Stephan Hippe // Die Knef Story

In the organizer's words:

WIESBADEN PREMIERE
On the 100th birthday of Hildegard Knef

Red roses, all the miracles and a pinch of snark by and with Stephan Hippe

"100 Years of Hildegard Knef by and with Stephan Hippe: An exciting journey between original and reinterpretation" brings the unforgettable chanson legend back in a modern way. Stephan Hippe interprets her songs humorously and profoundly, without travesty bliss. With multimedia elements, such as original recordings and projections, the past merges with the present and takes the audience authentically into Knef's world.

Hippe brings the texts into the here and now with a slight wink: Her lyrics humorous and tragicomic, full of warmth, courage and the slight slant of life hit the mark just as much today as they did then. Knef is timelessly relevant - and back among us.

"If you marry art, you get criticism as a mother-in-law." Suddenly she is back in the middle of the room: Hildegard Knef, German world star - raw, fragile, direct. Her songs, which she wrote herself with her inimitably dry tone, still hit the mark. The stories she tells are humorous and tragicomic, full of warmth, courage and a slight slant on life. Movie scenes flicker on the screen: Knef in black and white Berlin, Knef on the movie screen, Knef as a chanson singer with a cigarette and a deep gaze. The projections change, immersing the room in colors and images that capture the atmosphere of the songs - sometimes it rains red roses, sometimes a hint of big city melancholy wafts through the hall.

"While Stephan Hippe sings, she seems to breathe on stage - every note, every line brings Knef's lyrics back to the here and now. His voice helps to penetrate the subtle emotional layers of these songs and enables a deep connection to their stories." "From a certain age, you should learn to choose your enemies."

Hildegard Knef's lyrics are more than just contemporary chansons - they are poetic reflections on life, love, loss and self-assertion. Her lyrics address universal themes that are just as relevant today as they were then. A reinterpretation of the musical accompaniment with elements of jazz, electronic music or acoustic instrumentation gives the songs a modern touch without losing the core of the messages. These songs are not nostalgic numbers, but lively, witty and sometimes bitter reflections. One man was just missing ? Hippe does not embody Knef, he plays with her themes, makes them dance, ironic and at the same time deeply touching. The dry humor in her lyrics, as fine as a sharp blade, pervades the evening and keeps the balance between lightness and seriousness. Hippe gives the songs a modern touch without losing their essence. The fact that a man interprets Hildegard Knef, far removed from travesty bliss or gender debate, symbolizes Knef's fight against gender clichés. A reference to how Knef herself always crossed boundaries, be it in art or in life.

"I have a simple recipe for staying fit: I run amok every day."
The lyrical world of Knef - live and tangible Poetry takes center stage and Stephan Hippe lets the words take effect: Her poems and chansons tell of love, failure, getting back up again as if Knef had just written them.

Her unmistakable voice fills the room, sometimes she speaks a quote, sometimes a sharp word that still hits the heart, authentically transporting the audience into Knef's world.
At the end of the show, the boundaries between then and now, past and present become blurred. The journey through her songs becomes a bridge to the present day and makes it clear: Knef is timelessly relevant - and back among us.