Munich’s Stages are legendary – and diverse. By answering the following questions, we want to delve deeper into the city's opera and theatre scene.
Munich’s audiences have high expectations of ‘their’ opera. In the past, things were quite different: There were times when opera stars displayed a kind of behaviour that only divas like Mariah Carey would dare to do today, submitting pages and pages of extravagant requests for their hotel rooms. Take Luciano Pavarotti, for example, who had a high-tech kitchen installed in his suite every time he visited the Bayerischer Hof hotel. However, the opera business has become faster – and much more strenuous. Life between San Francisco, New York, Tokio and Europe requires today’s artists to have a good constitution. Many nowadays lead disciplined lives like extreme athletes – and nobody would devour tons of spaghetti after midnight.
The chances of meeting a world-class conductor or a star soprano in the elegant Spatenhaus opposite the opera house have also become rarer. But that doesn't mean that you can not get close to the stars of the Munich scene anymore. If you linger long enough in the opera foyer, you might be lucky enough to spot a familiar face. Or you can queue at the stage entrance at Maximilianstrasse after the performance and secure a signature on the evening's cast list.
World-class singers now live lifestyles as disciplined as those of professional athletes. No-one puts away pounds of spaghetti after midnight any more.
And no – it will not end up on Ebay later, but will be carefully collected. That's the custom in Munich – at least that's what the real opera fans say, who have been waiting for hours for their standing room. There are plenty of such loyal fans in Munich. “The theatre thrives on the aficionados, the repeat visitors,” said Austrian Nikolaus Bachler, long-standing artistic director of the State Opera, praising the local audience.
The "Kammerspiele” is known for its slightly different approach. You could also say that Artistic Director Barbara Mundel upholds this claim of being different and at the same time integrative. The “Kammerspiele” not only sees itself as a theatre for all people, but also for many different people.
The programme’s aim is to appeal to the queer and migrant communities, just as much as to the older, perhaps more traditional subscribing audience. It’s quite a balancing act, but it certainly works. For example, the theatre’s own “Habibi Kiosk”, which opens its doors every second Friday for talks, lounge concerts, performances and new perspectives.
The Residenztheater is one of the largest and best equipped venues in the German-speaking world.
The “Volkstheater” is not as old as its name suggests: It was opened in 1983 and only moved into a charming new building a few years ago. Christian Stückl, a figure well-known to anyone with an interest in Munich's cultural scene, has shaped it for almost an eternity. Stückl, a trained wood sculptor and native of Oberammergau, is probably the most deeply rooted theatre director in the Bavarian cultural scene.
As a side project, he has even managed to revive his home-town’s world-famous Passion Plays, which had been criticised for being outdated. At the "Volkstheater", the ensemble and directors are, on average, younger than those at other theatres, which enables a fresher approach to well-known and lesser-known works. This youthful energy is particularly evident at the annual “Radikal jung” festival, which showcases outstanding productions by young theatre makers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Of course, this also applies to the "Residenztheater", one of the largest and best-equipped establishments in the German-speaking region. Some people humorously claim that the "Residenztheater" mainly attracts people from the educated middle class who, despite their maturity, still have a little revolutionary spirit in them. All affectionate mockery aside, if you want to experience established and well-known works of world literature (Shakespeare, Schiller, Molière, Ibsen), this is the place to go. You are also in good hands here if you have a penchant for southern German and Austrian drama (Schnitzler, Grillparzer).
When it comes to the stage scene, Munich offers a wealth of choices: In addition to the “Big Four” – the “Staatsoper”, “Residenztheater”, “Kammerspiele” and “Volkstheater” – there are numerous larger and smaller theatres. Listing and categorising them all according to strictly scientific criteria would provide enough material for the next dissertation, entitled 'The Munich Stage Scene Against the Background of Its Cultural-Historical Developments and Its Position in the Theatre System'.
