B.Koreny, K.Markovics, J.Stemberger, E.Merhaut and W.Bachofner

Bronner and Kreisler

With Bela Koreny, Karl Markovics, Julia Stemberger, Ethel Merhaut and Wolf Bachofner

Anyone who enjoys the good old Viennese tradition of Schmäh — sharp wit with a touch of the morbid — will definitely get their money’s worth this evening. With beloved classics such as Der g’schupfte Ferdl and Taubenvergiften im Park, Austrian actors and singers Karl Markovics, Julia Stemberger, Ethel Merhaut and Wolf Bachofner, together with Bela Koreny, pay tribute to the legendary Viennese musicians and cabaret artists Gerhard Bronner and Georg Kreisler. Songs such as Der Wilde auf seiner Maschin, Der Papa wird’s schon richten, Wien ohne Wiener, Chesterfield and the ever-popular Wia Glockn will be heard.

At the piano is Bela Koreny, the creator and driving force behind the program. Deep, thoughtful humor and plenty of linguistic wit are guaranteed.

This is the story of two brilliant songwriters who were friends, then became enemies — yet always remained connected: Gerhard Bronner and Georg Kreisler. Both were forced to leave their homeland as teenagers. They fled and eventually returned — Bronner in 1948, Kreisler in 1955. As one might expect, they earned their first money in entertainment. The legendary Marietta Bar was one of their shared “cult venues.” In 1959, Bronner took over the Neues Theater am Kärntnertor (until 1966), where his cabaret ensemble enjoyed tremendous success. Gerhard Bronner wrote hits such as Der g’schupfte Ferdl, Der Halbwilde, Der Bundesbahnblues, and Der Papa wird’s schon richten. After his return to Vienna in 1955, Kreisler performed his chansons mainly in Gerhard Bronner’s Marietta Bar. In 1956, he leased the Intimes Theater in Liliengasse together with Bronner. Their paths eventually diverged, but artistically they crossed again and again.

The contrast between these two artists is the tension that shapes the evening. It presents a century through the eyes of two Viennese men who could not have been more different — yet were bound throughout their lives by one thing:
Vienna.

Text and direction: Bela Koreny

Program and cast