Premiering on January 19th 2024, Charlie Casanova delivered a commanding performance in the ambitious production of Das Portal ("The Portal"), directed by Herbert Fritsch, staged at the renowned Schauspiel Stuttgart. This multifaceted work showcased her extraordinary versatility as both a musician and actress, contributing to a production thought up and written by German novel and theatre author Nis-Momme Stockmann. It is both parody and Homage of the insanity going about behind the scenes of the stage, within different departments of a theatre – very roughly described.

Assuming three distinct roles while navigating an extraordinary 25 costume changes within approximately 100 minutes of play, Casanova brought her multidisciplinary skillset to the forefront: With an empty stage holding nothing but a grand piano, she lent her musical expertise as a live pianist, intertwining her classical training, hence motifs of jazz and atonal improvisation, with the dramatic narrative by Stockmann, directed to boldly energetic, delightful madness by Herbert Fritsch. Her ability to transition seamlessly between (intensely physical) acting and musical performance added depth to the production, earning critical acclaim for her exceptional stage presence and emotional range.

– Prominent German online platform 'Nachtkritik', dedicated to theatre and performing arts criticism, wrote about Casanova's performance:
🇬🇧 "... Well, Fritsch is a bit of a thing. He wants laugh theatre, and for those who enjoy it, they’ll get their money’s worth. Because he knows his craft. Aside from that—and here’s where it gets “serious”—there’s one thing he does significantly better than most others. He has a pronounced musical sensibility. That’s why he’s brought the young multi-artist Charlie Casanova on board. The stage is empty, just a few colorful geometric light shapes, and a grand piano. She works on it, physically exalted, dressed as a harlequin (after all, Commedia dell’Arte always makes an appearance in Fritsch’s work). She flows seamlessly between Le Sacre du Révolutionsetüde con Clair de Lune, cacophonic Mickey-Mousing, and much more. She jumps behind the stage in between to quickly transform herself into the harried DHL courier and back again. The woman is pure theatre gold, no question."
🇩🇪 "... Nun ja, Fritsch ist halt so ne Sache. Er will Lachtheater, und wer das mag, kommt auf seine Kosten. Denn er beherrscht sein Handwerk. Abgesehen davon – und da wird’s dann "ernst" – kann er aber eines deutlich besser als die meisten anderen. Er hat ein ausgeprägtes musikalisches Gespür. Deshalb hat er die junge Multi-Künstlerin Charlie Casanova mit im Boot. Bühne leer, ein paar bunte geometrische Lichtfiguren, ein Flügel. Den bearbeitet sie, körperlich exaltiert, im Harlekinkostüm (Commedia dell’arte lässt ja ohnehin stets grüßen bei Fritsch). Switcht fließend zwischen Le sacre du Revolutionsetüde con Clair de Lune, kakophonem Mickeymousing und vielem anderen. Springt zwischendurch hinter die Bühne, um sich ratzfatz in den gehetzten DHL-Boten zu verwandeln und wieder zurück. Die Frau ist pures Theatergold, keine Frage."

Das Portal was the first time Charlie Casanova contributed live music to a theatre production.
DAS PORTAL
World premiere 19.01.24 at Schauspiel Stuttgart
Direction / Stage | Herbert Fritsch
Costumes | Bettina Helmi
Music | Charlie Casanova
Light | Jörg Schuchardt
Dramaturgy | Sabrina Zwach
With
Sebastian Blomberg, Gabriele Hintermaier, Reinhard Mahlberg, Marco Massafra, Marietta Meguid, Peer Oscar Musinowski, Valentin Richter, Sebastian Röhrle, Celina Rongen, Christiane Roßbach, Michael Stiller
© Schauspiel Stuttgart | Baltzer / Klein