The "Gärtnerplatztheater" is certainly worth mentioning, as it is almost on par with the “Big Four” in terms of size alone. Since its recent refurbishment, the white Art Nouveau building truly adds to the shine of the already impressive Gärtnerplatz square. Here, you can enjoy performances like operettas, opera buffas and musicals for which the larger opera stage in the old town is literally too big.
After the show, a stroll along the Isar river on a warm summer's night is a beautiful and tantalising way to end the evening.
For a taste of the independent theatre, the “schwere reiter” is the ideal choice. Located on the street of the same name in the "Kreativquartier”, the venue once served as barracks for a royal Bavarian cavalry regiment, among other things, but now hosts theatre, music and dance events. It is run by the choreographers‘ association “Tanztendenz”, the artists’ collective “Scope” and the “Pathos Bühne”. “Pathos Bühne” also operates its own venue for performances, discourses, and other innovative theatre formats just a few meters away.
Munich has a heart for small-scale theatre, particularly for cabaret. Quite a big heart, in fact. The ”Lach- und Schießgesellschaft” holds legendary status in the field of humour. It was founded in 1959 by cabaret artist Dieter Hildebrandt, a local legend in the cabaret scene, who knew how to point out social grievances with his unsparing, wicked and, yes, humour. Today, his successors collaborate with the “Deutsches Theater” for the so-called “Gastspiele im Silbersaal”. Anyone looking for classic, subtle cabaret will certainly feel at home here.
For those who appreciate the charm of Bavarian pubs, the “Iberl Bühne” is a great choice. Located in the “Augustiner Stammhaus” above the beer hall, it is not only conveniently situated in the old town centre in terms of public transport, but also ideal for thirsty throats in terms of beer logistics: Patrons are expressly encouraged to get a pint of beer at the bar and enjoy it at the pub table during the performance. The centrepiece of the Iberl stage is its in-house ensemble, which performs comedies and sketches in Bavarian dialect. Some basic knowledge of Bavarian will help you to understand the punchlines not only acoustically, but also the content. Additionally, cabaret artists and folk musicians regularly make guest appearances.
Another classic in Munich’s humour scene is the "Vereinsheim”. This cosy gem in Schwabing is a blend of a football pub and a lively cabaret stage, creating an atmosphere that not only encourages beer consumption, but also embraces the eccentricity of the performances on stage. Here, you will encounter a wild mix of cabaret and slapstick, readings and slams, football broadcasts and pub concerts. Only boredom is definitely not part of the package.
When purchasing tickets on your first visit, be mindful of the choice of words at the box office: Nobody – really nobody – says “Residenztheater”. Or “Bayerisches Staatsschauspiel”. Everyone just calls it the “Resi”. And: The Bayerische Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera) is an institution of the Free State of Bavaria, housed in a building called the “Münchner Nationaltheater”. Mixing these terms, such as “Münchner Staatsoper”, might draw some raised eyebrows. Here’s another insider lingo tip: In the foyer of the opera house, directly behind the marble entrance hall, you’ll find three busts – those of Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. If you want to meet there at the bar during the break, the place for your champagne appointment is called “the Hausgötter” – the house gods. Welcome to Mount Olympus!
On a walk through the old town, you will get to know the musical side of Munich. Together with your official guide you will discover stations of famous composers. Read more
And then, of course, there is the issue of orientation. To avoid the impression that you are helplessly trudging through the aisles in search of your seat, take a look at your ticket beforehand: Remember, the words ‘right’ and ‘left’ on the ticket refer to the visitor's perspective, not the stage perspective.
It is generally advisable to check out your seat on the seating plan in advance. In larger theatres, there’s an unspoken agreement that those with seats in the centre of the stalls should arrive earlier to avoid the unpleasant situation of having to squeeze past countless knees under punitive glances.
Another tip is to memorise the location of the bar before the performance starts, so you can head there immediately during the interval. Otherwise, you might end up spending precious minutes in a queue, instead of with a glass of champagne in your hand. Have a great time!
