The anticipation. Isabell Silber, 34, is a sight to behold. She has never been to the Gärtnerplatztheater. She has never slipped into an elaborate stage costume. What if you’re not a singer in the ensemble, not an actor? But then her friend gets tickets for Munich’s popular costume sale, and now they stand there and wait at the entrance to the theater. That it will be 10 a.m. and admission will begin.
The two young women have a clear goal: They absolutely want to find this yellow, flowing coat that they saw on the theater website. With mega-wide sleeves and purple-green feathers. “If it really exists, then I have to buy it!” Says Isabell Silber and smiles at her friend Paulina Blazejewicz, 29. “That’s the deal.”
It needs more space in the fundus
Three years break. Nothing with tulle and glitter. The theater usually clears out its costume fund every two years. But nothing came of it because of Corona. Too many people would have been on the studio stage, too many looking for bodices, walle dresses, historical robes between rows of wardrobe rails – and trying them on. “Now it’s finally working,” says Roman Staudt from the Gärtnerplatztheater. Also because the theater lets visitors onto the studio stage in 15-minute slots and in small groups. “We’re overflowing, we need space,” says costume director Inge Schäffner. Many costumes are “played”.
Going in circles with a fluffy tulle skirt: Franka Fix thinks the voluminous robe is great: But what to do with it?
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
The butterfly is an elaborately crafted piece: the wing construction was specially built in the theatre’s locksmith shop. That’s why Jennifer Kreis from the men’s tailor shop would like to slip into the costume, just like David Berger in a “Priscilla” outfit.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
And then they finally rustle. Black, incredibly thick tulle skirts that were once tailored for Verdi’s pharaoh drama “Aida”. So massive, so huge that they don’t fit in a normal wardrobe. Franka Fix, 21, from Gilching agrees. She turns in a circle – in the middle of the full wardrobe rails – in the artistic network, which becomes even larger and swells through the movement. “So beautiful,” she says. “Just hanging where?”
And Jennifer Smith, 31, has also put on a skirt. She looks very elegant in it. Again and again women with “Aida” skirts disappear. But the ladies of the choir must have been petite: sizes 34 or 36 are hanging on the bar. “Well, I don’t fit in there,” says a woman with a smile and climbs out of the voluminous robe. Elea Zerhoch, 20, on the other hand, won’t go home without this skirt. no way. “Sensational, this thing!”
Huhu, ghost hour: half a plastic ball, sewn fabric over it and three large holes – the costume that was worn in the musical “Pumuckl” is complete.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
Sequins and more sequins. However, it takes a bit of courage to wear the tight-fitting suspender pants from “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert”. But Stefan Pallawiks grabs a pair of blue and yellow sparkling pants with a lush hem made of feathers. “If so, then yes,” he says and says that his nephew played in this production. So almost a must. And maybe also because you can dream away in glitter pants into a world of appearances. Karl Bürgerl, 63, is standing in full outfit in front of one of the large mirrors on the stage. Blue glitter pants and a very bushy and large wig of the same color. He poses, puts his arms on his hips, lunges. Be a drag queen for once. “I’m looking forward to wearing all this for carnival!” He says and struts to the next mirror.
Ghosts from the Pumuckl production, iridescent grey, three-piece suits that the men in gray wore in the Momo production and are now selling for 140 euros each, lots of lace, suits, pants, shoes, hats, corsages, a huge heart – everything is tried. In the small and crowded wardrobe, in the middle of the room and wherever it suits you. Even if it is a latticework woven from hard ribbons that is not quite finished. The only thing nobody dares to wear is the black shirt with the soap bubble balls sewn on.
Masks, hats and shoes in many boxes and in all sizes.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
Just be someone different – even if it’s in a somewhat shapeless fantasy costume from the production “The Little Chimney Sweep”.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
Many dress up for private themed parties or the next carnival. Like the three men who discovered a cocked hat with feathers. “Just how around should it be worn now?” asks one of the three. It’s tried, and then the hats stay on the heads the whole time. Many simply enjoy the scent of the stage. scent? The costumes have their very own. A bit musty, a bit sweet and very delicate after make-up. In any case, the tulle of an oversized coat that was once white smells in the store after many years. It’s from the seventies. For which production, nobody in the tailoring department knows.
Big bags that you can hardly carry: Lisa Rietzler and her sister bought a lot. For the children of the Musical Academy in Füssen. How do you bring all this home on the train now? “We can do that,” says Rietzler. “The main thing is that we have all the great stuff.”
The wait was worth it
Paulina Blazejewicz and Isabell Silber didn’t find the yellow coat, but they did find a glittering body. Doesn’t matter. Are you happy. “It was really nice here,” says Blazejewicz. Most of them are like the 29-year-old. They smile to themselves when they slip into costumes and they smile when they leave the studio stage. With costume or without. How the magic of the stage works, simply by slipping into costumes and being a completely different person for a brief moment – the long wait in front of the theater was worth it.