Michael Heller as Alfred - Act 1 - July 2012

[fanetjuh]

Every time I do believe that I don’t need to write a Heller as Alfred report again. I’ve written three reports already. Awfully long reports, awfully detailed reports, reports with an awfully load of compliments to that boy. But for some reason he keeps surprising me. He surprises me with new stuff, with funny little details, with nice little new textlines, a way of looking, a way of acting. I’ve seen four shows this weekend and all four shows were so completely different. I’m afraid this report will end as a ten page long love-note to Michael Heller’s Alfred again.



I just can’t help it. I just can’t help it that I have to write down all the brilliant things I’ve seen. I have to write them down because I want to share the funny little details that makes him the best Alfred ever. I have to write them down because I’m afraid I’ll forget them. I have to write them down because I have to do something with the feelings he causes. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not in love with Michael Heller. If I’m in love with someone it is with Michael’s Alfred, but I do perfectly know that it are two different persons, two different characters.

It’s not that hard for me to fall in love with his Alfred the moment he appears on stage again. The moment he starts moving, starts singing, starts smiling. I already loved Alfred a lot, but Michael Heller made him into a person of flesh and blood. A person with a heart and a soul. A human being with a character, a history, a dream and a future. During the show I feel how my smile moves along with his. How my eyes follow every movement. How I curse myself when I missed a small little second because I tried to find Dennis or tried to catch a glimpse of someone else.

I don’t want to look away from Michfred. I don’t care that he may think it’s stupid, but sometimes I do believe that he’s even stronger when he is not important in the scene as when he is. I can enjoy his “Gott is Tot” so much, that I even forget that this is supposed to be Krolock’s moment. I can lose myself into his eyes during “Einladung zum Ball” that I even feel a bit disturbed when the scene comes to and end. And since Michael plays Alfred the final of the first act became my favourite scene.

Of course, Michael’s Alfred is not perfect. But I guess that’s what makes his Alfred so adorable and lovely. He doesn’t try to be perfect. He dares to do different stuff, he dares to change things, to try things. Maybe they work, maybe they don’t. And yes, also Michael makes mistakes on stage. Also Michael forgets to enter the stage after “Tot zu sein ist Komisch”, coming up with a brilliant solution to safe the scene. Also Michael mixes up his text in Für Sarah, solving it without people noticing it. But I’ve seen no more interesting Alfred than Michael Heller.

Niels Jacobs was amazing and great, but didn’t have the chance to really try out stuff. Dennis Jankowiak grew a lot since his première and created an amazing Alfred, but he also suffers from the fact that he can’t play that much. Krisha played the show a lot, but was boring or irritant. But Heller...Heller plays the part a lot and plays WITH the part a lot. So, therefore I decided to write another awfully long “Michael Heller as Alfred” report. I hope I don’t start to bore people, but if others don’t read it, at least I can reread it to remember the things I’ll forget again.

I don’t really know where to start my report on Michael’s Alfred. I could start at the very first beginning, to be sure I don’t forget things. I don’t know if I’ll succeed. I don’t know if I can actually write down a coherent story with words. Cause for the first time I literally lost my cans. For the first time not just my heart, but also my body was reacting on that boy on stage singing how much he loves his Sarah. It was the strangest musical-experience ever and the 12th of may was so strange already.

Tanz der Vampire with Michael Heller as Alfred feels like a rollercoaster of emotion. I always use the first scene to make sure it’s him. It’s not that hard to recognise him. He’s the only Alfred I know that is so really much freezing from cold, but I always start smiling when he turns around and starts his first lines. The second show I had the idea that there was a new German Flute in the orchestra or that Michael was too late with one of his sentences, but it didn’t really bother. Such things can happen and only after Michfred walks off stage with the professor (somewhere about 30 kg) on his back and the bags in his hand I can relax and feel like the musical has really started.

I remember from Antwerp that I was sitting through the first part of “Knoblauch”, waiting patiently for Alfred to enter the stage again. I have to admit that I started to enjoy the scene a lot more since Dennis Jankowiak is playing the Dorfstrottel. I don’t know what it is, be he just looks like a small little puppy, with big eyes, smiling into the world. He’s so cute and adorable and he’s really funny in this part. The third show he was playing with his wool like a little kid. And I have to admit that I enjoyed him enjoying it! Another nice thing is the playing with the knitting needles he does. At a certain moment one of the needles is almost in his nose. When he realises that he cleans it on his jacket. On top of that is Dennis so incredibly sweet when the professor asks for the castle and he realises that he knows where the castle is. Dennis eyes enlighten and he starts smiling before raising and trying to point to the castle. He really doesn’t understand why they put them back down. He knows the answer! Why isn’t he allowed to say that? And I don’t want to forget to mention the top of his tongue between his lips while knitting in the last seconds he’s on stage as Dorfsttrottel. I want to hug that boy, but I can’t promise I’ll ever let him go again.

