Cast

Dirk Michael Steffan studied philosophy and theology and subsequently worked as a radio and television journalist before finally devoting himself to creative expression. Since the 1990s, he has developed and produced informational and entertainment programs for television networks including ZDF, n-tv, ProSieben, and Kabel eins. In 2001, he founded the company MyWay Entertainment in Munich and developed the musical “Vom Geist der Weihnacht” by completely reimagining Charles Dickens’s novel “A Christmas Carol” for the stage.

At the musical’s premiere and during its first years of production, Dirk Michael Steffan was responsible for the artistic and financial aspects of the production in his roles as organizer, producer, and publisher. “The Spirit of Christmas” became a success story and set new box office records in Germany in a very short time. With over 800,000 attendees, it is now considered the most successful Christmas musical in the German-speaking world. As a composer and producer, Dirk Michael Steffan has enjoyed successful runs at venues including the Musical Dome in Cologne, the Theater des Westens in Berlin, the Deutsches Theater in Munich, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Capitol Theater in Düsseldorf, the Schillertheater in Berlin, and major event arenas.

Together with Benjamin Sahler and the “ Festspielhaus ” in Füssen, he released a revised version of his musical in 2023 under the new title “Der Geist der Weihnacht,” which was presented in 2024 as the first production to mark the celebrated reopening of the Metronom Theater in Oberhausen, where it drew over 50,000 attendees and sold out every performance.

Throughout his creative career, Dirk Michael Steffan has collaborated with numerous show business stars such as Olli Dittrich, Guido Cantz, Kim Fisher, and Andrea Kiewel; developed new shows for singer Stefanie Hertel; and cast well-known stage artists such as Patricia Kelly, Sandy Mölling, Jeanette Biedermann, Jasmin Wagner, LaFee, Guildo Horn, Marie Wegener, as well as numerous stars from the musical theater industry.

Through his work as an artist and producer, Dirk Michael Steffan has been committed to charitable causes for years, particularly to the needs of socially disadvantaged children. This is reflected in his collaborations with organizations such as UNICEF, the Malteser Hilfsdienst, and the “Arche” children’s project, in keeping with the motto: “Those who give will be the ones who receive.”

Michael Tasche, a native of Bottrop, appeared on stage himself in numerous musicals during his active performing career, such as “Evita,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” It was during this time that he also began working as a writer and director. From 1993 to 1995, he hosted well-known entertainment shows such as “Ein Tag wie kein anderer” (RTL), the SAT.1 show “Das Goldene Ei,” and “Treffpunkt Isartor” on TV München. In the years that followed, he worked as a freelance writer for numerous well-known TV entertainment shows, including “Darüber lacht die Welt” with Hape Kerkeling, “Vorsicht Kamera,” “Das Amt,” and the “Harald Schmidt Show.” He directed shows such as “Popstars” and “Vorsicht Kamera” before returning to the stage with some regret.

In 2001, he collaborated with composer Dirk Michael Steffan to create the musical “Vom Geist der Weihnacht,” which premiered in Oberhausen. Since then, the two creative minds have modernized the Christmas musical, and it has been performed in its new version under the title “Der Geist der Weihnacht” since 2023.  Following the huge success of “Vom Geist der Weihnacht,” Michael Tasche wrote additional musicals such as “Innenkabine mit Balkon,” “Italia con Amore,” and “Glück Auf!”

For the past seven years, he has headed the renowned “Munich Theater for Children,” where he began his own artistic career in 1983—on stage, of course, at that time.

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After graduating with honors in musical theater direction in Hamburg, Benjamin Sahler began his career in 2000 as a director at the Fürstbischöfliches Opernhaus Passau, where he staged operas such as Don Pasquale, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, and Hänsel und Gretel. Another stop took Sahler to the Anhaltisches Theater in Dessau from 2003 to 2005. Since 2005, he has been working as a freelance director and theater producer. He made a name for himself in Munich with productions with the Valentin Karlstadt Theater and München-Musik, which were performed in venues such as the magnificent courtyard of Munich City Hall (Ritter Unkenstein), the Prinzregententheater (Buchbinder Wanninger), and the Deutsches Theater (Zarah Leander – Der Wind hat mir ein Lied erzählt). Further stops included the Stadttheater Hildesheim (Das Land des Lächelns), the former Landestheater Lutherstadt Wittenberg (La Cenerentola and Hänsel und Gretel) and the Mousonturmtheater in Frankfurt (Totentanz). Sahler staged the operetta Orpheus in der Unterwelt in the open air at both "Opern Air" festivals in Nürtingen, as well as the musical A Midsummer Night's Dream on the lake stage in Magdeburg.

As his first production in Füssen, he used crowdfunding to bring the musical "Ludwig²" back to the stage in Füssen in 2016, where 30,000 spectators celebrated the play. Since then, "Ludwig²" has been an integral part of the Festspielhaus's repertoire. Sahler has been theater director of the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein since October 2017 and attracts audiences to the beautiful venue with creative productions such as "Die Schöne und das Biest", the Nibelungen musical "Der Ring," and "Die Päpstin".

