Last Call Tickets

By: Peter Danish
Director: Gil Mehmert
Cast list: Helen Schneider (as Leonard Bernstein), Lucca Züchner (as Herbert von Karajan)
Sets: Chris Barreca
Costumes: Renè Neumann
Lighting: Michael Grundner
Sound: Lindsay Jones
Other info: Original music by Lindsay Jones, video and projection design by Austin Switser

Many plays have imagined what would happen if two leaders met: N/A at Lincoln Center imagined a certain younger, Democratic congresswoman and a more senior Speaker of the House, while Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile put Einstein and Picasso beside each other at the same Parisian bar.

Now, Peter Danish puts two of the most influential modern musicians side by side in this stirring new play. Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan represented the best of North America and Europe, respectively, meaning they were gravitational forces on opposite side of the Atlantic ocean bending popular culture and even politics to their wills. When these two giants get too close, will something spark or will they both combust? Danish’s thrilling play explores the possibility of this encounter in Vienna as each man, late in his life, considers music over one last drink. What they settle is their score for the ages.

What to watch for

• American-born Helen Schneider (Norma Desmond in the German Sunset Boulevard, Sally Bowles in the German Cabaret) plays Leonard Bernstein.
• German actress Lucca Züchner (On the Town, Cabaret) plays von Karajan.
• Gil Mehmert directs and won the Director´s Award at Impulse Theatre Festival, the leading event for independent theater in German-speaking countries.
• Peter Danish has experience with historical fiction before, wriitng the award-winning book The Tenor along with a number of other plays.

Important information

• Children under 4 are not permitted in the theatre.
• No weapons permitted on the premises. No outside food or beverages, electric scooters, e-bikes, or battery-powered transportation devices, except when medically necessary.
• All items are subject to inspection. Anything brought into the theatre must fit on your lap or completely under your seat without blocking any aisles. Avoid bringing packages, luggage, and backpacks. Some items must be checked.
• The use of cameras, cell phones, and other recording devices during the show is strictly prohibited by law, except when used for accessibility services.
• E-cigarettes are used on stage