Alexander Paperny in Berlin. "My name is Balalaika" 22 March 2026

A rendezvous with songs from the '20s, '30s and '40s in new accompaniment with humorous and informative stories and anecdotes about the works - from "Ein kleiner grüner Kaktus" to "Ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin" to "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt".

The audience is unanimous: the sound of the balalaika immediately arouses the audience's interest and sometimes even invites them to sing along gently.
The arrangements by Alexander Paperny, one of the most sought-after balalaika players in the German-speaking world, are gracefully redesigned and surprise with their accents and timbres, which open the heart and often invite a dreamy smile.

Enriched by many humorous and informative stories and anecdotes about the songs, their performers, authors and composers, compiled by Hamburg theater director and author Hartmut Uhlemann, the evening is a treat for the heart and mind.

Old familiar things can be heard anew and why not learn more about, for example, the hidden joke in Ein kleiner grüner Kaktus by the Comedian Harmonists, about the dreamy longing in Ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin or in So oder so ist das Leben and, for example, about the all-pervading and nourishing love in the songs by Friedrich Holländer - Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt and Johnny, wenn Du Geburtstag hast.