Brisk Christmas season on stages across Hamburg

"'&Julia' has been a huge hit in London's West End, on New York's Broadway, as well as in Canada, Australia and Singapore," said Grace Taylor, Associate Director, adding, "This musical celebrates love, individuality and confidence - and it works. Audiences leave the theatre smiling." Given the multiple crises across the globe, this escapist view is understandable. Taylor is now pinning her hopes on the German premiere of "&Julia" on October 30 at the Stage Operettenhaus. Hot on its heels is the German premiere of MJ - the Michael Jackson musical on December 1 at the Stage Theater making for an exciting musical season in Hamburg. Naturally, the mood picks up as Christmas approaches. "Christmas business is crucial to us. We like to schedule the premieres of musicals in the autumn, as the excitement and draw of a premiere followed by Christmas business is almost a perfect match," said Stephan Jaekel, spokesperson for Stage Entertainment Germany.

Christmas business is also a key economic factor for small theatres. The big Christmas show at the First Stage Theatre in Altona has proven a real success. "We sold around 16,740 tickets in 2023 and had an occupancy rate of 98 per cent," says Dennis Schulze, who took over First Stage from theatre founder Thomas Gehle in early September. Schulze is pleased with advance booking figures. "More than 80 per cent of the seats are booked three weeks before the premiere on November 4." Yet, Germans are keeping a firm grip on their wallets at the moment. The GfK consumer climate index, which measures consumer sentiment of private households in Germany, came to -21.9 points in September. Nevertheless, tickets for events and shows were the sixth most popular Christmas gift in 2023 ahead of mobile phones, tablets and jewellery, according to a Statista survey.

Fans will be spoilt for choice this year. Schmidt's Winterglitzer is offering neighbourhood-style festive feeling. Elke Winter, travesty artist and presenter at the Schmidt Theatre, will be inviting cabaret and artist fans to a gaudy, quirky Christmas party from November 21. Schmidts Tivoli’s is also staging Christmas in the Hot Corner with the premiere on November 20. This St. Pauli-style cult classic about a legendary, local snack bar features drunken Santas, smooching reindeer and girls who turn into real Christmas angels. The show is one of the most successful German-language musicals ever and has been running for over 20 years.