Pop meets opera: The experimental music theater Opera Lab Berlin is turning five of the greatest pop hits of all time into a visionary new opera project: “Who’s Afraid of Pop Culture?” Each video features a hit pop song as a basis not just for a cover, but for a new, fully realized work with original music informed by and reacting to the original material. The cinematic treatments for Who’s Afraid of Pop Culture? are as important as the music itself. Five directors were chosen to shoot in strategic, decidedly “non-operatic” locations around Berlin. The resulting films evoke drama and intrigue with lysergic visual treatments. “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child becomes a moving love story under the big top of Circus Mond, while Rihanna’s “Work” and “Birthday Cake” features pseudo-woke mustached Berlin hipsters fulfilling their real destinies as gentrifiers. Later, two warring gangs find love on a skatepark’s quarter pipes and decks in “Bad Romance.” The anthemic "Seven Nation Army" soundtracks a mythical matriarchal cult born in a church. And once the lights go out in a Berlin supermarket a ghostly treatment of "Smells like Teen Spirit" begins. Opera Lab Berlin is an independent, free ensemble dedicated to creating interdisciplinary music theater. A laboratory of voice and instrumental playing that aims to be useful and entertaining, without being limited in terms of artistic processes, production and presentation methods.
Pop meets opera: The experimental music theater Opera Lab Berlin is turning five of the greatest pop hits of all time into a visionary new opera project: “Who’s Afraid of Pop Culture?” Each video features a hit pop song as a basis not just for a cover, but for a new, fully realized work with original music informed by and reacting to the original material. The cinematic treatments for Who’s Afraid of Pop Culture? are as important as the music itself. Five directors were chosen to shoot in strategic, decidedly “non-operatic” locations around Berlin. The resulting films evoke drama and intrigue with lysergic visual treatments. “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child becomes a moving love story under the big top of Circus Mond, while Rihanna’s “Work” and “Birthday Cake” features pseudo-woke mustached Berlin hipsters fulfilling their real destinies as gentrifiers. Later, two warring gangs find love on a skatepark’s quarter pipes and decks in “Bad Romance.” The anthemic "Seven Nation Army" soundtracks a mythical matriarchal cult born in a church. And once the lights go out in a Berlin supermarket a ghostly treatment of "Smells like Teen Spirit" begins. Opera Lab Berlin is an independent, free ensemble dedicated to creating interdisciplinary music theater. A laboratory of voice and instrumental playing that aims to be useful and entertaining, without being limited in terms of artistic processes, production and presentation methods.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
MUSIC
Words & Music: Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, David Grohl
Composer & Artistic Director: Evan Gardner
Musical Director: Francesca Verga
Recording & Mixing: Tadklimp
Mashup Material: Sonic Voyeur I by Evan Gardner
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PERFORMERS
Caretaker/Countertenor: Georg Bochow
Cheerleader/Viola: Louis Bona
Metalhead/Violin: Davis West
Skater/Guitar: Flavio Virzi
Football Player/Vioncello: Guilherme Rodrigues
Hippie/Basoon: Florian Bensch
Nerd/Melodica: Paul Gladys
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FILM CREW
Written & Directed by Samuel Chalela Puccini
Director of Photography: Mats Meisen
Assistant of Photography: Emmet Holmes-Boyes
Gaffer: Oliver Nies, Felix von Dohlen
Production Design: Cristina Lelli, Isabelle Kaiser
