Special recommendations for teenagers and young adults 

West Side Story

Musical by Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim

Songs in English language with German surtitles, dialogue in German language with English surtitles

It is one of the most famous musicals of all time, telling a story that has been touching ever since Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: Two people love each other but are not allowed to be happy together. What are hostile families in Shakespeare are rival gangs in the musical West Side Story. Tony is a Jet, a member of a gang of white American youths. Maria is the sister of Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, a gang of Puerto Rican immigrants. When the two fall in love, nothing is the same. With immortal songs like "Maria", "I like to be in America" or "I feel pretty", West Side Story presents a love story that is still relevant today, set to Leonard Bernstein's world-famous music.

Duration: 2h30 | Age: 13+ | Intermission: Yes

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We would like to inform - especially families - that the West Side Story includes depictions of violence and sexual violence.

Killing Carmen

By Nils Strunk, Lukas Schrenk, and Gabriel Cazes
Based on Carmen by Georges Bizet

In Georges Bizet’s famous opera Carmen, the title character fights for her freedom and for love. In the end, she is stabbed to death by her ex-lover Don José. But how did it come to this terrible, hauntingly relevant act? Was Carmen’s murder perhaps symbolic—the killing of freedom itself? And might other characters in the opera also have had a motive to want Carmen dead?

Nils Strunk and Lukas Schrenk, who captivated young audiences at the Burgtheater with their productions Die Zauberflöte – the opera but not the opera, now turn their attention to Carmen at the Volksoper, together with French musician Gabriel Cazes. Their take is fast-paced, pop-operatic, exaggerated, and rich with references to pop culture icons. Together with an ensemble crossing all genres, they create a tribute to a fascinating female figure!

Duration: 1h50 | Age: 13+ | Intermission: No

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Die Piraten von Penzance

Comic Opera by Arthur Sullivan and W. S. Gilbert

A leap year, misunderstandings, and countless pirates (or are they actually pirate ladies?) — that’s all it takes for a wild, hilarious operetta adventure! In The Pirates of Penzance, young Frederic ends up in the clutches of a band of pirates! With plenty of British humor and eccentric characters, Gilbert & Sullivan poke fun at pirates, police, and the aristocracy alike. There’s singing, fighting, romance — and a whole lot of laughter. The British comedy troupe Spymonkey, known for their uproarious Orpheus in the Underworld, brings this operetta to life at the Volksoper with slapstick, wit, and a healthy dose of anarchy.

Duration: 2h30 | Age: 13+ | Intermission: Yes 

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Lass uns die Welt vergessen – Volksoper 1938

A play with music by Theu Boermans and Keren Kargarlitsky

In German language with English surtitles

It was the surprise hit of recent years — a moving evening about major global political upheavals on the one hand, and the (seemingly) small, deeply personal choices on the other: Let’s Forget the World – Volksoper 1938. While the ensemble rehearses, the outside world is undergoing a dramatic shift: the Anschluss — Austria’s annexation by Nazi Germany — is taking place, and the National Socialists are seizing power here as well. What options do artists have to take action in such times? And what can each individual person do?

Duration: 3h | Age: 13+ | Intermission: Yes

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