Unruly Hearts: Queer Stories in Musical Theater

Encore’s summer 2024 collaboration with Schwuz, Berlin’s oldest queer club, featured songs from seven decades of musical theater, including:

The Wizard of Oz (1939), The Greatest Showman (2017), The Theory of Relativity (2014), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1998), Falsettos (1992), Moment by Moment (2013), Cabaret (1966), The Color Purple (2005), The Prom (2016), Billy Elliot: The Musical (2005), RENT (1996), Avenue Q (2003), Fun Home (2013), Bare: A Pop Opera (2000), The Rocky Horror Show (1973), La Cage aux Folles (1983), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (1996), and My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) (2021).

The show also featured excerpts (reinterpreted as scenes) from: Sense8 (2015-2018), The Normal Heart (2014), Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020), Carol (2015), one of Oscar Wilde’s letters to his lover, Lord Alfred (Bosie) Douglas (1897), the poem “Two Loves” by Lord Alfred (Bosie) Douglas (1894), and Jim Parsons’ Inspiration Award Acceptance Speech (2013).

Download the full programme for the show here.

Cast

Sandra Al-Hasani

Jona Arava

Daniel Barreto

Tanya de Boer

Matthew Canham

Fidias Curiel

Alexander Gehlsdorf

Chloe Hayward

Lucie Höhler

Robert Welker

Jörn Wübker

Kristin Knillmann

Rachael Lavin

Gregor López Moreira

Rafael Macean

Adrian McCarthy

Isabel Pattuzzi

Kaya Payseno

Katherine Reilly

Hannah Savory

Cydnie Seelenbinder

Miloš Stevović

Guest appearance: Elijah Nielebock

Creative Team

LEAD DIRECTION : Tanya de Boer

LEAD MUSICAL DIRECTION: Hannah Savory

DIRECTION: Rachael Lavin, Kaya Payseno, Cydnie Seelenbinder

MUSICAL DIRECTION: Robert Welker

CHOREOGRAPHY: Chloe Hayward, Isabel Pattuzzi, Chiara Scaldaferro

COSTUMES: Kyra Jacques-Grundy

HAIR & MAKE-UP: Tanya de Boer

STAGEHANDS: Stephanie McEvoy, Izzy Rousmaniere

LIGHTING DESIGN: Benny Purfürst

LIGHTING OPERATION: L Wilson-Spiro

TEXT ARRANGEMENT: Kaya Payseno

PRIDE SPEECHES (VOICES): Rafael Macean, Jona Arava, Kyra Jacques-Grundy, Cydnie Seelenbinder Matthew Canham

AUDIO EDITING: Matthew Canham

SOUND ASSISTANCE: Winnie Wong, Elijah Nielebock

GRAPHIC DESIGN & ANIMATION: Matthew Canham

MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA: Chloe Hayward, Lorna Brunton, Fidias Curiel, Jona Arava

PRODUCTION COORDINATION: Naomi Marne

PROGRAMME EDITING & DESIGN: Gregor López Moreira

TECHNICAL PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT (SchwuZ): Emil Göthberg

EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT(SchwuZ): Gisela Sommer

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT(SchwuZ): Florian Winkler-Schwarz