But, back to the report on Michael Heller as Alfred, back to the point where he enters the house with the professor on his back. It’s amazing how much body-control Michael has. He drops down very slowly, really seeming exhausted from the trip, but he’s never really unconscious. He reacts on everything that’s happening around him, although it takes some time to realise where he is and what has happened. He really checks the environment and then realises that the professor starts to move. Michfred moves along a little and when the professor bends, Michfred bends too and lays his eyes on Magda’s breast. This seems so natural! It surprises me all the time that Michael found a way to make this look normal. A lot of Alfred force their look to her breasts, but Michael doesn’t. I love the expression on his face while checking her breasts by the way. He’s fascinated and surprised at first, then his eyes goes wide open and then he starts smiling. It’s really adorable.

The professor almost literally has to push him back into the real world, with Michael still being overwhelmed by everything what’s happening around him. Michfred does prove that he sees a lot more than most other Alfreds. If the professor asks for the castle Michfred does see Dennis, but he does also see that Rebecca turns her spoon around, pointing this out to the professor. It’s very clear that he doesn’t believe a word of what Chagal is saying. It’s also very nice to see how Dennis and Michael had a short moment of interaction, with Michael looking at Dennis and Dennis shrugging as if he wants to say that it’s not his fault.

Michfred forgets about this very soon, actually. When Magda is behind him, it doesn’t take that long before Michfred starts smiling again because he’s so close to her breasts. He doesn’t try to hide his fascination by the way and smiles to Magda, flirting in his own cute way. No wonder the boy tries to follow Rebecca instead of Chagal, but when the professor pulls him back and they walk up stairs together, Michfred is concentrated on his mission again and points out the garlic hanging everywhere.

When writing all this down I got the impression that Michfred (so maybe Michael too) might be a bit hypersensitive or has a slight form of ADD. He’s literally distracted by every new impulse that reaches him. It’s of course Michfred who hears the singing first. Bending his head a little and starting to smile afterwards. It’s clearly how much he loves the sound of it and it’s also very clear how much the yelling of the professor trying to imitate it annoys and hurts him. Most Alfred don’t react on it, but Michfred does and makes it very clear that he hates it. When Veit stops singing again, the smile returns on Michfred’s face.

I also have the impression that his “Himmlisch” is somehow a really over-thought joke. Michael makes it sound as if he really thought about it and as if he only realise now, knowing that the wind makes such a wonderful sound, what “Himmlisch” actually means. It clearly takes some time to come back to reality again. Michfred stands there a lot longer than Chagal and the professor, repeating the word wind and losing himself into his dreams. When he wants to tell the professor about it, he realises the professor is gone and runs after them.

When Michfred enters the room Chagal shows them it’s very clear that he’s not impressed at all and that he does see where he will end up for the night. Poor boy. So, when Chagal promises them the most wonderful bathroom ever, he’s a little bit sceptic not believing a word of the man who was only lying so far. Until Chagal opens the bathroomdoor. Michfred’s eyes open themselves widely and a smile comes over his face. When Chagal asks his daughter to stand up, Michfred had two different ways of reacting. The looking even more fascinated one or, the one I liked the most, the blocking his own eyes with his hand, to prove that he really does try not to look at her at that moment.

He does try to hide his feelings, because he does clearly see that Chagal is not amused, but as soon as Chagal disappears, Michfred starts smiling frolic and opens, with his tongue between his lips, the door to the bathroom. He even checks behind that door to make sure that Sarah isn’t really there, before he grabs the sponge. When Sarah enters again Michfred doesn’t know how quick he should put the sponge back down and he runs away so fast that the orchestra can barely follow him. The frolic smile brightens up his face is epic and I can’t help but adore that small little moment where he seems a naughty school-boy knowing he did something he was not allowed to do but enjoying it so much.

When Chagal enters their room again, Michael is surprised and almost falls on the bed. I think he could fall on the bed completely, since it fits in his performance. If you’re playing Alfred a bit stupid, it would look silly, but with the interpretation of Michael it could look really cute and could be another prove of how much he’s overwhelmed by everything. It would also give Veit another reason to be mad at him, which Veit seems to like.

About that interaction between Veit and Michael is a lot to say. They have some strange sort of interaction, some kind of love-hate relationship. It’s clear to see that the professor cares about Alfred, he protects him all the time. But it’s also clear that Alfred does annoy the professor a lot too. Veit blames Michael for a lot and never admits that it was Alfred’s idea. The same sort of relationship comes from Michael’s side. You can clearly see that he admires and respects the professor. You can see he is proud on the man and doesn’t want to deny that. But you can also see that he’s sometimes wishes to have more time for himself.

In contrast to a lot other Alfreds, Michael never reaches the point he’s totally fed up with the professor. Alex Melcher for example is really bored and tired of the old man already in the first act, Niels Jacobs had it in the second act. Michael never really has that. He never stops having respect for the old man. Of course he sometimes wishes to be listened at, but somehow he never loses his love. The same goes with the professor. Some professors are really bored with their Alfreds during the piece, almost ignoring them. Veit doesn’t ignore Michael, he just thinks that what he does is best for the boy.

