In 2018, Michael Taschen, author, director and gag writer (for Harald Schmidt, among others), took over the artistic direction of the Munich Theater for Children, where he worked four decades ago as a “technician with acting obligations”. Since then, he has brought sold-out performances and excellent future prospects to the traditional Art Nouveau building on Dachauer Strasse with his lively musical productions and humorous reworkings of (fairy tale) classics. That’s why the game is now running well into July.
Monday: Frog in the castle
The audience’s favorite in “Froschkönig” is a movable doll named Winni Grün (played by Norbert Teichmann) – only the princess (Lina Bullwinkel) is skeptical about him.
(Photo: Rolf Demmel/Munich Theater for Children)
The week begins, as always, in the theater for children. We play “The Frog Prince” in English for “native speakers” or children who want to learn it. It was initially an experiment, but it has been very well received. After that, there will be a short question and answer session for trainee teachers. I don’t even have to mention the men as “also meant”, because apparently there are only women in the elementary school studies. The ladies are usually very nice and extremely ambitious. I hope it stays that way, also with regard to future theater visits. I have to go in the afternoon District festival in Ramersdorf/Perlach. That’s where my little musical ensemble plays “Robin Hut – King of Love” in the tent in the evening and I have to set up the stage set. “Robin Hut” is a very funny story about the historical hero with the hits of “Summer Of Love”, ie from ’69 to ’72. I like the free events of the district weeks, because an audience that hasn’t paid for anything doesn’t necessarily like a play. So far we’ve been lucky – phew.
Tuesday: Music with humor
Inspiring with skill on two grand pianos: Bastian Pusch (left) and Andreas Speckmann with their improv program “Notenlos” on the hurdy-gurdy.
(Photo: Rolf Demmel)
Like every morning, first to the theater, welcoming the children from the schools and kindergartens. After the performance of “Aladin and the Magic Lamp” it gets exciting: the first rehearsal with the new actors for the next season. Of course they’ve all auditioned, but what really happens at the rehearsal, how they get along with the “oldies” and interact with them, you don’t know in advance. But I know one thing from experience: The “newcomers” are well prepared, know their text perfectly and are highly motivated. That changes a little over the course of the season, but not dramatically. In the evening again to “Notenlos” to the Theater Drehleier. I’ve seen the improv music show by Bastian Pusch and Andreas Speckmann many times, but firstly every evening is different, and secondly I’m always enthusiastic about the skills and humor of the two.
Wednesday: Swimming in the lake
At the end of the day, a dip in the Langwieder See is tempting.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
Today I’m visiting my friend Alfred, the handicraft fex, in Lochhausen. The man built half the children’s theater and knows a solution for everything. A great technician who I admire a lot. We want to mess around together on a vertical wind turbine for generating energy. Maybe we’ll build a model at the end. And if not, it will certainly be a nice afternoon with coffee and cake, because Alfred’s wife is a gifted baker. And while I’m in the area, I go to Langwieder See in the evening. I hope the weather holds.
Thursday: Pure nostalgia
The Bavarian cult rock’n’rollers of the “Spider Murphy Gang” got the Geretsried audience in the mood to dance at the Kulturherbst two years ago – now they’re playing at Tollwood.
(Photo: Harry Wolfsbauer)
Today the rehearsal starts so late that I can drive with my wife to a small quarry pond in the north of Munich. You can even choose your favorite lake there. Very early in the morning nobody is there, we can take the dog and swim in the mirror-like water. When the many other people come, we’ll be gone again. In the evening we go to Tollwood. Ever since I’ve been in Munich, I’ve always liked going there, because nowhere else do so many different people walk around in such a small space as there. A wonderful study of original individuals. The “Spider Murphy Gang” and “Münchener Freiheit” are also playing tonight – pure nostalgia, how nice. I heard the Spiders in Bonn in 1982. But it’s enough to sit outside with a cool drink and listen to what you can decipher from the music arena. Whoever guesses correctly first wins.
Friday: Guess title
The band “Silbermond”, here at their performance at the “Midsummer Night’s Dream” festival in the Olympic Park last year, makes a stop in the Tollwood Music Arena.
(Photo: Leonhard Simon)
Today I’m meeting up with Christoph, our guitarist. He has an idea for an NDW musical, i.e. “New German Wave”. The concept sounds great, so let’s sit down somewhere on the Isar and go into a little more detail. The Isar is a good place where thoughts and ideas can flow. You just have to be careful that they don’t flow away. That’s why it will definitely stay with just one wheat beer. In the evening we would like to go to Tollwood again to guess the title at “Silbermond”.
Saturday: look at sailing boats
Lena Mielke fulfilled a dream with her restaurant “Lenas am See” and brought the restaurant back into family hands in Utting am Ammersee.
(Photo: private)
I’m on holiday. So free in the sense of free. One of the rare days of the year when I don’t have to go to the children’s theater. Although, I don’t necessarily have to, but I feel better when I’ve made sure that everyone is healthy and alert. So it’s early today to the Ammersee. A friend has a garage there and a stand-up board that I can borrow anytime – unless he’s standing on it. And he showed me a beautiful spot on the lake where there aren’t that many people, even in midsummer. And if so, you’re more or less alone on the board. Later then for a coffee and an ice cream at “Lenas” in Utting. There you can sit wonderfully on a bench or on the bank and watch sailing boats, or just on the water. And then there’s the little Vietnamese restaurant nearby that we’ve always wanted to try.
Sunday: Along the Würm
From Blutenburg Castle you cycle along the Würm to the mouth in Dachau.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
At 10 a.m. there will be “The Little Witch” in the theater. I’ll be sure to stop by and have a look. And depending on the weather, I would like to cycle along the Würm again. I’ve been to the “source” on Lake Starnberg before, but never from Blutenburg Castle to the mouth in Dachau. Let’s see what I feel like doing more, I’ll let myself drift. But it will definitely be a day on the bike. And if it rains, then in the next week. Luckily the summer is still long.
Michael Taschen has been living in Munich for 40 years. Before that he had studied medicine and singing in Bonn and Cologne and started out as a technician at the Munich Theater for Children. After three years, during which he also worked as an actor, he moved to the Stadttheater Heilbronn and played musicals in free engagements for another five years. Then he started working in television, as a writer, coach and director. In 2012 his bestseller “Inside cabin with balcony”, a cruise satire, was published. Since 2014 he has been writing and producing funny musicals like “Italia con amore”. In 2018 he took over the artistic direction of the Munich Theater for Children and has, so to speak, returned to his roots.