For over 20 years, the Musical Kids from the elementary school "Auf der Bein" and Co have been an enrichment for cultural life in the city of jewelry. A lovingly staged musical featuring singing, dancing, acting and music by over 90 actors supported by a great volunteer team was performed as part of the Children's Culture Days. Four completely sold-out events, two of them especially for the Idar-Oberstein elementary school, were performed in the municipal theater. The premiere provided an unforgettable evening full of music and rousing performances, which was attended by many guests of honor and a total of around 600 visitors. With an impressive stage presence and a professional performance, the pupils of the Musical Kids captivated the audience from the first to the last minute.
The production was preceded by three quarters of a year of rehearsals for the play, the painstaking sewing of the costumes and the construction of the sets. It was easy to see from the smallest, artfully draped details how much love had gone into creating a stage set that captured everyone and gently transported them into another world. It wasn't professional set builders, but numerous helping hands from the team behind the Musical Kids project who were at work here and really did a great job.
By making music together, the choir and drama children learn how important it is to pay attention to others and literally listen to them. By seeing themselves as an integral part of the group, the sense of belonging grows through all generations. The little ones are just as much a part of it as the older ones. A large volunteer team in the background supports the design of the fast-paced choreography of dance and music, Kathy Becker provides the theatrical pedagogical impulses, the overall direction of the production including the constant choral work of Kerstin Kornetzky form the basic framework of the ensemble. The overall result is an acting and musical firework display of the finest quality!
The adventurous story in a nutshell: The jungle child Okoti lives peacefully in the jungle with her best friend, the lion cub Leo, a herd of lively monkeys and many other animals. However, one day poachers ("We need the money - we'll be filthy rich") appear in the jungle to capture the jungle family's exotic animals and sell them for a lot of money. They even manage to catch the rare fish of life. Without it, the animal and plant friends in the jungle quickly get into trouble, as the water around them begins to rot without the miraculous powers of the fish. So, with the help of the audience, Okoti and Leo set off together to free the fish and save the jungle. But the road to liberation is more difficult than expected because Kiano, the leopard(I am the true king here - I have the power), has sided with the poachers.
The audience is whisked away into an adventurous world of exotic animals, exciting stories and rousing music by the loving, colorful costumes and the design of the magnificent stage set. From giraffes to monkeys, Babette the snake, the waterhole with Aquana, the fish of life - the variety of performers and costumes leaves nothing to be desired. The entire theater is involved in the jungle action, especially with the magnificently made-up herd of zebras, a new generation with new dances that has emerged from the oldest choir children in the ensemble.
The songs are all sung and danced live. Of the 90 actors, 23 are performing on stage for the first time after corona. The music and lyrics for this musical are impressive, funny and sensitive in equal measure - all written by Kerstin Kornetzky and Reimar Lorenz. Reimar Lorenz masters his instruments like an entire orchestra and you completely forget that this is the work of just one musician. The interplay between the small soloists on stage, who are sure of their tone and lyrics, and the powerful choir on the balcony is a musical delight. Supported by a varied and perfect choreography, in which the dancing zebras reached the rows of the audience - an unparalleled musical treat.
"It was a pleasure to see these talented young artists on stage. We hope for further successful collaborations in the future," said Lord Mayor Frank Frühauf after the premiere.
The organizers from the City Youth Welfare Office were also delighted:
"Kerstin Kornetzky always succeeds in encouraging the children to express their creative abilities and develop their imagination. They learn to tell their stories or invent dance movements to the melodies composed especially for this piece. It's just great," explains Sabine Moser. Her colleague Sebastian Herzig adds: "Children who make music or sing gain self-confidence and self-esteem. The opportunity to express themselves through music and to be heard and appreciated by others strengthens their self-esteem and promotes a positive self-image."
In addition to the priceless work carried out in most places on a voluntary basis, there is inestimable value in such a project. What children and young people learn and experience here with great joy cannot be paid for with money. To think themselves into a role, to fill this role, to internalize it, to bring it into the overall work in a concentrated and disciplined manner, always with consideration for everyone else involved and then to have the courage to bring this role to the stage with verve and enthusiasm and enriched with their own imagination in front of the sold-out Stadttheater - you can only take your hat off! And a whole team of helpers and supporters is behind this idea, which is a real beacon project for the town of Idar-Oberstein, not only artistically and musically, but also educationally. We can only hope that the Musical Kids and their many young and old "contributors" will continue to conjure up such joyful events on stage and make our tears of happiness flow.
Musical Kids e.V. is sponsored and supported by many local companies and individuals. The Children's Culture Days are sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.