Therefore I concluded that in the case of Michael and Veit, Alfred must be seen as a son and the professor as a father. Since I don’t believe in the professor having a son, I took some storyline from the secret garden. The old professor is a far far far away family-member who was the only one who could take care of little baby Alfred who lost his parents. Somehow I always imagined something with a fire. I guess because it’s one of my biggest fears in life. If the professor adopted Alfred as a baby it explains the “father-son” feeling. But since it’s not really HIS son, it also explains the “professor-student” relationship.

But, back to the story where Chagal had just entered the room and where the professor asks Alfred to help to undress him. Some shows Michael just starts doing it, as if he does it all the time. But the last show he sighed, like he thought “can’t you do that yourself?”. One of the shows Michael grabbed the jacket of the professor so hard, that Veit really almost fell. But in all the shows I’ve seen Veit didn’t seem that pleased with how the boy was undressing him, making Alfred walking with a guilty face around him to drop the jacket on the couch.

I always love the timed moment where the professor softly hits Alfreds cheek, just when Chagal sings “bleib bei papa”. The last time Michael wasn’t that pleased with the professor planning to do that. He tried to turn his head, Veit hit anyway and Michael grabbed his cheek like it really really hurt. Of course he didn’t have that much time to complain about that, since very soon afterwards Chagal swings his hammer again and Michael runs to the door to check what is happening. It caught my attention that the professor and Alfred weren’t ashamed for eachother anymore, by the way. I do remember that the professor didn’t want Alfred to see how he took of his pants, but I didn’t see that in any of the four shows.

After looking through the keyhole, Alfred walks against Veit’s feet, with Veit pointing to him that he has to take his pants of. Two shows Michael was clearly showing that he really didn’t like touching the professor feet. He looked like they really smelled dirty and he really tried to not touch the professor’s feet and use as less fingers as possible. Veit was also mean a few times. He made it impossible for Michael to take of the pants properly, therefore one of the braces got stuck, which made the professor very angry on Alfred again, of course. It wouldn’t surprise you that the night where everything that could go “wrong” went “wrong”, was the night that the professor and Alfred went to bed after sharing an angry look to each other.

Michael doesn’t seem to care that long anyway. After he tries to fold himself on the couch, and it really is a miracle that he somehow succeeds, since that couch is small, he starts smiling his most adorable smile and starts singing. I can’t help it, but I can be so focussed on his face in this scene. He really tastes every word he says, he really remembers every little smile on Sarah’s face (although Amelie forgot to smile the first show, making the entire song a little bit useless...), he really fantasises about everything that could happen. I think it’s really really cute.

What is also cute is the moment Veit hears how Chagal falls down. He wakes up, immediately grabs Alfred out of his dreamworld and he seems to be forgotten all the anger he was feeling a few moments before. It’s really nice to see how Michael reacts on that, both longing to go back to his own little dreamworld again, but also curious about what is happening outside, before the professor makes clear that he should sit down and stay in the room. One of the shows that last curiosity wasn’t there, instead he was looking very wishful to the bed, but after an angry look of Veit he gave up to be able to sleep in it.

Watching an actor so closely has his advantages. This time I could clearly see how Michael acted like he grabbed a lucifer out of the pocket of his jacket to enlighten the candle. The first show I was that into that moment, and that into Michael that I forgot completely that Krolock enters the stage during that song, only remembering that when Michael sung his last tones and the curtain being closed. Whoops, sorry Herr Borchert!

But I wouldn’t be me if also the scenes who aren’t about Alfred, were about Alfred. This is exactly what always happens to me during “Gott ist tot”. I have to admit that with some Alfreds even I lose focus on them and start looking at Sarah or Krolock instead, but that will never happen to me with Michael over there. He knows that probably no-one is looking at him, but still he is completely into character and acting, just in case someone like me sees it.

And I’m not just talking about cute smiles, adorable looks and some wonderful sighs. I also talk about reacting on what Krolock does on the stage. Michael reacts very strongly on the “Gott is Tot” sentence when der Graf turns around to the audience. Michael starts looking around like he hears a voice but doesn’t know where it comes from. From that moment on he reacts on the words the count is singing. Sometimes with a smile, sometimes with a look, sometimes with checking again where that voice comes from.

On the sunday show he did something completely different. Instead of paying attention to the count, he was playing with his little candlelight. At first he tried to go through the flame with his finger, ending in a finger that clearly hurt because he hurt himself. And in the end, instead of blowing the candle, he made his fingers wet and extinguished the candle with that wet fingers. I have no idea where it came from, but I just thought it was kind of funny, at least to look at!

Where the first part of “Knoblauch” isn’t that boring to me anymore with a good Dorfstrottel, the “Alles is Hell” scene somehow is. It’s not boring to me, like I wish it was cut out, but a part of me is always waiting for that frolic head becoming visible behind the window before running out of the door. Michael seems really interested in Koukol, checking where he goes and who he is, but when he lays his eyes on Sarah behind the window, the attention is over again.

