Music and comedy with ace major in the tipi: brotherly love and recorder terror

The combination is a classic of comic friction: the bright man meets the constant nagger. An indestructible principle, according to which “The Big Ass-Dur Christmas Show” in the Tipi at the Chancellery also works. Works well, as can be said at the end of the puppet-funny show.

And that despite the fact that she begins with an attempt on hearing. The musical comedians Florian and Dominik Wagner act as the recorders of death. And while squabbling about the perfect show opener with a shrill soprano recorder fuss, they saw through several Christmas carols. Of course, as a quote from family house music for the festival, in which the less well-off recorder talents, who are dutifully praised by the grandparents, are the classic cast.

Studied classically at the “Hanns Eisler”.

Speaking of classic. Dominik Wagner once gave up a career in this musical field in favor of playing A-flat major. Since 2006, the duo, which exploits not only classical music but also pop for their jokes, has built up a solid reputation on the stages of the republic. First in the combination of Dominik Wagner and Benedikt Zeitner. The two young musicians, who have won several awards at the “Jugend musiziert” competition, met while studying at the Hanns Eisler Music Academy in Berlin.

The cast changed in 2019, since then Ass-Dur has been a family business. At the side of the violinist and trained music theater director Dominik Wagner, his pianist brother Florian Wagner now works as the better half.

The two are also known to fans of off-musicals as the creators of “Sarg never never – A musical to laugh”, a black humorous music theater production that premiered a few years ago at the Neukölln Opera.

Black humor is also what brother Dominik puts on as a constant nag at the show, which is “also suitable for those who don’t like Christmas”. A Christmas jumper serves as his idiot costume, in which he stands out unfavorably from Florian, who wears a festive red velvet jacket with an entertainer’s smile. Dominik, who is hanging carelessly on the piano bench, rails against Florian, praises his own gags, makes his brother’s mad. Envy has always strengthened sibling love.

Ass-Dur’s principle of humor is stupid puns, more familiar from British comedians than from German ones. Would you like a taste? “I recently ordered flowers online for the first time. An e-mail came back promptly: the order had been received.” Roaring laughter from the audience.

The joke version of “Feliz Navidad” is a roar

The A-flat major version of José Feliciano’s Christmas standard “Feliz Navidad” is also a howler. From the syllables “Feliz”, “Navi” and “dad” they make a crazy text that revolves around fleece sweaters and driving with a navigation system.

Supported by a keyboardist, bassist and drummer – “our Heiliga-Band” – the two on piano and violin ignite a sometimes fat, sometimes intimate acoustic sound. 24 advent calendar boxes serve as the stage setting, which light up individually when a gimmick is hidden behind them. And the audience is challenged too. When singing and dancing along, there is a lot of merriment, especially since the ace major hit “Tanzen im Sitzen” is compatible with theater tents with seats.

The fact that the Wagner brothers have mastered their instruments as well as their styles of music becomes clear in the numbers in which they intonate Helene Fischer’s “Atemlos” in the style of Mozart, Liszt and Beethoven. Or perform a piano concerto by Bach for four hands while undressing and swapping costumes.

It has circus qualities. And next to the acclaimed Gaga nativity play, it is the highlight of the powerful, but too short, second half of the show.

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