AIDA Musical at Lake Thun – A Night to Remember

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Based on an opera conceptualized by Giuseppe Verdi, AIDA is a tale of love between Radames, the captain of the Egyptian army, and Aida, the daughter of the Nubian king.

Originally meant to be an animated feature film, AIDA is now a successful musical with more than 1800 performances worldwide. With music composed by Elton John and lyrics written by Tim Rice, AIDA is a visual spectacle that would be a sin to miss. And I didn't.

The Prelude

My anticipation for AIDA had been mounting for weeks. I kept spotting the teaser on billboards across Bern and Thun. AIDA even looked at me from the shopping bags at Coop! I simply could not help but be part of the excitement.

And when the day finally did come, the weather chose to play a dampener. As I got ready to hop ob the train from Bern to Thun on the day of the event, I kept wondering how the artists would perform if it rained even heavier than it already was...

The Day of the AIDA Premiere

I soon realized that being part of the press brings perks that one does not usually get! A behind the scenes tour provided loads of insights into the construction of the stage and the make-up of the spectacle. I really gained an appreciation for the logistics required to set up a stage on a lake... This task alone had begun months before the premiere of AIDA!

Then, as the celebrities and hoi-polloi started to pour in, the mercury at the venue rose despite the continuing drizzle on this chilly summer night. Among many of the notable faces were:

David Morell (Swiss actor)

(Photograph copyright by Thunerseespiele)

Heidi Maria Glössner (Swiss actress) and her personal umbrella assistant

Michael Fässler (Mister Handicap)

(Photograph copyright by Thunerseespiele)

Luca Hänni (Singer) and Jesse Ritch (not pictured)

Jesse Ritch (Singer)

Showtime for the AIDA Musical

And finally, keeping up with the delirium, I took my seat and I felt the excitement double in no time! By now, the rain had given up to reveal the beauty of Lake Thun and the majesty of Mt. Niesen and the Alps in the background. This evening setting was most beautiful for unraveling a love story.

And so it began: A tale of power, deceit, love, sadness and emotions. Patricia Meeden in the role of Aida and Jörn-Felix Alt as Radames completely stole the show with their performances. And so did Sophie Berner as Amneris and Armin Kahl as Zoser... Well, it is tough to think of a single actor who did not take my breath away.

It was truly a delight to see that despite the damp weather, the spirits of both the artists and the audience were alive – from the beginning until the end.

Some Interesting Facts about the AIDA Musical

The head of the Sphinx made for the play is 9.5 meters high!
The foundation for the stage is composed of 31'000 individual pieces.
The stage is around 1000 square meters and weighs 450 tonnes - including the audience.
For 11 years, more than 70'000 visitors have ventured to Lake Thun to watch various musicals.
The AIDA musical first premiered on Broadway in 2000.
Composer Verdi returned the admission price to a student who was not "too impressed" with the opera. He did, however, refuse to return the money the student had paid for food. Verdi's reasoning: The student could have eaten at home...
Verdi's tunes are said to have unified Italy as it was a bonding factor for people who spoke different dialects.