Michael and Amelie have a complete conversation at the moment. I can read lips, but not that good that I could really see what Michael was saying, but it was a lot! Of course all these words were accompanied by a lot of cute smiles and some shrugging, before Chagal interrupts them, sending Sarah back in and giving Alfred an angry look. (Did I already mention that Jerzy was back and that it was very nice to listen to him again?) It’s nice that it doesn’t hold Michael back from trying it again, but after Sarah waves goodbye he really tries to focus on the professor.

It’s very clear that Michael is really proud on the old man, it’s in his eyes and in his face and in his movements. Magda really needs her trick to get his attention, cause Michael doesn’t even look at her before that moment. Of course Michael wouldn’t me Michael if he was just returning the pieces of leek. At some shows he thought the pieces could be a little bit smaller. In other shows he started juggling with them. I think I like that last one the best, especially like he did it in the last show, which was really juggling (two rounds) with them.

Of course Veit isn’t really pleased with this (he just sang that he hates emotions and then he finds his boy flirting with the daughter and the maid) and for a brief second you can see on Michael’s face that he’s scared the old man is gonna hit him. Although, two shows he didn’t seem impressed and just came a bit closer, resulting in noses almost touching each-other, which looked really funny. It didn’t fully stop him from flirting with Magda by the way. They did share some smiles and some shrugging afterwards, although the main focus of Michael was back on the professor.

What I particularly like is how Michael reacts on all the sentences the professor sings. He shows with a smile that it amuses or impresses him. It’s very clear that he likes the old man and that he does think it’s good the way it is. He follows Veit, tries to learn from him and is fascinated by everything the professor says. Although, when the professor says to him that something is not said to him, Michael seems a little surprised, not knowing where the professor is talking about. Another nice little detail is that Michael pointed to Magda when the professor talked about being hit, blaming her for it, instead of Rebecca. One of the shows he did point at Rebecca by the way, so I guess he changes it depending on how he feels like.

Another nice thing of Michael in this scene is his reaction on the professor asking him why he didn’t follow Koukol. Michael really seems a bit mad on himself, knowing that he should have done that, not even knowing why he didn’t do it himself. And this has not just to do with the professor being mad on him, again, but also with the fact that I have the impression that Michael really wants to take over the company, that he really wants to be in that business and that he sees it as an important mistake. Of course he does forget this very soon as the professor sings his high tone and Michael clearly admires this ability!

This is also one of the scenes where you can clearly see how much fun Michael has while playing this part. He’s smiling a lot, enjoying every second of it and before they go to the front of the stage, he shrugged and smiled and enjoys it. I don’t know what it is, but although he’s not that important in this scene, he does so much nice little things and shows so much joy. I can’t help it, but for some reason I don’t think the professor is that interesting anymore, no matter how great Veit Schäfermeier is!

And how much does it say about me, that I manage to see how Michael turns his back to the audience and takes of his jacket before the next scene? Okay, it’s not that hard, because although the stage is dark Michael wears white clothes of course, but I assume that not many people even try to see that. I don’t even really try, I just see it. Although that may have something to do with the fact that I could see it in Antwerp too. So, I don’t really have to focus on it, since I know where and when and how it happens already.

“Du bist wirklich sehr Nett” is one of my favourite scenes in the first act (not longer my favourite, more about that later in this report) and Michael proves me time after time why. What I really like is his face when he looks up when Sarah starts singing, the carefulness in opening the doors and checking if the professor is really sleeping and how he checks the temperature of the water with his fingers, think it’s okay. When he drops down his braces, you can clearly see on his face that he knows that he’s not supposed to look through the keyhole but that it’s just too tempting. The keyhole is so tempting, knowing that Sarah is behind that door and since the professor is sleeping, no-one will see it!

Of course he doesn’t think about Sarah and he clearly enjoys the sight, shaking his butt a bit when she enters. I also want to give some credits to Amelie for this scene. I really love how she takes the time to look at him and how she smiles, amused because this adorable boy looks through the keyhole in her room. It’s not that much of a surprise that Michael almost hurts himself when she makes clear that she stands behind him. He almost throws himself against the door, clearly waiting for the moment he can grab his braces again.

The last show he did really check if his pants was all right. In Stuttgart he did a lot of pants-checking, but in Berlin this was the only show and the only moment I’ve seen him doing it. I didn’t think it did disturb me when he did it, but I don’t really miss it either, actually. It was a little “O! Yes! I remember him doing that!”-moment on sunday, but that makes clear that I didn’t miss it all the other shows.

