The cult show “Fastnacht in Franken” was not broadcast live this year due to the corona pandemic Bavarian Radio (BR) broadcast, but around 170 people were allowed to be present during the recording. Including, as usual, prominent politicians such as Prime Minister Markus Söder and State Parliament President Ilse Aigner (both CSU).
EThe highlight is already the outlook for the coming year. Markus Söder made a promise for that.
Markus Söder appears in a tuxedo
Carnival fans can only dream of a carnival session like before the pandemic. Many events are cancelled. The TV show “Fastnacht in Franken” brings a piece of carnival normality into the living room at home: creatively costumed politicians, delicately rhymed handmade speeches and dancing at the highest level. The Bavarian Radio (BR) broadcast was recorded on Wednesday and will be broadcast on Friday evening.
Unlike last year, the audience was allowed to attend the pompous session of the Franconian Fastnacht Association this year – albeit only about 170 guests instead of the usual 600. As usual, there were a number of celebrities, including Markus Söder (CSU), Barbara Stamm (CSU) and the Würzburg bishop Franz Jung.
Apparently, Söder even put the meeting in such a carnival mood that he announced a costume comeback. “Next year I’ll definitely be back in costume,” he said after the show. This year he wore a tuxedo – as before during his time as Prime Minister.
“Fastnacht in Franken”: From Cleopatra to Han Solo – politicians in disguise
Söder’s costumes used to arouse a lot of admiration. But his colleagues are now hardly inferior to him in this regard. Especially the Cleopatra disguised Katharina Schulze (Greens) was hardly recognizable.
Martin Hagen (FDP) came as Che Guevara, Florian von Brunn (SPD) as Han Solo from “Star Wars”, Michael Piazolo (Free Voters) as Aladin, Bernd Sibler (CSU) as a polymath and Melanie Huml (CSU) as a European expansive crinoline. Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer (CSU) spoke out against the current federal government in costume: it came as a crossed-out traffic light. Family and Social Affairs Minister Carolina Trautner (CSU) dressed up as Michel from Lönneberga in a refreshingly unpretentious way.
“It’s confetti for the soul to be able to be here again,” said Ilse Aigner (CSU), President of the State Parliament. She had dressed up as the angel Aloisia, almost entirely in blue and white and with extravagant antlers on the high-heeled pumps.
The show cannot do without the topic of the corona virus
Viewers can also see many old friends on stage on Friday. The audience favorites Martin Rassau and Volker Heissmann have several appearances. Also ventriloquist Sebastian Reich with hippopotamus lady Amanda, the foolish cleaning lady Ines Procter and Michl Müller are part of the party. The singing humorist Matthias Walz has brought a net find with him: a video of Markus Söder dressed as Elvis and singing.
The taunts and taunts range from gender stereotypes to the sense and nonsense of best-before dates to dating apps. Of course, there is hardly a performance without an allusion to the corona virus and how politicians deal with it.
The fact that the hall was much emptier than usual was not noticeable from the atmosphere. A sketch called Witzeprüfstelle by Martin Rassau and Volker Heissmann received thunderous applause.
The face of Fastnacht says goodbye – Bernd Handel is leaving after 16 years
After 16 years, viewers have to opt out of this carnival in Franconia Chairman of the session Bernd Handel say goodbye. This was announced by BR on Friday (February 18, 2022) before the show was broadcast in the evening. Bernd Handel led the cult show all those years as a Fastnachter of KK Buchnesia Nürnberg and made a significant contribution to its success, explains the BR. In 1991 Handel was himself on the stage in Veitshöchheim as a voice imitator – and he was able to imitate them all: Rudi Carell, Franz-Josef Strauss, Willi Brand.
Who will be Bernd Handel’s successor remained a secret until the broadcast of “Fastnacht in Franken” on Friday evening. However, when he said goodbye, he already said: “It was a great time because I experienced many highlights and made many friends. Now, of course, there is a little melancholy. But I’m sure that stopping now is the right step to take right time.” In the first part of the show, various artists led through the program. Eventually he became Cabaret artist Christoph Maul as the new session president crowned.
Unfortunately, the “Altneihauser Feierwehrkapell’n” from the Upper Palatinate was not there this year. She had canceled her performance because it was very difficult for her to rehearse during the pandemic. But with a worthy homage to the cult band, Martin Rassau and Volker Heissmann contributed a touch of the Upper Palatinate to this year’s show.
These well-known faces appear at “Fastnacht in Franken”.
Also this year the well-known carnival stars like “Dreggsagg” Michl Müller, ventriloquist Sebastian Reich with hippopotamus lady Amanda, the comedian duo Volker Heissmann & Martin Rassau, Büttenredner Peter Kuhn and the man at the piano Matthias Walz don’t splash out “and give the show a special spice”, like that BR communicates.
In addition to the classics of the show, new faces could also be seen on the stage in Veitshöchheim this year: Christoph Maul from Schillingsfürst in Middle Franconia, for whom participation in the “Foolish Wine Tasting” in 2019, 2020 and 2021 was already the acid test for the big pompous session , and Tanzmariechen Aenne Rebhan from Coburg celebrate their premiere at the “Fastnacht in Franken”, as does the dance couple René Skopura and Lena Meyer from Marktredwitz.
Another highlight this year is according to the Bavarian radio a fool’s game with a curious insight into the editorial office of the “Veitshöchheimer Tagblatt”. Also present: Ines Procter, Oti Schmelzer, Oliver Tissot, Klaus Karl-Kraus, Viva Voce, the Dorfrocker, the Tanzmariechen Emilia Castaneda and Lorena Ruthardt from the KK Buchnesia Nürnberg as well as the Besenbinder Tanzsportgarde Röttenbach.
“Fastnacht in Franken” is the most successful show on BR
Some carnival fans may find it an affront that the “Fastnacht in Franken” takes place while most of the carnival events of small clubs have to be cancelled. But the head of the BR studios Franken Tassilo Forchheimer made it clear after the show that the artists also wanted to finally appear in front of a larger audience again.
The hygiene concept was designed together with the University Hospital Würzburg. Everyone present had to be boosted. In addition, they were tested for the corona virus directly before the broadcast. Sebastian Reich and Matthias Walz joked that the show took place under “5G”: vaccinated, tested, showered and in a good mood.
The “Fastnacht in Franken” is the most successful program of the BR.
red/dpa
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