in the middle of it in the meantime," Volkstheater boss Michael Schottenberg said about the musical drama’s plot and how things had developed over the decades.

"Der einsame Weg" by Arthur Schnitzler will also be on at the Volkstheater next month. Call +43 1 521 114 00 or go to www.volkstheater.at for ticket information.

Jean Racine’s "Phädra" and "Der Parasit" by Friedrich Schiller will be on at the Burgtheater in January. The programme of the theatre – which is situated opposite City Hall –  also features Schnitzler’s "Das weite Land" and "Romeo und Julia" (Romeo and Juliet) by William Shakespeare.

"Romeo und Julia" director David Bösch, 33, said about his current project: "I do think you should be around 30 to direct ‘Romeo and Juliet’. (...) However, I could imagine getting it on a stage when I’m 40, 60 and one last time after turning 70. Maybe I let them (Romeo and Juliet) stay alive in my final approach to the play."

For Burgtheater tickets, check out www.burgtheater.at or call +43 1 514 444 145.

The Second City will come to Vienna as part of its Laugh Out Loud Tour in January. The group’s programme features songs and sketches about politicians and celebs. Some of the biggest names in showbiz like John Belushi and Tina Fey were part of the entertainment ensemble in the early stages of their glamorous careers.

The Second City – which features Lyndsay Hailey, Barry Hite and Tim Stoltenberg among others – will perform at Vienna’s English Theatre. Go to www.englishtheatre.at or call +43 1 402 126 00 to find out more about performance times and tickets.

"Fellini Paradiso" and "Fledermaus returns!" will be staged at the Theater an der Gumpendorfer Straße (TAG) – one of Vienna’s top independent theatres – next month. For ticket information, call +43 1 586 52 22 or visit www.dastag.at.

The Burgkino (www.burgkino.at; +43 1 587 84 06), a tradition-rich English versions cinema, will screen "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" on Christmas Day (25 December). Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man") stars in the film directed by Guy Ritchie ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels").

George Clooney’s "The Ides of March", "Margin Call" by J.C. Chandor, "Carnage" and "The Third Man" will also be on at the Burgkino – which is situated at Opernring 19 – on 25 December.