The interaction between Michael and Amelie is something I really like. Amelie makes clear that she doesn’t see herself in a relationship with the boy, but she’s also amused by him and her smiles are real. She doesn’t just play with him, she also believes that he’s cute. Of course we all know how the bathroom-scene ends and we all know that Sarah is giving him the wrong impression on purpose, but I don’t have the feeling that Amelie does it to be mean, like some other Sarah’s. I don’t know...it’s just a brilliant idea of a cute little girl. Amelie is not a Sarah that really impresses me, but she doesn’t disturb me either, and that’s a good sign and it’s nice to see her interacting with Michael in an innocent, sweet way, without really giving the signals some other Sarah’s give. I can’t really explain what it is, but somehow I like Amelie. It’s a feeling and because of that feeling I don’t have the impression she’s a manipulative bitch.

Back to Michael as Alfred. It’s nice to see that he’s really thinking about doing something and making some moves to Sarah and then realises that he has no idea what and how to do that. He comes up with the sponge, making it sound as if this is the first time he sees a sponge. Of course he’s not interested in the sponge and although Heller doesn’t pause before the “schöner....schwamm” it’s very clear how much he loves Sarah’s décolleté! Even when she is trying to explain him what she wants he is stealing glimpses of it and you can clearly see how his mind tries to fantasise about what is going to happen...

His reaction on Sarah’s touching is also very cute, just like the full sentence he tries to speak when he asks her if she really means that they are going to. The boy is clearly full in love and his face makes visible that she is almost fulfilling a secret dream he had a little longer already. Until he hears her sing again and realises that she threw him out of the bathroom. I like the small moment of disappointment he has, checking if it’s really not possible to go in again, doubting if he shouldn’t open the door again, reaching for the door but hold back at the last second and eventually he sits down, is a bit disappointed until he sees the sponge again and smiles at the wonderful memory of what happened in that bathroom.

I already told you that Michael Heller is never boring as Alfred, that automatically implies that I don’t see a single second from what Thomas Borchert as Krolock did in the first act. I only heard the laughing or the amazement from the people around me, while I was focussed on the dreaming boy on his couch. It’s amazing how he can tell a complete story without saying a word. Changing the story every day, making it less or more interesting. The “how would it be to touch her breast”-movement did he only do in the first show, I haven’t seen it afterwards. Something he did almost every show was checking how the sponge smelled and remember Sarah. The last show he even laid himself down completely. Of course I prefer looking at his face, but this sight wasn’t that bad either, I have to say. But the cutest pose during that scene is the moment he presses the sponge against his cheek, leaning on the couch, smiling because of happiness and closing his eyes. I almost felt sorry that this was the end of that part of the scene and that he had to stay up to look through the keyhole again, after checking if he professor was really asleep.

What I really love is how Heller presses his ear against the door first, acting as if he hears something strange and only then bending to look through the keyhole. Of course it still is strange that we can hear Sarah through the entire house and Krolock only after pressing an ear against the door, but at least it comes a lot closer to reality. Krolock should be hearable in the room where Alfred is and it’s totally normal that if Heller hears a men-voice in a closed bathroom he’s gonna check on the girl he loves. Who wouldn’t do that? The temptation is there already, but if there is the feeling that your girl might be in danger, it doesn’t seem strange to check on her, at least not to me.

What I do like in the following chaos is the fact that Michael doesn’t hesitate and grabs the stuff he needs right away. He doesn’t wait for the professor to say something, he just grabs the garlic and the cross and runs in again. He listens to what the professor says, but it clearly doesn’t really reach him. And I did really like it how he was trying to “clean” every part of the room with his cross and his garlic, even the door from their room. He really has a lot of eye for detail. I also really loved his face when the professor grabbed his braces when Alfred is looking through the keyhole because the professor wants to look himself. Michael really looks like “I’m in love with her! I’m the one who’s allowed to look! It doesn’t even interest you!” Lucky for him he can look back soon enough and he doesn’t mind that the professor needs his back as a table and makes sure he keeps looking.

That Alfred wears white is very helpful to find him on stage actually. Also where there is just a little light, because of a scene-change or just because there is no spot on Alfred that moment, it’s not that hard to find him. I love to observe how quick changes are done and where people are walking. Of course, seeing only his white shirt isn’t half as interesting as seeing his face, but seeing something is better than just seeing nothing...

Luckily I didn’t have to wait very long before he entered the stage again for “Draussen ist Freiheit”. He has some really cute things in these scene, making it into a highlight of the show. I know that this is a scene that can be played stupid easily, but Heller has the ability to turn it into something really nice. At first he really comes outside looking at Sarah’s window, so it’s understandable that he doesn’t see that Sarah is already standing downstairs. It has something adorable that Amelie is listening to that boy, while he’s singing to her window. She just not that pleased that he almost screams the “Sarah bist du wach?” waking up the entire house. It’s not that in-understandable that she asks he to not talk that loud, cause he really makes a lot of noise out there.

The interaction with Amelie in this scene, and with the words Amelie sings, is amazing. (Are my positive reactions on everything he does boring already?) When she looks into her freedom and sings about it, you can see him looking at it, thinking about it and then realising how wonderful it could be, the two of them in the freedom. He does realise that he needs a good text to get her, so he comes up with his sentences. When Heller plays Alfred it’s clear that he use those sentence to show that he and Sarah are dreaming about the same things (not) and that he wants the same as she wants (wrong again), he’s therefore really disappointed that she got a present from someone else and has an invitation to go elsewhere.

