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What’s on in Germany: January 17 – 23

This Week's Highlights: A Charlie Chaplin ballet in Leipzig, Kurt Weill concerts in Berlin, and President Obama's inauguration broadcast live in Munich.

What's on in Germany:  January 17 – 23
Photo: oper-leipzig.de

BERLIN

Music/Concerts

Kurt Weill Week

Clever, comedic, snappy, and snarky, Kurt Weill’s musicals and operettas are some of the 20th century’s most iconic stage works. From a full staging of his three-act opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny to dance pieces from Mack the Knife, Berlin’s Comic Opera showcases an array of the great Jewish composer’s pieces this week. Go see German actresses Ute Lemper and Gisela May sing songs like Weimar era vixens.

Price: €8-36

Location: Komische Oper Berlin, Behrenstrasse 55-57

Times: Friday, January 18 – Thursday, January 24

Tickets: 030 47 99 74 00

More Information: www.komische-oper-berlin.com

Galleries/Museums

Christer Strömholm: Post Scriptum – Retrospective

He shot glamourous transvestites in 1950s Paris, took harrowing pictures of postwar Japan, and captured myriad emotions of children all over the world. Swedish photographer Christer Strömholm provides a strange yet fascinating portrait of life after World War II. See his oeuvre in all its freaky fantastic glory when the new exhibition opens at C/O Berlin Friday. Or go Saturday when Jacky and Nana from the series “Les Amies de Place Blanche,” join curator Joakim Strömholm in a discussion about their experiences with the photographer.

Price: €10

Location: C/O Berlin, Oranienburger Strasse 35/36

Times: Friday, January 18 (Opening); Daily, 11am – 8pm; Saturday, January 9 – March 17 (Regular Hours)

Phone: 030 28 44 41 661

More Information: www.co-berlin.info

Children’s Theatre

The Kooky Show

Platypus Theatre has created original works for young bilingual Germans for 20 years. Their repertoire includes an entertaining list of original works and plays inspired by literature classics like Alice in Wonderland. Monday’s show is a hilarious bilingual play about an Aussie expat in Germany. Sound familiar? Take the kids and laugh your head off in German and English.

Price: €7.50

Location: BKA-Theater, Mehringdam, 34

Times: Monday, January 21, 11am

Phone: 030 61 40 19 20

More Information: www.platypus-theater.de

FRANKFURT

Music/Concerts

Glenn Miller Orchestra

You’ll think you’re back in the 1940s when bandleader Wil Salden and his music making mates step onto the stage. Preserving the legacy of the singular big band composer, arranger, and musician Glenn Miller is the orchestra’s main objective and they do it well. Get “In the Miller Mood” (it’s the name of their new album) Saturday when the swinging big band sets up in Frankfurt.

Price: €50-60

Location: Alte Oper, Opernplatz 1

Times: Saturday, January 19, 7pm

Ticket Hotline: 0180 504 0300

More Information: www.glenn-miller-orchestra.de

HAMBURG

Film

European Outdoor Film Tour

Get your adrenaline pumping without moving from your comfy cinema seat. Fearless daredevils from around the world take the spotlight in nine films screening at the European Outdoor Film Tour in Hamburg on Monday. Watch “Sketchy Andy” backflip across a slackline strung high over jagged canyons, and witness a French trio’s journey into the Alps to play a concert atop Mont Blanc. From Alaskan snowboarding to Wingsuit Proximity Flying in the American West, this is adventure at its craziest.

Price: €14

Location: CinemaxX Dammtor, Dammtordamm 1

Times: Monday, January 21, 8pm

Tickets: 040 29 12 23

More Information: www.eoft.eu

Festivals

Arabesques – German-French Culture Days

Fifty-five years ago, Hamburg and Marseille became twin cities. In celebration of the friendship between Germany and France this festival combines cultural elements from both nations. Concerts, exhibitions, discussions, and literary evenings take place at venues around the city over the next four weeks. Enjoy music and theatre and check out black and white photographs of French cityscapes at the opening ceremony Thursday. Vive la France!

Price: Various

Location: Various; Levantehaus Hamburg, Mönckebergstrasse 7 (Opening Ceremony)

Times: Thursday, January 17, 8pm (Opening Ceremony); The festival runs through February 18

Tickets: 040 45 33 26

More Information: www.arabesques-hamburg.de

LEIPZIG

Dance

Chaplin

Choreographer Mario Schroder presents the life and work of Charlie Chaplin through dance, costumes, props, and a little clowning around in his piece for the Leipzig Ballet, Chaplin. See the dynamic dance company channel the legendary silent film actor this week.

Price: €15-60

Location: Oper Leipzig, Augustusplatz 12


Times: Thursday, January 17 and Friday, January 18, 7:30pm; Sunday, January 20, 6pm; Saturday, February 2, 7pm; Sunday, February 3, 3pm

Tickets: 341 12 61 261

More Information: www.oper-leipzig.de

MUNICH

Events

The Inauguration of President Obama

Four more years! Four more years! Barack Obama’s official inauguration ceremony Monday will kick off the president’s second term in office. Can’t be in Washington D.C. on the big day? Yes you can! Well, not in actuality, but you can watch the man take the oath of office at a live screening followed by a discussion at Amerika Haus.

Price: Free

Location: Amerika Haus, Karolinenplatz 3

Times: Monday, January 21, 4pm

Phone: 089 55 25 370

More Information: www.amerikahaus.de

Music/Concerts

Conor Oberst

The Omaha-born musician enjoys a highly respected place among the indie rock set. If you liked him in Bright Eyes, the Mystic Valley Band, and Monsters of Folk, you’ll want to catch the stripped down acoustic show the introspective singer-songwriter’s playing in Munich Tuesday night.