Production Design Assistant: Zera Insun Hwang
Make-Up Artist: Daria Andreeva
Set & Equipment Manager: Felix von Dohlen
Producer: Rabea Peter
Production Manager: Georg Steker
Production Administration: Julie Kurzke
Production Assistant: Patrick Franke
Editing & Color Grading: Samuel Chalela Puccini
Sound Design & Foley: Felix von Dohlen
Title & Credit Design: Sophie Pischel
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Catering: Frank Hofacker
Location: Bring Supermarkt
Kindly supported by Viseo GmbH
Technical Supplier: Tranzept GmbH
Props Supplier: FTA Fundus Berlin
Logo Reveal Photography: Michael Krüger
Logo Reveal Compositing: Salvatore Costa
Marketing Campaign: Will Roseliep, Louise Knauer
Grafic Design Campaign: Sophie Pischel
Funding: Fonds Darstellende Künste
Survivor
MUSIC
Words and Music: Beyoncé Knowles, Anthony Dent, Matthew Knowles
Composer & Artistic Director: Evan Gardner
Musical Director: Francesca Verga
Recording & Mixing: Tadklimp
Recorded at: Das Labor
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MASHUP MATERIALS
Piano Sonata No. 14, Op.27 No.2 “Moonlight Sonata”
by Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet No.10 Op.74 No.1 by Ludwig van Beethoven
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PERFORMERS
Soprano: Gina May Walter
Countertenor: Georg A. Bochow
Alto: Sophie Catherin
Soprano: Kristín Anna Guđmundsdóttir
Violin 1:Davis West
Violin 2: Julia Brüssel
Viola: Louis Bona
Violoncello: Guilherme Rodriques
Syntheziser: Giovanni Zaniol
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FILM CREW
Written & Directed by Dominique Preusse
Director of Photography: Richard Marx
1st AC: Michael Krüger
Set & Equipment Management: Felix von Dohlen
Production Design: Cristina Lelli, Isabelle Kaiser
Production Design Assistant: Zera Insun Hwang
Seamstress: Lisa Simpson
Make-Up Artist: Daria Andreeva
Make-Up Assistant: Anastasia Tritzkan
Choreographer: Anna Knapp
Hip Hop Choreographer: Son-Young Ramert, Backstage – Das Tanzstudion der Trainerhelden
Producer: Rabea Peter
Production Manager: Georg Steker
Production Administration: Julie Kurzke
Production Assistant: Patrick Franke
Editor: Naomie-Elena Böneker
Assistant Editor: Aurélien Barnabet
Animation VFX: Adrian Lestrat
Color Grading: Richard Marx
Sound Design & Foley: Felix von Dohlen
Title & Credit Design: Sophie Pischel
Bad Romance
MUSIC
Words and Music: Stefani Germanotta, Nadir Khayat
Composer & Artistic Director: Evan Gardner
Musical Director: Francesca Verga
Recording & Mixing: Tadklimp
Recorded at: Das Labor
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MASHUP MATERIALS
Automata: Evan Gardner
The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music: Evan Gardner
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PERFORMERS
Soprano: Gina May Walter
Alto: Sophie Catherin
Tenor: Christopher Fischer
Baritone: Jonathan Boudevin
Flute: Shin-Joo Morgantini
Clarinet: Kymia Kermani
Percussion: Paul Gladys
Violin: Julia Brüssel
Viola: Louis Bona
Violoncello: Guilherme Rodriques
Syntheziser: Jack Adler-McKean
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FILM CREW
Written & Directed by Lotta Schwerk
Director of Photography: Fion Mutert
1st AC: Julien Meyer
Set & Equipment Management: Felix von Dohlen
Production Design: Cristina Lelli, Isabelle Kaiser
Production Design Assistant: Zera Insun Hwang
Make-Up Artist: Daria Andreeva
Make-Up Assistant: Anastasia Tritzkan
Choreographer: Anna Knapp
Producer: Rabea Peter
Production Manager: Georg Steker
Production Administration: Julie Kurzke
Production Assistant: Patrick Franke
Location Scout: Michael Rosen
Editor: Lotta Schwerk
Color Grading: Fion Mutert
Sound Design & Foley: Felix von Dohlen
Title & Credit Design: Sophie Pischel
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Catering: Frank Hofacker
