Charlotte Salomon | Premiere

Life? Or theater?

Wishful Singing and But What About jointly present the compelling musical theater performance Charlotte Salomon. Inspired by the life of German artist Charlotte Salomon, this performance takes you through a moving and visually stunning story of loss, personal discovery and the importance of art in times of crisis.

Charlotte Salomon, born in Berlin, grows up in the shadow of the threat of rising National Socialism. At twenty-two, she discovers that her family has misled her for years. Her mother did not die of the flu, but committed suicide, as did - it turns out - several relatives on her mother's side. This shocking revelation prompts Charlotte to critically examine her life up to that point through her art. What is still where and what is not? She calls her project Leben? oder Theater?

Charlotte contemplates, "I can either end my life or undertake something insane and extraordinary." So she decides to create a colorful and theatrical visual story about her life and her family. This project grows into an artwork of more than 700 gouaches. Using projections of Charlotte's gouaches and dynamic staging, director Annechien Koerselman brings the story to life, showing how a young woman manages to hold her own in the most challenging circumstances thanks to her art.

Steven Kamperman's composition evokes the lively Berlin of the 1930s. Swinging theater music and popular hits of the time are interspersed with the menacing sounds of a changing society and Charlotte's personal crisis.

This powerful performance honors the life and work of Charlotte Salomon and demonstrates how self-expression can help us maintain ourselves in an increasingly complex world.