Germany: Kassel's opera house reopens with brass concert

W/S Spectators at Kassel's National Theatre, Kassel
C/U Spectators
M/S Person sitting and reading
C/U Warning sign
M/S Spectators
W/S Musicians arriving on stage
C/U Spectators
W/S Concert
M/S Trumpet player
C/U Tuba player
M/S Trumpet player
C/U Trombone player
C/U Warning sign
W/S Guests in lobby
W/S Warning sign
M/S Guests in lobby
W/S Guests in lobby
W/S Guests in lobby
SOT, Anita Kleint, guest (German): "It's depressing actually. But we hoped and sent out thoughts and now it has been done. I think it is a small beginning."
W/S Guest talking to receptionist
SOT, Bernd Albrecht, guest (German): "I know that its gonna be very different due to the distancing. But we can listen to live music again. That's very nice."
W/S Guests entering
SOT, Thomas Bockelmann, director (German): "For the music theatre the continuation is much more difficult that's why we implemented more chamber-music formats. And for the first premieres after the summer La Traviata and La Cenerentola we made versions that has an orchestra with 23 members, where choir singers stand upstairs in the box in order to maintain the distances."
W/S Guests in lobby
M/S Person reading
SOT, Thomas Bockelmann, director (German): "The fact that we can only play in the opera house in front of 100 people and 76 people in the theatre. This is possible until summer and doesn't work long term for its not economic. One guest in the opera costs more than the revenues in total under the current audience figures. We hope that the situation will normalise and we hope that we can start the theatre with 200 or 300 guests and the opera house with up to 400 guests after summer."
W/S Guests entering
SOT, Thomas Bockelmann, director (German): "Theatre lives off the here and now with other people in one room. We can only hope that the virus does not spread further, we must all hope that there will be a vaccine. When there is a vaccine we can go back to our usual programme and until then we have to deal with the situation. The times [for the cultural sector] will be harder - for sure."
W/S State theatre
SCRIPT
Kassel's opera house reopened its doors to visitors with a brass concert on Saturday. The theatre had been closed since March due to the coronavirus measures implemented by the government to stop the virus spreading further.
100 visitors were allowed to attend the concert of the Kassel Opera Brass orchestra performing pieces by Bach, Victor Ewald and Malcom Arnold, among others.
Spectators had to wear face masks while enjoying beverages in the lobby in the breaks.
Empty seats between the guests ensured the obligatory minimal distance.
The director of Kassel's state theatre, Thomas Bockelmann, stated that under the current circumstances the institution can only survive until summer, citing a lack of revenue.
"The fact that we can only play in the opera house in front of 100 people and 76 people in the theatre. This is possible until summer and doesn't work long term for its not economic. One guest in the opera costs more than the revenues in total under the current audience figures." Bockelmann added that he hopes the theatre could host between 200-400 guests after the summer break.