Location: Skatepark Bernau
Technical Supplier: Tranzept GmbH
Props Supplier: FTA Fundus Berlin
Logo Reveal Photography: Michael Krüger
Logo Reveal Compositing: Salvatore Costa
Marketing Campaign: Louise Knauer, Will Roseliep
Graphic Design Campaign: Sophie Pischel
Funding: Fonds Darstellende Künste
Work (Cake)
Music
Words and Music: Robyn Fenty, Jahron Brathwaithe, Allen Ritter, Aubrey Graham, Matthew Samuels, Monte S. Moir, Richard Stephenson
Composer & Artistic Director: Evan Gardner
Musical Director: Francesca Verga
Recording & Mixing: Tadklimp
Recorded at: Das Labor
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Mashup Materials
Sonic Voyeur II by Evan Gardner
Etude No. 12, Opus 25 by Frédéric Chopin
Birthday Cake by Robyn Fenty, Marcos Palacios, Ernest Clark, Terius Nash
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Performers
Soprano: Gina May Walter
Alto: Sophie Catherin
Countertenor: Georg A. Bochow
Flute: Shin-Joo Morgantini
Clarinet: Jone Bolibar Núñez
Percussion: Paul Gladys
Piano: Alba Gentili-Tedeschi
Violin: Davis West
Viola: Louis Bona
Violoncello: Guilherme Rodriques
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Film Crew
Written & Directed by Marco Vallini
Director of Photography: Richard Marx
Set & Equipment Management: Felix von Dohlen
Production Design: Cristina Lelli, Isabelle Kaiser
Production Design Assistant: Zera Insun Hwang
Seamstress: Lisa Simpson
Make-Up Artist: Daria Andreeva
Make-Up Assistant: Anastasia Tritzkan
Gaffer: Pawel Józwicki
Choreographer: Anna Knapp
Producer: Rabea Peter
Production Manager: Georg Steker
Production Administration: Julie Kurzke
Production Assistant: Patrick Franke, Gabor Csongradi
Editor: Marco Vallini
Color Grading: Richard Marx
Sound Design & Foley: Felix von Dohlen
Title & Credit Design: Sophie Pischel
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Catering: Frank Hofacker
Location: Kneipe der Brotfabrik
Technical Supplier: Tranzept GmbH
Props Supplier: Fundus Adlershof
Logo Reveal Photography: Michael Krüger
Logo Reveal Compositing: Salvatore Costa
Marketing Campaign: Louise Knauer, Will Roseliep
Graphic Design Campaign: Sophie Pischel
Funding: Fonds Darstellende Künste
Seven Nation Army
Music
Words and Music: Jack White
Composer & Artistic Director: Evan Gardner
Musical Director: Francesca Verga
Recording & Mixing: Tadklimp
Recorded at: Das Labor
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Performers
Soprano: Ruth Rosenfeld
Oboe: Kelsey Maiorano
Saxophone: Pedro Pablo Camara
Bassoon: Florian Bensch
Tuba: Jack Adler-McKean
Guitar: Flavio Virzi
Percussion: Paul Gladys
Viola: Louis Bona
Violoncello: Guilherme Rodriques
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Film Crew
Written & Directed by Helena Herb
Director of Photography: Alana Smithee
1st AC: Alexander Bahr
Gaffer: Adam Lynch, Akito Ruhl, Jana Peuckmann
Set & Equipment Management: Felix von Dohlen
Production Design: Cristina Lelli, Isabelle Kaiser
Production Design Assistant: Zera Insun Hwang
Dressmaker: Franziska Müller
Make-Up Artist: Daria Andreeva
Make-Up Assistant: Anastasia Tritzkan
Gaffer: Pawel Józwicki
Choreographer: Anna Knapp
Producer: Rabea Peter
Production Manager: Georg Steker
Production Administration: Julie Kurzke
Production Assistant: Patrick Franke
Editor: Toni Puig
Sound Design & Foley: Felix von Dohlen
Title & Credit Design: Sophie Pischel
.
Catering: Frank Hofacker
Location: Kirche zum guten Hirten
Technical Supplier: Tranzept GmbH
Props Supplier: Fundus Adlershof, FTA Fundus Berlin
Logo Reveal Photography: Michael Krüger
Logo Reveal Compositing: Salvatore Costa
Marketing Campaign: Louise Knauer, Will Roseliep
Graphic Design Campaign: Sophie Pischel
Funding: Fonds Darstellende Künste
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