What's on in Germany: January 3 - 9

This Fortnight's Highlights: “Divas” in Berlin, gospel singers in Frankfurt, and a jazz festival in Münster.

BERLIN



Theatre


Divas – The Show

Las Vegas comedian Bethany Owen can impersonate everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Joan Rivers, making her the perfect host for “Divas – The Show,” a new theatrical production premiering Friday night in Berlin. Watch a talented array of glamorous ladies pay tribute to their vocal doppelgangers as they belt out the tunes of Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, and other queens of the concert stage.

Price: €20 - 48.50
Location: Estrel Berlin,
 Sonnenallee 225
Times: Wednesday – Saturday, 8:30pm; Sunday, 7pm; January 4 – 27
Ticket Hotline: 030 6831 6831
More Information: www.estrel.com



Children's Theatre at the Marchenhutte

There's a fairy tale hut in a park in Berlin where classic characters from children's literature prance across the stage. This weekend the actors at the Marchenhutte in Monbijou park perform Snow White, Rumpelstilzken, and The Frog King. The plays are in German, but these beloved stories are enchanting in any language, aren't they?

Price: €5 (Children); €8 (Adults)
Location: Märchenhütte, Monbijoupark, Monbijoustrasse (Across from the Bode Museum)
Times: Saturday, January 5 and Sunday, January 6, 3pm; 3:30pm; 4:30pm (Children and Adults); Also evening performances for adults and older children
Ticket Hotline: 030 2888 66 999
More Information: www.maerchenhuette.de



Galleries/Museums


Art For the Whole Family – The Three Kings

“We three kings of orient are, bearing gifts we've traveled so far.” Three wise men came from the East, following the light of a shining star to find the newborn baby Jesus. So goes the biblical story of the three kings who offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Maybe you've got them in your nativity scene at home, maybe not, either way one thing's for sure, these dudes don't get enough of the spotlight at Christmas. Pay the guys a little respect Saturday when Berlin's Gemäldegalerie celebrates the trio during a special museum tour for families.

Price: €3
Location: Gemäldegalerie, Matthäikirchplatz
Times: Saturday, January 5, 2pm
Phone: 030 266 42 42 42
More Information: www.smb.museum




COLOGNE



Galleries/Museums


Space Machine Theatre – Scene and Architecture

The theatre stage is a magical place. Extraordinary sets transport the audience to a different time and place where art and fantasy merge. Cologne's Museum of Applied Arts honours the tradition of stage design, complete with all the secrets of prop symbology and historical architectural accuracy in a new exhibition. See designs from the Weimar Republic, Walter Gropius' Total Theatre, and the Opera Garnier in Paris.

Price: €6
Location: Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, An der Rechtschule
Times: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am-5pm; through March 10
Phone: 0221 221 267 14
More Information: www.museenkoeln.de




FRANKFURT



Music/Concerts


The Harlem Gospel Singers – Wonderful World

Shake off the doldrums of your lingering New Year's hangover with the most uplifting kind of concert out there. Led by the radiant Queen Esther Marrow, the Harlem Gospel Singers are belting their way around Germany this month with a stop in Frankfurt Monday. Their elaborately staged song and dance show will have you smiling for days. It's a “Wonderful World.” “Let's enjoy it while we can.”

Price: €31.50 – 59 (Adults); €17.50 – 31.30 (Children)
Location: Alte Oper Frankfurt
, Opernplatz
Times: Monday, January 7, 8pm
Phone: 069 13 400
More Information: www.theharlemgospelsingers.de




HAMBURG



Dance



Rasta Thomas – Bad Boys of Dance: Rock the Ballet

No pink tutus here. The physically fantastic dancers in this mostly male troupe twirl and leap around the stage in suits and ties. Combining charm and energy in a sensational production that nods toward both Michael Jackson and Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rasta Thomas and the Bad Boys of Dance kick off a two-week run at Kampnagel Friday.

