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Hamburg Opera Debuts Political Satire Targeting Trump-Like Figure
Artistic director Tobias Kratzer expressed disbelief at the timing of Hamburg State Opera’s world premiere of “Monster’s Paradise,” an opera that satirizes a character resembling former U.S. President Donald Trump. Hours before Sunday’s debut, Kratzer remarked: “The metaphor has become a reality. I’m really hoping the piece is not completely outdated because up until now it has always gone closer and closer to not being a satire but being reality.”
The German-language opera represents a significant collaboration between two of Austria’s most celebrated artists. Nobel Prize-winning author Elfriede Jelinek, 79, wrote the libretto with composer Olga Neuwirth, 57, marking their first project together in two decades. Neuwirth made history in 2019 as the first woman composer to have work presented at the Vienna State Opera and later won the prestigious 2022 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition.
The production transformed the opera house into an immersive experience, with chorus members dressed as zombies roaming the foyers before the performance and during intermission, alongside Disney-styled princesses and dancing hot dogs. The opera opened with a Las Vegas-style LED display and action on a passerelle extending into the audience.
“Monster’s Paradise” draws inspiration from Alfred Jarry’s controversial 1896 play “Ubu Roi,” a profane work that was shut down after a single performance due to audience outrage. Jelinek adapted elements from Jarry’s King Wenceslas and Ubu characters to create The President-King in what she and Neuwirth describe as a Grand Guignol opera.
“I have long known Jarry’s play, but when Trump came to power, I instantly thought of it,” Jelinek explained via email.
On stage, The President-King, sung by Georg Nigl, presides over a gilded Oval Office complete with a Coca-Cola filled refrigerator. His desk features a golden crown and a red button that ejects visitors game-show style as red X-shaped lights flash. A figure reminiscent of Melania Trump hovers in the background.
The narrative unfolds over five scenes spanning 2 hours and 45 minutes, guided by a pair of pun-loving vampires named Vampi and Bampi, performed by Sarah Defrise and Kristina Stanek, who function similarly to Wagner’s Rheinmaidens and Norns. The President-King faces opposition from Gorgonzilla, a monster created by a nuclear accident, sung by Anna Clementi. The production initially had “Godzilla” in its title but changed it due to rights issues.
Countertenors Andrew Watts and Eric Jurenas play Mickey and Tuckey, the President-King’s sycophantic adjutants modeled after tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. They shower their leader with flattery, singing lines such as: “Nobody has such high numbers as you.”
Acclaimed actress Charlotte Rampling appears in projected videos as The Goddess, defending nature and civilization against the forces of destruction. The plot culminates with Gorgonzilla devouring the President-King, only to become equally authoritarian. The opera concludes with the vampires drifting along the Elbe River playing Schubert on a Bösendorfer piano, lamenting humanity’s self-destruction.
Designer Rainer Sellmaier’s outlandish portrayal shows the President-King growing to enormous proportions while wearing a diaper and golden necktie. In one scene clearly referencing Trump, the character plants a golf club on Gorgonzilla’s rock, evoking the White House AI photo of Trump landing on Greenland. The character boasts of winning “Ohoho” and “Tuxus,” while claiming his lead in “Pennsilfania” isn’t even close.
Neuwirth composed for a Mozart-sized orchestra supplemented with electric guitar and drum kit, while characters often employ Sprechstimme—a vocal technique between singing and speaking. Conductor Titus Engle skillfully integrated Neuwirth’s diverse musical styles.
“I’m not playing the American president, but it’s very close,” explained Nigl, who portrayed Russian President Vladimir Putin in another opera last year. “I am playing a misogynist, a braggart, a fraudster, a despiser.” Nigl emphasized that his character’s most significant line is: “He who has millions does not need voters.”
After the premiere, Neuwirth surprisingly declared, “I’m never going to write an opera again,” though she declined to explain why. She admitted feeling concerned about potential repercussions from the U.S. administration: “I’m kind of a little bit afraid because I want to still enter the United States.”
Jelinek, however, remained unfazed, stating simply: “I am not afraid. I am a small, unimportant European woman.”
“Monster’s Paradise” runs for six performances in Hamburg through February 19, before moving to Zurich Opera from March 8 to April 12 and later to Austria’s Oper Graz. An audio recording is planned.
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8 Comments
I’m always interested in how the arts can engage with and reflect on the political landscape. This production seems to be doing that in a provocative and imaginative way. I’ll have to look out for reviews to see how it’s received.
Interesting to see a political satire opera targeting a Trump-like figure. I wonder how the audience will receive it and if the metaphor still hits the mark given the current reality. Feels like a bold artistic statement.
While I’m wary of art that leans too heavily on political caricature, the pedigree of the creative team behind this opera suggests it could offer more nuanced commentary. I’m curious to see if it provides fresh insight on the Trump phenomenon.
The immersive staging with chorus members as zombies and Disney princesses sounds quite striking. I wonder how those visuals and theatrics will complement or contrast with the political satire at the heart of the opera.
I’m curious to learn more about the collaboration between Elfriede Jelinek and Olga Neuwirth. Bringing together such celebrated Austrian artists for a politically-charged opera production is an intriguing creative pairing.
Yes, it will be fascinating to see how their distinct artistic voices come together in this work. Neuwirth making history as the first woman composer at the Vienna State Opera adds an interesting dimension as well.
The contrast between the serious nature of opera and the lighthearted Disney imagery is intriguing. I’m curious to see how that juxtaposition plays out and what artistic statement it’s aiming to make.
It’s bold for an opera house to premiere a work so directly satirizing a recent US president. I wonder if there will be any backlash or controversy around it, or if the audience will embrace the political messaging.