On 22 January 1957, a woman named Claire Waldoff died in Bad Reichenhall at the age of 72 after her second stroke. Her real name was Klara Wortmann. She was born on 21.10.1884 in Gelsenkirchen as the daughter of a former miner and innkeeper and his wife. She had wanted to become a doctor... But everything turned out differently. She discovered her love for the theatre, changed her name, ended up at the cabaret in Berlin - and there she made history! From 1907 to 1935 she was the star on the boards of the great cabarets and variety theatres, her songs were popular and were sung in the streets. Like no other, Claire Waldoff hit the note that touched people, because she wanted to "sing about life" - about the worries and hardships, the joys and entanglements that life brings. She was so completely different from the chansonettes, diseuses and women of her generation. Even before the age of the "new woman" was proclaimed, she took all the liberties that came to her mind. She smoked a pipe and cigar, loved Nordhäuser Korn, cursed like a garbage truck driver and her voice was what is called a "real tube". Heinrich Zille called her Karl ("a guy like velvet and silk") and took her around the notorious bars in the north and east of Berlin. Her great love was Olly von Roeder, with whom she shared table and bed for 40 years. On stage she stood with tie and collar, which caused her trouble with the censor, who took the view that women in men's suits had no place on stage after 11 pm because of immorality. But much more unpleasant were the following years and her arguments with the fascist rulers... Sigrid Grajek (also known as the comedy character "Coco Lorès") sees Claire Waldoff as the "first mother of all cabaret artists". Accordingly, the actress passionately brings the songs and the life of this remarkable diseuse to the stage by slipping into the figure of Claire Waldoff to have her sing, play and tell how she grew her beak.
Image gallery
(Program in German)