I still haven’t find out how Heller uses his “nicht durch dem Wald” sentences. Some Alfreds are just scared because of their-selves, that’s for sure not the case with Heller. But it’s also not like Alex Melcher did, just searching for reasons to hold her here, close to him. The feeling that comes the closest to what he does is the feeling of being really worried about her. I have the feeling that he really cares about her and is afraid that something happens to her. It’s actually really sweet.

He did change the kiss on the cheek thing, by the way. The last two times I saw him he tried to kiss Sarah on her cheek at the very end of the scene, this time his target wasn’t her cheek, but her shoulders. Of course Sarah turns around and asks for her sponge. It’s nice to see that she really needs to convince Alfred to get her sponge. He really doesn’t understand why and Amelie really has to push him inside.

I know that the people reading this (if they are still reading by the way) want to know more about Csaba as black vampire, but I have to admit that I have really no clue what he was like. I was checking out if I could find Tibor, and yes I did this three shows to be sure that I was right. Luckily they made it a little easier in Berlin since one of the male-parts was danced by a woman (at least, I guess it was a woman, although it also might be a man with a women-face), one of the parts was danced by Toby (far too long and recognisable for Tibor) and one of the parts was the part of the white (and I know which part that is because of Gernto), so the other part had to be Tibor. The last show they made it really easy to find him, his costume wasn’t right and he almost lost his white shirt during the scene. It was at least easy to follow him over the stage. (Yes my dear Finnish friends, I paid attention to him! A lot!)

What I love the most about this weekend was that there was 4 times NO applause between “Rote Stiefel” and “Das Gebet”. I know that some of you see it as appreciation of the scene, but there is a reason that Draussen ist Freitheit, Rote Stiefel and Das gebet are one track on the CD. It’s one scene and it continues. There is no room for applause and since the dancers are back on stage in Das Gebet, the applause reaches them even better if you just wait with it, because they have a quick quickchance when you would be applauding ;-)

Back to the subject on my report. I always wait very patiently until the house turns and I can see him again. I have to admit that I really dislike the fact that the house turns, because Alfred already starts singing before he’s even visible. I remember that in Hamburg the house didn’t turn and that they worked with the spots. Wouldn’t it be nice to show the growth of the song also with the lights, by enlighten the persons who are add to the duet, ending with the full light, Krolock on the roof, Alfred in the middle and Sarah on the ground. But now I’m still not back to my beautifully praying subject, that turns his head to the audience right on the moment he knows that everyone can see him.

I love the look in his face, the lights in his eyes, the way he really believes in what he prays for, how his hands are fold together, how he bends his head, looks into heaven and just wishes that he was stronger than he is. But the biggest respect do I have for the fact that he really has to sit there until the house stands completely still. That means that he should run really fast to the window to call to Sarah that he can’t find her sponge. And isn’t it adorable that he still whispers, because he remembers that she didn’t want him to make noise? His voice sounds so lovely when he whispers! I don’t know...I can imagine how that sweet voice whispers sweet words and...wait, back to my report on Tanz der Vampire.

Since Michael hurt his ankle while running of stair in the building, I’m always afraid that something happens to him while running downstairs to chase Sarah. Until now he always came down safe, but somehow I can’t shake the feeling of fear. Maybe I just care about that boy too much, just like I’m always afraid that if he comes down so fast that he can’t stop in time and falls down the other stairs or down into the orchestra. So far that didn’t happen too, but still.

I have the impression that Michael really doubts about what to do when Sarah runs of. A part of him wants to follow, another part of him wants to warn the people in house and asks for help. I guess it’s the insecureness that makes him do the second option. He’s also an Alfred that just sees the shoes Sarah left when he is almost inside already. But what I really liked in this scene, was that he was afraid that Chagal and Rebecca would think that he made her disappear. He tries to explain that she ran off and that he couldn’t help it. Of course Chagal and Rebecca aren’t blaming him and the poor Michael seems a bit overwhelmed by everything that’s happening. After all, he still doesn’t know that she ran of to the handsome vampire-count.

It’s really cute how he is helping Rebecca to go in, while he is still checking where Chagal is actually going. In the scene that follows he seems a little lost. I don’t know...it’s like he has no idea what’s happening (which is true) and doesn’t know how to behave and what to do. I love it how I know that the scene has a choreography and that everyone knows what to do, but that Michael still manages to make it look like it’s a little clumsy and spontaneous. I especially like his look full of panic to all that crying woman and that clumsiness when Chagal is brought in.

It’s amazing how Heller manages to balance between the curiosity (when the professor tells him about the bite-wounds in the neck) and the not knowing what to do and how to behave. After a short interaction with Dennis!Dorftrottel he decides to try to calm Rebecca down, but then she starts screaming and Heller repeats the trick of the previous scene. The other villagers blame him for causing her more harm than good, Heller replies by raising his hands and whispering that he really did nothing!

