GDR musical canceled after Senate cuts

Of all things, the most extraordinary musical theater production of the current Berlin season is becoming a victim of cuts in the capital’s cultural budget. The Komische Oper is forced to cancel the production of the musical “My Friend Bunbury” planned for June 2025. Max Hopp was supposed to direct the setting of the Oscar Wilde classic “The Importance of Being Earnest,” which Gerd Natschinski had composed for the Berlin Metropoltheater in 1964.

“Trade fair hit Gisela” was a hit

This means that the idea of ​​the artistic director duo Susanne Moser and Philip Bröking to play an operetta or a musical from the GDR at the end of each season comes to an early end. The start of the production series last year was a hit with audiences: “Trade fair hit Gisela” was always sold out in the theater tent in front of the Red Town Hall, and additional performances were even scheduled due to strong demand.

The Komische Oper wanted to build on this success with “My Friend Bunbury” – but the savings of almost four million euros in the budget for 2025 do not allow the new production to be realized, as the opera house has now announced. “We very much regret the cancellation, especially for all colleagues involved in the production and of course also for our audience, who have already purchased tickets for this production,” explained Moser and Bröking.