“Winnetou II - Ribanna and Old Firehand” Celebrates its Premiere in Bad Segeberg
Geschäftsführerin Ute Thienel (Mitte) gemeinsam mit Alexander Klaws („Winnetou“, 2. v. r.) sowie den Gaststars Jan Hartmann („Old Firehand“, l. v. l.), Sila Sahin („Ribanna“, 2. v. l.) und Nick Wilder („Emery Forster“, 1. v. r). Foto: Karl-May-Spiele Bad Segeberg
(eap) Last Saturday, the Karl May play “Winnetou II – Ribanna and Old Firehand” celebrated its premiere in the open-air theatre of the Karl May Spiele Bad Segeberg in northern Germany. The more than 7,500 spectators were able to follow a moving love story. Both “Winnetou” and his friend “Old Firehand” love the chieftain’s daughter “Ribanna” – but who will she give her heart to? “The audience can look forward to a touching story full of goosebump moments. It is a particularly personal adventure for Karl May’s heroes. For them, it’s not just about the victory of good over evil, but also about strong feelings. With many of the themes we address in our production, the Karl May plays are once again very topical,” explains Managing Director Ute Thienel.
The ensemble includes Germany’s musical star Alexander Klaws (known from “Tarzan”, “Ghost” and “Saturday Night Fever”), who takes on the role of Winnetou for the fourth time, as well as Jan Hartmann as Old Firehand and Sila Sahin as Ribanna. The play for the 71st Karl May season was staged for the second time by director Nicolas König, who is part of the production since 1992 and is also returning to the ensemble this year as arch-villain “Parranoh”. The book for “Winnetou II – Ribanna and Old Firehand” was written by author Michael Stamp, while the production and stage management are in the hands of Stefan Tietgen for the 25th time.
According to Thienel, the cost of the new Karl May production is around 6.4 million euros. “We have invested over 950,000 euros: for example, in music speakers and spotlights, costumes, building maintenance and the stage set. We have also equipped the entire theater with fiber optic technology. This means we are equipped for the future in terms of security technology, lighting and sound.” The break-even-point at which the costs are recouped is around 200,000 paying guests. Managing Director Thienel is satisfied with advance sales, which are noticeably up on the previous year. ■
