"Line 1" celebrates its 2000th anniversary: Lehmann plays without a break
Actor Dietrich Lehmann hasn't missed a performance of the Berlin metropolitan musical "Linie 1" for 37 years - but the veteran actor still prefers to play it safe before the 2000th performance. "I know the lyrics in my sleep, but to be on the safe side I look at them beforehand and go through them," the 83-year-old tells the German Press Agency. "I think that's important because something can always happen. Especially with a song - you have to go through it once or twice beforehand."
The play "Linie 1", which premiered in 1986, will take to the stage of the Grips Theater for the 2000th time on Saturday. It is one of the best-known musicals in Germany. The performances still sell out quickly.
Lehmann plays several roles at once, such as the pensioner Hermann or one of the reactionary Wilmersdorf widows. How has he managed not to miss a single performance in the history of the musical? "I thank whoever - my ancestors, my genes or perhaps my previous sporting activities - that I've never actually been ill since I've been in Berlin since 1961," he says.
Still convinced of the musical's message
A doctor who had seen the play had even advised him to continue performing. Like his great role model, the late actress Helene Weigel, Lehmann believes that you can perform any play forever - as long as you are convinced of its message.
Linie 1" tells the story of a young woman from West Germany in the mid-1980s who is looking for the Berlin rock musician Johnny, whom she romanticizes as her prince charming. When she arrives in Berlin, she meets all kinds of Berlin types on the subway.
The lyrics from the song "Ride the subway again, look at the people" also apply to Lehmann himself. He has been using the subway for 60 years. "This phenomenon of sharing a space together, of being in the same room but remaining totally anonymous, that's always the greatest experience for me."
Lehmann's love for music extends beyond the stage, often listening to songs during his commuting journey on the subway. The diversity of people on the subway, as reflected in the lyrics of "Ride the subway again, look at the people," resonates deeply with him.
People from all walks of life flock to the Grips Theater to witness the 2000th performance of "Linie 1," eager to appreciate the theatre's timeless message and Lehmann's captivating portrayal of various characters.
Source: www.dpa.com