Eventually his curiosity wins again. He remembers how the professor was brought back to life with hot water and he’s really selfsecure when he calls for hot water himself. Veit just laughs about that comment. To him it’s already clear that the man is death, but Michael clearly has still hope. It’s lovely how you can see Michael doubting between human emotions, what he actually wants to, and the science he was grown up with. The last show the last part clearly won. When the professor was folding the hands of Chagal, Michael asked if he could do the last hand and much to my surprise the professor allowed him to. Of course this ended in a really funny situation where the professor blames Alfred for getting the professor’s hand stuck between Chagal’s hands. Michael is feeling guilty for the rest of the scenes.

In the other shows he was just reacting the way the most Alfreds react on it. He really disliked the noise (like I do, although I know it’s fake, I still hate it) and looked away. But I like how he’s focussed in the wounds in the neck when the professor is asking for the stake. It takes some time for Heller to realise what he actually wants, but he’s handing it over really proud. You can clearly see how Heller is a student of his teacher, really believe that this is neccasary and that it will work. Heller is really surprised how Rebecca reacts on it, showing that clearly in his face and by running away as fast as he can.

I like how he’s doubting between running on that stairs or waiting for the professor. He decides to do the last, knowing that they should actually stake the man on the table. Eventually he asks the professor what they are gonna do and runs on that stairs, waiting for the professor to come too. It was really funny to see how he really was that strong that he could almost lift Veit and almost did that. You could clearly see how Veit though: “You boy makes it almost impossible to me to keep walking like an old man!” It must have been part of their little game. As far as I know they always try to make each-other laugh. It might end up in an unprofessional situation, but as far as I’ve seen it also leeds to a lot of nice details and creativity. So I don’t know if they should stop it. Tanz is a show where it is possible to laugh, so I think I just love the fact that they found a way to keep it interesting for both them and us.

Although they should keep focussed. The first scene after “tot zu sein ist komisch” (How amazing is Linda Veenhuizen???? I love her voice! And the contrast between her lines and how innocent she looks and how helpless she is in the first act. I guess, for sure in the first act, she’s the best Magda I’ve ever seen.) is really great with Veit and Michael. Veit is really angry because he really believes that Michael makes the noise. Michael is really offended and replies “but I’m just standing over here!”. The third show Michael created himself a problem by not entering in time. Veit was already half way the little scene when Michael run on stage. Of course the joke didn’t work that great anymore, because Michael wasn’t just standing still, although I like the solution Veit and Michael found. “Where were you?” “I was over there!”

When they are downstairs it’s very clear that Michael is afraid of what they are going to do. Not that afraid that it becomes panic, but more the kind of being afraid you have when you have to take a deep breath, when you know that it’s gonna be hard, but when you know that you really have to do this. This is how Michael looks at the corpse on the table and I like that look, because it shows so much without getting over the top. And it makes it really understandable that he forgets to hand the professor the back with the hammer and stake.

While writing all this down it becomes clear that what makes Michael so nice to look at for me, is his calmness. He’s so peaceful and calm. He takes his time to do things without needing to rush afterwards. He found that really wonderful balance and I love that. It makes it easy to look at him and to stay calm in my seat, smiling because of what he’s doing on stage.

This calmness also shows in the hectic chasing of Chagal. Michael is really surprised when they find out that the corpse has breasts and when they find out that vampirechagal is still in the room, but he really takes his time. When Chagal scares them, Michael takes the time to recover a bit from it before he starts chasing. Which leads me to the next part of Michael I love: the control over his body. He can look clumsy, but somehow you can also see that he know exactly what he’s doing. He knows the limits of his own movements and uses them without making it dangerous. When chasing Chagal he jumps on and off tables, acting like he almost falls or loses his balance, but never really doing that. And you have to admit that it’s really clever that he comes up with the idea to make Chagal fall.

But, the highlight of this scene is the moment Michael tries to swing that hammer. We all know that Alfred can’t kill people, we all know that he won’t succeed, we all know that he uses Sarah as a reason to not have to kill, but the nice and sweet little Alfred still tries afterwards. I’ll never forget that cute little Michfred, with the hammer in his hand, his tongue between his lips, trying to hit that hammer like a kid who had his first tic-tic game. of course we know that he doesn’t succeed and I checked: The look on the picture on facebook, is really how Heller looks when the hammer hits his hand. He’s really proud that he came up with this brilliant idea. And he’s really determined to safe his Sarah from that vampire castle.

That proud disappears soon when the castle comes closer. It’s clearly visible that Alfred starts out strong, but the moment they enter between the audience, all we see is an insecure and scared boy. He falls over some feet (I guess he does it on purpose, since it’s happening every night), he looks to all the strange people looking at him (the few that do look at him and not to the vampires) and he stays as close as possible to Veit (who turns around a few times to yell at people that they have to be quiet) and when he enters the stage and the professor asks him to open the door. Michael really refuses to do this, sighs afterwards and opens that door. Well, tries to...when the door opens and his eyes meet the eyes from Thomas Borchert, he doesn’t know how quick to get away. (The last show or was it the pre-last? He almost fell down and lost his bag and had to redo the run, ruining the “I’m not visible, so I’m not there feeling” completely of course) He’s really checking Borchert for toe to head before running away and I’m convinced that Veit really needs to catch him.