Price: €5 (Adults); €2 (Children)
Location: Kampnagel Hamburg, Jarrestrasse 20
Times: Friday, January 4, 8pm; Saturday, January 5, 8pm; Sunday, January 6, 7pm; Tuesday, January 8, 8pm; Wednesday, January 9, 8pm; Continuing through January 20
Phone: 040 27 09 49 49
More Information: www.kampnagel.de



Galleries/Museums


Albert Watson – Visions Feat: Cotton Made in Africa

Albert Watson got famous shooting supermodels like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in the 1990s. His portraits of celebrities from Alfred Hitchcock to Mike Tyson are iconic. Recently the camera man's travels have taken him to the cotton fields of Benin where he documented Africa's cotton industry. His shots of colorfully dressed cotton farmers join earlier works from his oeuvre at an exhibition at Deichtorhallen Hamburg. Go and gaze into the eyes of beautiful Benin faces this week.

Price: €9
Location: Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Deichtorstrasse 1-2
Times: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am-6pm; through January 13 (Extended)
Phone: 040 321 030
More Information: www.deichtorhallen.de




MUNICH



Galleries/Museums


Hiroshi Sugimoto – Revolution

The Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto peels back the layers of the past by intensely focusing on reality. His work is created in photographic series based on a single subject like “Seascapes,” “Theatres,” or “Architecture.” His images offer a reductionist view of profound objects, places, or scenes while inspiring a dialogue that links Japanese traditions with Western thought. In a new exhibition at the Museum Brandhorst, fifteen meditative works comprise the series “Revolution.” Spend a winter day drifting among them.

Price: €7; €1 (Sundays)
Location: Museum Brandhorst, Kunstareal, Theresienstrasse 35a
Times: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-6pm; Thursday; 10am-8pm; through February 10
Phone: 089 23805 2286
More Information: www.museum-brandhorst.de



Literature


A Literary Evening – Books and Conversation: Louis L’Amour's Haunted Mesa

The Anasazi were an ancient Pueblo peoples who lived in cliff dwellings in the Western United States and Mexico. The Navajo called them the “ancient enemy.” Louis L'Amour's 1988 novel Haunted Mesa brings readers on a frontier adventure into the legacy of the Anasazi people. Read it and join the discussion at Amerika Haus Tuesday when the literary group meets for its monthly book babble.

Price: Free
Location: Amerika Haus, Karolinenplatz 3
Times: Tuesday, January 8, 6pm
Phone: 089 55 25 370
More Information: www.amerikahaus.de



Activities


Munich Ice Magic

Ever been ice skating dressed in traditional Bavarian garb? Yes, that means dirndls and lederhosen. Every Monday night is “Tracht on Ice” at the big ice ring at Stachus in Munich. Start the work week off right with a spin around the ice dressed like you're in The Sound of Music. Those who prefer your more usual puffy jacket and mittens can go any other day, but do check the program for special events like “Ladies Night” and “Family Day.”

Price: €3-7
Location: Stachus Mobile Skating Ring, Stachus
Times: Daily, 10:30am – 10pm; through January 20
Phone: 089 24 24 16 88
More Information: www.muenchnereiszauber.de




MÜNSTER



Music/Concerts


24th International Jazz Festival Münster

Italian saxophonist Mattia Cigalini brings pop power to the playlist with renditions of Rihanna and Katy Perry, while the Spanish pianist Irene Aranda weaves Andalusian motifs through her original compositions. This year's Münster Jazz Fest is diverse and exciting with multiple artists taking the stage each night. Don't miss Enrico Rava's tribute to Michael Jackson “Rava on the Dance Floor” Saturday night.

Price: €12 – 37
Location: Städtische Bühnen Münster
, Neubrückenstrasse 63
Times: Friday, January 4 – Sunday, January 6
Tickets: 0251 590 9100
More Information: www.jazzfestival-muenster.de