Price: €32.20

Location: Alte Kongresshalle,
Theresienhöhe 15

Times: Tuesday, January 22, 8pm

Ticket Hotline: 01805 669 029

More Information: www.x-why-z.tickets.de

OBERHAUSEN

Galleries/Museums

Cornelia Funke Exhibition Opening

One of the most wildly successful children’s book authors and illustrators of our time, Cornelia Funke has been called “the JK Rowling of Germany.” Best known for the Inkheart Trilogy, many of the German author’s books have been translated into English. You’re not a fan? Maybe your kids are. Go see the new exhibition dedicated to her work, which opens Saturday night at the Ludwig Galerie Schloss Oberhausen. The show is part of a series that celebrates important figures in popular German art.

Price: €6.50; €12 (Families)

Location: Ludwig Galerie Schloss Oberhausen, Konrad-Adenauer-Allee 46

Times: Saturday, January 19, 7pm (Opening); Tuesday – Sunday, 11am-6pm; January 20 – May 20 (Regular Hours)

Phone: 0208 412 49 28

More Information: www.ludwiggalerie.de

STUTTGART

Music/Concerts

Jennifer Rostock

Germany’s punk rock history is long and rich. Jennifer Rostock continues the tradition mixing furious pop beats with a rapid fire vocal attack. See Jennifer Weist, Joe Walter-Müller, and the boys jump around the stage Sunday in Stuttgart.

Price: €25.50

Location: LKA Longhorn, Heiligenwiesen 6

Times: Sunday, January 20, 7pm

Tickets: 0711 84 96 1672

More Information: www.lka-longhorn.de

For members

BERLIN

EXPLAINED: Berlin’s latest Covid rules

In response to rapidly rising Covid-19 infection rates, the Berlin Senate has introduced stricter rules, which came into force on Saturday, November 27th. Here's what you need to know.

A sign in front of a waxing studio in Berlin indicates the rule of the 2G system
A sign in front of a waxing studio indicates the rule of the 2G system with access only for fully vaccinated people and those who can show proof of recovery from Covid-19 as restrictions tighten in Berlin. STEFANIE LOOS / AFP

The Senate agreed on the tougher restrictions on Tuesday, November 23rd with the goal of reducing contacts and mobility, according to State Secretary of Health Martin Matz (SPD).

He explained after the meeting that these measures should slow the increase in Covid-19 infection rates, which was important as “the situation had, unfortunately, deteriorated over the past weeks”, according to media reports.

READ ALSO: Tougher Covid measures needed to stop 100,000 more deaths, warns top German virologist

Essentially, the new rules exclude from much of public life anyone who cannot show proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid-19. You’ll find more details of how different sectors are affected below.

Shops
If you haven’t been vaccinated or recovered (2G – geimpft (vaccinated) or genesen (recovered)) from Covid-19, then you can only go into shops for essential supplies, i.e. food shopping in supermarkets or to drugstores and pharmacies.

Many – but not all – of the rules for shopping are the same as those passed in the neighbouring state of Brandenburg in order to avoid promoting ‘shopping tourism’ with different restrictions in different states.

Leisure
2G applies here, too, as well as the requirement to wear a mask with most places now no longer accepting a negative test for entry. Only minors are exempt from this requirement.

Sport, culture, clubs
Indoor sports halls will off-limits to anyone who hasn’t  been vaccinated or can’t show proof of recovery from Covid-19. 2G is also in force for cultural events, such as plays and concerts, where there’s also a requirement to wear a mask. 

In places where mask-wearing isn’t possible, such as dance clubs, then a negative test and social distancing are required (capacity is capped at 50 percent of the maximum).

Restaurants, bars, pubs (indoors)
You have to wear a mask in all of these places when you come in, leave or move around. You can only take your mask off while you’re sat down. 2G rules also apply here.

Hotels and other types of accommodation 
Restrictions are tougher here, too, with 2G now in force. This means that unvaccinated people can no longer get a room, even if they have a negative test.

Hairdressers
For close-contact services, such as hairdressers and beauticians, it’s up to the service providers themselves to decide whether they require customers to wear masks or a negative test.

Football matches and other large-scale events
Rules have changed here, too. From December 1st, capacity will be limited to 5,000 people plus 50 percent of the total potential stadium or arena capacity. And only those who’ve been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed in. Masks are also compulsory.

For the Olympic Stadium, this means capacity will be capped at 42,000 spectators and 16,000 for the Alte Försterei stadium. 

Transport
3G rules – ie vaccinated, recovered or a negative test – still apply on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses in Berlin. It was not possible to tighten restrictions, Matz said, as the regulations were issued at national level.

According to the German Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, people have to wear a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask  on public transport.

Christmas markets
The Senate currently has no plans to cancel the capital’s Christmas markets, some of which have been open since Monday. 

According to Matz, 2G rules apply and wearing a mask is compulsory.

Schools and day-care
Pupils will still have to take Covid tests three times a week and, in classes where there are at least two children who test positive in the rapid antigen tests, then tests should be carried out daily for a week.  

Unlike in Brandenburg, there are currently no plans to move away from face-to-face teaching. The child-friendly ‘lollipop’ Covid tests will be made compulsory in day-care centres and parents will be required to confirm that the tests have been carried out. Day-care staff have to document the results.

What about vaccination centres?
Berlin wants to expand these and set up new ones, according to Matz. A new vaccination centre should open in the Ring centre at the end of the week and 50 soldiers from the German army have been helping at the vaccination centre at the Exhibition Centre each day since last week.

The capacity in the new vaccination centre in the Lindencenter in Lichtenberg is expected to be doubled. There are also additional vaccination appointments so that people can get their jabs more quickly. Currently, all appointments are fully booked well into the new year.

 

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