In 2021, he staged the acclaimed world premiere of "Zeppelin – das Musical" here, followed by "Ein bisschen Frieden – Summer of Love," the second production featuring music by Ralph Siegel. In 2023, together with his directing partner Dirk Schattner, he brought a modernized version of the musical "Der Geist der Weihnacht" to the stage of the Festspielhaus. In 2024, the world premiere of "Die Zauberflöte" as a musical took place there in collaboration with the Deutsches Theater Munich.

Dirk Schattner has directed productions in Germany, the USA, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, and Greece. Between 2003 and 2007, he worked for the German National Theater in Weimar. At the same time, his musical "Der Graf von Gleichen" enjoyed three successful summer seasons at a festival venue in Thuringia built especially for this purpose. As part of the "RUHR.2010" Capital of Culture program, Dirk Schattner produced more than 80 short films based on Giacomo Puccini's opera "Manon Lescaut" in the project "Internet Opera." For the international Festival of the Aegean in Syros, Greece, he staged operas such as Richard Strauss' "Salome" from 2012 to 2016 and "Rigoletto" in 2014 as an anniversary production celebrating 150 years of the Apollon Theater Syros. In May 2014, his stage adaptation of Franz Kafka's "Das Schloß" premiered in Rostock. In December 2014, Schattner made his US debut as a director with E. Kalman's operetta "The Csardas Princess" in Washington, D.C., as well as with a musical theater project on Gustav Mahler, among other things.

In the summer of 2018, his musical "Nimmerwiedermehr" about the children's hospital in Rothenburgsort premiered, winning first prize in the "andersartig gedenken on stage" competition in Berlin and the Bertini Prize in Hamburg. Other works in recent years include "Hundertwasser" at Festspielhaus , "Schatten.Risse" about the life of Ulrike Meinhof at the Theater Waggonhalle in Marburg, and the European premiere of the opera "The Village" at the Hauptkirche St. Katharinen in Hamburg. In the 2021/2022 season, he was a member of the jury for the German Musical Theater Award.

Stefanie Gröning is a state-certified ensemble director specializing in musical theater and has been a permanent member of the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein in Füssen since 2016. There she works as a choreographer, performer, dance teacher, and operations director, and has been in charge of the Kids Musical Academy since its founding. Almost all musical productions at Festspielhaus carry her artistic signature, as do the Festspielhaus's guest performances at venues such as the Deutsches Theater Munich, the Metronom Theater Oberhausen, and the Theaterhaus Stuttgart.

She is also active on stage: among other roles, she played Hermia in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." In the musical "Die Päpstin", she performed as an aerial acrobat and also played the roles of Richhild and the mother. In "Die Schöne und das Biest", she played the lead role of Bella. In the musical "Ludwig²", she played leading roles such as Duchess Sophie and Empress Elisabeth and danced the swan. In "Der Geist der Weihnacht", she was responsible for the choreography, as in the three aforementioned productions, and also played the role of Belle.

Further highlights of her career include world premieres at the Festspielhaus: she choreographed Ralph Siegel's musical "Zeppelin" and played the leading role of Countess Isabella. She also choreographed the world premieres of "Cinderella", "Ein Bisschen Frieden", and "Die Zauberflöte", in which she also played the roles of Cinderella, Dancer/Elisabeth, and Papagena.

Stefanie Gröning particularly enjoys working artistically with teenagers and young adults. She is especially passionate about promoting and supporting young talent, helping them to develop their potential and providing them with expert coaching on their personal artistic journey.

Alina Groder, born on March 2, 1997, in Lienz, East Tyrol, is a professional stage dancer and choreographer in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. She trained in stage dance at the Iwanson School for Contemporary Dance in Munich and went on an exchange program to the Stockholm Ballet Academy. Immediately afterwards, she completed an internship at the Ballet and Dance Theater Pforzheim and studied urban dance styles at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz. Together with Anna Martens, Alina Groder is co-founder of the dance company TANZTHEATRAL, which stages contemporary dance pieces throughout Germany. She has also danced in over 390 performances at Festspielhaus and continues to perform there as a dancer in a wide variety of musicals.

Anna Martens completed her dance studies at ArtEZ University of the Arts (Netherlands) and the Iwanson International School of Contemporary Dance in Munich. She deepened her understanding of the body through Pilates training. She was engaged at Festspielhaus for three years—as a dancer, dance captain, and choreographer, including for "Hundertwasser—Das Musical," "Die Zauberflöte," and the dance theater "Die 4 Jahreszeiten—neu verTANZt." She is co-founder of the dance company TANZTHEATRAL, with which she realizes artistic projects based on the slowmade principle. As a performer, she has appeared at Festspielhaus Bregenz Festspielhaus, in the opera "The Village," in interdisciplinary projects with Miriam Hanika, and at the Haus der Kunst in Munich, among others.

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