After ten years as the Intendant of the Komische Oper Berlin, Barrie Kosky left his audiences with a "firework of emotions" (Münchner Merkur) after the premiere of "Barrie Kosky's All-Singing All-Dancing Yiddish Revue."
The premiere of the piece received positive notices and tributes from across the international press, with Frankfurter Allgemeine praising Kosky as having been " a boon to the Komische Oper" and The New York Times calling the production "joyous and celebratory" in a special feature on Kosky's tenure at Komische Oper. Kosky will continue to serve as a guest director at the Komische Oper as well creating new productions for international houses in 22/23 including Turandot for Dutch National Opera and Handel's Hercules for Oper Frankfurt as well as reviving his Komische Oper production of Fiddler on the Roof for the Chicago Lyric Opera.
"Barrie Kosky's All-Singing, All-Dancing Yiddish Revue" runs until 10th July 2022 at Komische Oper.
Selected reviews:
It’s difficult to pinpoint the most outrageous moment of “Barrie Kosky’s All-Singing, All-Dancing Yiddish Revue,” which opened at the Komische Oper here on Friday. Is it the 1960s-era pilot and flight attendant in drag belting “My Way” (sorry, “Mayn Veg”) under a shower of golden confetti? The subtle camp of an imaginary Choir of Temple Beth Emmanuel singing with straightfaced sincerity? The “message from our sponsors” advertising “delectably light, always right, gefilte fish in jars”? [ … ] Throughout, Kosky — who also hosts the show through prerecorded introductions — is committed to the bit in a delicate balance of irony and camp. Both men and women sing in drag; borscht belt humor (“below the girdle”) abounds; and the performers assume personas on a Marvel Cinematic Universe scale. There’s the “mezzo from Minsk” Sylvie Sonitzki, a boy band of orthodox Jews, and don’t forget the temple choir. In an ending out of something like Verdi’s “Falstaff,” Kosky brings out everyone, an enormous ensemble backed by an enormous orchestra, for a spectacle that, joyous and celebratory, sends off the audience with a command: “Dance!” Kosky couldn’t have said goodbye any other way.
Joshua Barone, The New York Times
Kosky was a boon to the Komische Oper. He took over a house that was filled to seventy percent and brought it today to ninety percent. Kosky made it a family opera house – “one for all” – with sensual, mostly clever, highly professional and always entertaining theatre. His sendoff production, “Barrie Kosky’s All-Singing, All-Dancing Yiddish Revue” is once again just that […]
Jan Brachmann, Frankfurter Allgemeine
For further reviews, please see Barrie's artist page.
