The Son of God donates Pizza Frutti di Mare and Kassel is considered the “new Jerusalem”: RTL has once again retold the story of Jesus Christ in an extraordinary way with its second Bible musical “The Passion”. The show, which interweaves the suffering of the Savior with German pop songs, was staged in Kassel in the evening and broadcast live on television. Unfortunately the sky was not kind to the actors and spectators – it was raining in northern Hesse.
Jesus was played by singer and presenter Ben Blümel (42), actor Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht (32) took on the role of the traitor Judas. Singer Nadja Benaissa (41) from the pop band No Angels sang her way through several songs as Mother Mary, while actor Francis Fulton-Smith (57) portrayed a diabolical Roman governor Pontius Pilate with a tie and pocket square. “Good Times, Bad Times” actor Timur Ülker appeared as Peter – the disciple on whom Jesus wants to “build his church”.
“The Passion” Photo: dpa/Swen Pförtner
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Hannes Jaenicke leads through the Bible
However, actor Hannes Jaenicke (64) had the biggest speaking role, as the narrator led through the biblical material and steadfastly defied the rain (“I’m not made of sugar”). The actor is also known as a committed environmentalist – and has highlighted the suffering of rhinos and orangutans throughout his career. That evening he tried to explain why Jesus’ suffering could still be relevant. “Our story today is not a fairy tale. “It really happened one way or another,” said Jaenicke. And it has the potential to “bring people together again”.
RTL staged “The Passion” for the first time in 2022, back then in Essen. The viewership was impressive. The idiosyncratic mix of a decidedly modern interpretation of the Jesus story, a little theology and all sorts of RTL celebrities in supporting roles was fascinating and provided plenty of topics for discussion. The format has been running in the Netherlands for several years.
Last Supper: Ciabatta and pizza
So now the second German performance, in which the ancient material was illustrated with images from a German city in the here and now. Jesus, for example, arrived in Kassel rock solid on the Deutsche Bahn – “on time,” as Jaenicke emphasized, which led to the biggest laugh of the evening in the audience. Meanwhile, some disciples roared up on e-scooters. For the Last Supper, the Savior then ordered Italian food – five ciabatta breads and two pizzas. Topping: Frutti di Mare. As a silent witness, ex-football manager Reiner Calmund followed the order of the Savior in a guest role, as he did in 2022. Reality TV veteran Jenny Elvers played a blind woman who was given back her sight by Jesus. Long robes, dust and sandals like those in Bible films were looked for in vain.
Some people were still quite surprised. “I’m a bit irritated,” said viewer Mareike from Kassel. She didn’t realize that the production was so modern. Apart from the weather, she liked it. 8,000 people were able to watch the show on the main stage at the central Friedrichsplatz.
“Kassel should be our new Jerusalem”
Narrator Jaenicke portrayed Kassel – a city in the middle of Germany that is rarely featured in the media with a rough charm in some places – as an almost perfect location for the Bible drama. The “population center” of the Federal Republic is very close, he said. “So if we were all going to have a big meeting, Kassel would be the place for it.” Unfortunately, there is currently a long way to go in the country for a family reunion.
“Society is drifting apart at an alarming rate. Racism, sexism, anti-Semitism and the climate crisis threaten our society,” said Jaenicke. And he added the iconic sentences: “Our population center today is RTL. And Kassel should be our new Jerusalem.” When looking at the television images showing many people in rain ponchos, it was sometimes difficult to follow this mental journey to Jerusalem.
God saves marriage after infidelity
Parallel to the Jesus story on stage, a procession with a heavy, glowing cross moved through the city. RTL presenter Angela Finger-Erben (“The atmosphere here is really breathtaking”) interviewed people there about their stories with God. Sometimes astonishing things were heard. For example, the story of a family that traveled from Flensburg to Kassel especially for the “Passion”. The husband, who was carrying the cross, told the TV audience about an affair that had once caused the marriage to break up. But she was saved with the help of God. “I prayed a lot,” said his wife. “He gave me courage to forgive.”
At the end, singer Ben Blümel stood on a multi-story shopping street in Kassel – beaming, in a white shirt and as a resurrected Jesus. Whether it was North Hesse or Jerusalem – the main thing was that Easter could come.
TEASER PHOTO: Swen Pförtner/dpa