Komische Oper, Berlin - Pferd Frisst Hut
Horse Eats Hat, a Comic Opera Extravaganza
By: Angelika Jansen - Feb 13, 2025
Horse Eats Hat, at Komische Oper Berlin, composer/book by Herbert Groenemeyer
On February 8, 2025 was opening night for Pferd Frisst Hut (Horse Eats Hat), the hilarious and wildly entertaining comic opera extravaganza written and composed by Herbert Groenemeyer for the Komische Oper, Berlin. Sold out and enjoyed by the audience, this musical work, co-produced by the Theater Basel, allowed the entire ensemble to go wild on stage.
The stage setting by Herbert Fritsch was stark but framed by many differently colored doors that constantly had people come out of and go back through again. Populated by a most colorful array of people in beautiful costumes, outfits of past centuries (by Geraldine Arnold), one had to watch carefully for the next twist in this fast-paced performance of singing and dancing. This work is part of the new festival coined Schall&Rausch (sound and indulgence) of this opera house.
The story is simple: Fadinard (Christopher Nell) is to be married to the daughter of a garden company owner. It happens at the end, but before, his horse eats the hat of a woman in the wedding party that cannot become a known fact. The woman had an affair and is afraid of her jealous husband finding out. There are more and more of the wedding party guests running all over for a substitute hat, thus creating an absolute chaos of searching, dancing and singing on stage.
The action on stage is mind-boggling. The actors/dancers impressed not only by singing but very much by their agility and their acrobatic abilities. It is a delightful chaos, appreciated by the audience and thanked with standing ovations at the end. Just the perfect break for illuminating a dark winter night in Berlin.
Chapeau!!!!