Special recommendations for teenagers and young adults 

Spring Awakening

Rock Musical by Duncan Sheik, based on the play Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind

In German and English language with German and English surtitles

A powerful rock musical about the challenges of growing up, based on Wedekind’s famous play Spring Awakening.
Germany, 1891: Teenagers live in a world governed by strict rules. Young Wendla begins to explore her body, but her mother suppresses all her questions about where babies come from. Meanwhile, the intelligent Melchior tries to help his friend Moritz, who is struggling deeply with puberty. When Wendla and Melchior meet in the woods, a powerful attraction sparks between them—one they can’t control. Their world begins to fall apart when Moritz, overwhelmed and hopeless, takes his own life. And then Wendla’s mother discovers that her “little Wendla” is pregnant. With powerful songs and a driving rock band sound, this award-winning musical dives deep into the emotions of its characters, tackling the generational divide with intensity and honesty.

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

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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: 1h45 | Age: 13+ | Intermission: No

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tick, tick... BOOM!

Musical by Jonathan Larson

Songs in English language, dialogue in German language

His inner clock is ticking: At 30, others have long since achieved world fame, composed a great song or at least got married, had children and planted a tree. And Jonathan Larson? He still lives in a hovel with his best friend and hopes for a breakthrough as a musical composer. But he feels he doesn't have much time left: tick, tick... Boom! Based on the real life story of Jonathan Larson, whose rock musical Rent is one of Broadway's most successful, the musical tells a touching story of the private and professional struggles of young artists in New York. Hollywood star Andrew Garfield played the role of Jonathan Larson in the successful Netflix film based on the musical.

Duration: 1h45 | 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 — all because his hard-of-hearing governess mistook "pilot" training for "pirate" training! 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: 2h45 | Age: 13+ | Intermission: Yes 

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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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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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