The rest of the first part of the scene Michael tries to hide behind Veit and tries to make sure that the professor doesn’t come to close. It’s clearly visible that Veit is fascinated by the count and that the magic of the count does work on him too. Ironically it’s Heller who pulls him back all the time. A really funny moment is the moment that Veit takes of his hat the first time. Two shows Michael didn’t take off his hat and Veit, without looking, hit him to tell him that he had to do so. In the other two shows Heller did take off his hat, whispering after being hit “I already did!” to the professor. In the last show Heller added another comical element. When Krolock is singing and the professor and Alfred are that fascinated that they bend as much as possible, Michael didn’t stop bending before Krolock said “booh”. I was really afraid he would end on the floor, but luckily Thomas didn’t wait too long.

It’s nice to see how Heller really follows the professor everywhere, but is not that close that he can’t barely move. Also in this scene he makes visible that he’s proud on the professor. When Krolock makes clear that he knows his book and that he thought it was brilliant, Heller starts smiling, almost thinking “That’s my dad!”. But his face also shows a bit of shame when the professor mentions that the people at home didn’t really believe that. Alfred shows his cleverness because it’s clearly his idea to mention the visit of the building. The professor thanks him really shortly with one look, but it’s the first point in the musical where Veit has some respect for that little boy.

That disappears really soon, cause when Krolock mentions that it must be a student, Veit is laughing about that, saying his name like “that’s just Alfred, nothing special”. (Which supports my view that he sees him as a son an nothing else...it’s not a brilliant student, it’s not his assistent...it’s his son who should take over the company, but didn’t really prove that he can do it.) Michael clearly doesn’t really like being in the center of the attention and his look for help at the professor, without result of course, was really adorable but didn’t help him in the case Herbert.

What I like about Heller is that he sees what we see. He doesn’t really like Herbert and when Herbert opens his cape, Michael is not that amused. When it’s Herbert who brings him in, Michael doesn’t know how quick to run away. He’s clearly fascinated by the building, the hall, the candles and everything, but you can see how uncomfortable he looks. He hides behind the professor and when those walks away and Herbert seeks for his attention again he really feels a bit desperate.

But the best part of the entire musical from Michael as Alfred is the next scene. I know, the boy has a wonderful voice and great dancingskills. His comedy timing is amazing, his way of speaking words and sentences comes close to perfection. But there is nothing as intense and amazing as his acting in the finale of the first act, when Krolock comes up with his sponge.

Thomas and Michael (I suppose it was mostly Michael) rebuilt this scene from scratch, giving it a strange sort if intension that almost made me lose my breath. This scene is about seducing and being seduced and it’s amazing what they both do. I’ll focus on Michael and I’ll leave the other part of the scene to Marjolein, I guess she’s seen a lot more from it than I have.

What I really like about the way Heller plays this scene is how he builds up the tension. At first he just wants his sponge. He doesn’t care about what that count says, he doesn’t care about the promises, he’s even a bit offended when Krolock calls his professor a “narr”, but all he actually wants is the sponge. But Michael is intimidated, so when he has the sponge, he doesn’t only protect it by holding it to the side, making clear that it’s his and only his, he doesn’t dare to run away.

In his eyes you can see how the poor boy is torn between his own feelings. That count does scare him and all he wants is that sponge. But what the counts say does catch his attention, cause that count is saying everything he has ever dreamed of. But it’s not that easy to convince that little Alfred, reacting on everything the count says. (It was really funny to see Michael check where that “meer of time” was where the count was singing about. I shook my head, because I like it when it’s symbolic, but taking it literally was somehow funny, too) He still doesn’t trust that count, he still doesn’t want to believe in it and a part of him does think that it’s a trick and is on his guard all the time.

The four shows I’ve been there there were two possible endings. The ending I love the most is the ending where Michael surrenders completely and poses like Sarah does, ready to be bitten. But the other ending was also very interesting. In this ending Alfred wasn’t really into it, he didn’t believe in it and he was searching for a way to run off. Feet by feet he was moving to the door. In both situations Krolock was sending him away eventually, but the tension was feel-able. In the first ending this was a feeling of surrender and sexual tension. In the second ending it was more a feeling of intimidation and fear.

Both endings worked actually really well and both endings were really intense for me to look at. I needed the first few moments of the break to catch my breath again, to calm down my hart rate and to find my way back to reality again. It was as if I hadn’t breath the entire scene and had to learn how to breath again. It was one of the strangest things I ever felt, all because of that amazing final! Luckily I had the rest of the break to recover and the exchange information with Lein to make sure that together we saw everything that was interesting.