Thomas Linsmayer is a busy man. Receives around 250,000 visitors a year, hosts over 500 events in his house, is a lawyer and art historian on top of that – you can get confused and gallop onto the stage with the flowers at the wrong time. Sarah Laux is still holding the fort there and has just thundered her octave-rich version of the Gloria Gaynor hit “I am what I am” into the Silver Hall of the Deutsches Theater when the managing director enters the stage with the bouquet of thanks. But the powerful voice sends him back on his way: “Darling, I have to sing two more songs!” Say it and get started: “Hava Nagila” followed by “Je ne regrette rien”. Then Linsmayer can finally say: flowers, thanks, Laux off.
You can’t blame him for being in a hurry. Since taking office two years ago, he can hardly wait for the “Friends of the German Theater eV” to begin its work. After all, the traditional house on Schwatalerstrasse is one of the least supported theaters in the city, says Linsmayer. It’s good that a group of friends is now doing a bit of business! Just like the association of the same name 20 years ago, when there was even a referendum against the threatened privatization of the German Theater. The previous club dissolved in 2016.
The aim of the support association, which was founded last summer, is the following: “To bring this unique cultural temple and melting pot of social changes back to the center of Munich life,” it says on the website: “We have made it our mission to make the house and Munich stronger “We see ourselves as ambassadors and bring the greatness and uniqueness of the cultural offerings out into the city in order to help the stages achieve new fame.” Seven board members for areas of activity such as young audiences, fundraising, business and social relations have come together, with Kai-Pierre Thieß, the managing director of Juwelier Hilscher, taking over the chairmanship.
And since friends don’t come empty-handed, all guests – including actor Ernst Hannawald, traditional costume impresario Axel Munz and former landlord Hugo Bachmeier – get something to read home with them: “As a first act of friendship, we have produced a glossy film for the German Theater -Magazine as a gift,” announces press director Dieter Morjan. He asked himself, “can a man fall in love in a room”, answered yes, and so the 100-page magazine for which he is responsible as editor-in-chief is called simply Silbersaal, gold letters on a deep red background.
New program for the Silver and Baroque Hall
When he made his government statement two years ago, managing director Linsmayer had already had the Silver and Baroque Halls in mind: “My idea is to develop a new program with an own concept for these two beautiful rooms. This is not about a paradigm shift, but about that “To make the theater even more diverse.” Today he adds: “Art and culture are the glue of our society.” Which is so important, especially in these times.
And that’s why culture isn’t skimped on this evening, there are fine Schubert songs by pianist Maharani Chakrabarti, a foretaste of Ralph Siegel’s musical “A Little Peace”, which will have its Munich premiere next week, and of course the Sarah Laux show . In any case, the nice, lively evening was good for the Silbersaal, this somewhat older gentleman. May it continue like this!