PART 1
Photos, comments and information of several of the tourdates from January until late April (complete tourschedule: see elsewhere on this website).
January 2016
In the second weekend of January it was time again to pack the suitcases for The Italian Bee Gees and travel direction Stuttgart in Germany to start rehearsing for the 2016 Massachusetts tour. This year also Bee Gees drummer: Dennis Bryon is going to play with them and Dennis arrived first at the Stuttgart band hotel to have some time to overcome his jetlag from the trip across the ocean. On Monday January 11th. then the whole team started rehearsing at the Filderhalle in Leinfelden-Echterdingen.
After the rehearsal period the whole team left for Switzerland to start the new tour in Winterthur on the 20th. of January. The show looks different and there are quite a number of new artists this year, like a new group of dancers and a new director and choreographer and…… Dennis Bryon !
Photo report Rehearsals (5 images)
Shortly before the premiere on January 20th. Michael Noll, CEO of Reset Production mentioned this about the Massachusetts production: “We have found a wonderful young director in Till Nau who brought some great ideas. The unique sound of the Bee Gees was packed into a completely new background story! We have hired new dancers and in addition to Blue Weaver we could manage to win another original member of the Bee Gees band for us, drummer Dennis Bryon! The result is an emotional and thrilling musical about the life`s work of the Brothers Gibb! We are very pleased that tonight we will finally present it to our audience” said Michael Noll.
Almost ready for the tour, making selvies. c. IBG
January 20th. – Winterthur, Kongresshaus Parkarena, Switzerland
Photo report Winterthur (5 images)
January 21st. – Basel, Congress Center, San Francisco Saal C, Switzerland
Fan review Basel
Simply super. This musical was great. One can recommend this to everybody really. A visit is worthwhile.
January 22nd. – Zurich, Kongresshaus, Switzerland.
Blue Weaver: January 22nd.
So proud of everyone connected with this show. Tonights concert in Zurich, only the 3rd of a completely new show Massachusetts 2016, was absolutely amazing. Thank you to the audience who made us enjoy every minute and it’s so wonderful to continue playing the Bee Gee’s music with such wonderful people. What makes this extra special is after 54 years myself and Dennis Bryon are still friends and playing once again Bee Gees and Amen Corner music together, Alan! where are you? Thanks also to our small crew who have to do such a big job under not always the best conditions…
January 23rd. – Bern, Kursaal Arena, Switzerland
Fan review
We absolutely loved it! It was all played live, accompanied by images and scenes from the life of BeeGees. The music was amazing! I never thought that there really is someone who can represent the original so good !!! The voices are absolutely amazing !!! And with its sweeping nature, the brothers have managed that the entire hall is no longer sitting in the end, but stood and danced to some extent even in the corridors. Even my husband, who was not thrilled in the beginning with the musical tickets, he could not sit still in this great performance. For this great achievement, there is 5 stars for me. And if there were still a higher rating, I would have given more stars. This musical I can recommend to anyone. Not only the fans but all music lovers will enjoy this top level show. Oh yes, I forgot to mention: the 2 original musicians of BeeGees !!! Probably also because of them this musical has such a high level and such a quality !!! Something really special.
Photo report Bern copyright A+D Wange (5 images)
Bern, © A+D Wange
January 24th. – Gossau, Furstenlandsaal, Switzerland
Fan review
My boyfriend and I have spontaneously visited the Bee Gees musical during our holiday in Gossau. What a show! The Italian Bee Gees, the dancers and actors, the story, the ever-changing costumes, the nice stage …. Just great. We have just directly purchased tickets for another show at Schwabisch Gmund and look forward to that!!
Pasquale of IBG after the last Swiss show of the tour.
‘This is more than a dream to me … Left Blue Weaver in red jacket (keyboardist of the Bee Gees) … right Dennis Bryon in white shirt (drummer of the Bee Gees) … at the end of the concert during Massachusetts Musical Tour 2016 .. . 5 concerts in Switzerland were wonderful (Amazing Audience, more than 5000 among Winterthur, Basel, Zurich, Bern and Gossau) … now we go in Germany. The first songs that we play during the Show with Blue and Dennis are Jive Talkin ‘and Nights on Broadway … then they get up … take the middle of the stage … and the standing ovation is endless … is an emotion difficult to explain … Great Musicians … Great People … “Go on with your Songbird” … We love you guys. I forgot, those in the center are me and my brothers Walter and Davide and of course the Italian Bee Gees Band!’
Photo report Gossau copyright A+D Wange (5 images)
anuary 25th.
The band bus goes direction Germany to continue the tour overthere. High time to introduce all the new artists of the Massachusetts show of this year. Patrick Dudek, Nadine Sudler, Jesse Garon, Ronja Geburzky and Jessica Klammerer-Georg, have left the show to work on other projects. This year Massachusetts likes to welcome in the team: Dennis Bryon!!, Till Nau, Astrid Hagenah, Marlou Duster, Svitlana Peter, Vivian Bretz and Giovanni Corrado.
Click here for an introduction of all the new artists of the 2016 show (Pdf)
January 27th. – Bergheim, Medio Rhein Erft
After a very successful first part of the tour in Switzerland, today it was time to play again in Germany, for some in the group: a bit of a ‘coming home’ 🙂 Also we decided to visit the team during these first few German concerts and went to Koln for some days. The first concert in Germany was Bergheim, a place I knew from a visit to the tour 2 years ago. We all met eachother again in the afternoon and had some time to talk a bit backstage and following the sound check of the group. It was good to see all our friends back and also to meet some new. We met the new tourmanager Andy and this year the team also has a new dancers/actors team of 4 girls and 1 boy. They give a real new look at the show. Besides that another special guest tours with the show this year….. Next to former Bee Gees band member Blue Weaver, also former Bee Gees band member Dennis Bryon is part of the team. So nice to see him again after sooooo… many years!!!
Finally at 7.30 pm. we had a chance to see the new Massachusetts show 2016! Wow…. it’s more a show than before but the music is the main thing like always! The 2016 Massachusetts show is a really new and refreshing edition. Most important in the show are the lives and careers of The Bee Gees. The new ideas of The Egiziano Brothers and Blue in combination with the hard work of Bjorn Geske (script, acting) and Till Nau (directing and choreography) made this new show into a nice musical to watch. A good thing when you also understand a few words German. It’s funny, it’s entertaining and has lots of good music live played by the Italian Bee Gees and band. Special guests in the show are Blue Weaver and Dennis Bryon!! For me a walk down memory lane to see these 2 guys both together on stage again, SPECIAL!! After the show there was like always the Meet And Greet when the Italian Bee Gees together with Blue and Dennis take their time to be there for all the fans and again much later it’s finally time to relax all together at a restaurant to have a chat and to eat and drink something after another successful show. It was in the middle of the night we all went back to the hotel.
What a great day.
- You Should Be Dancing
- Islands In The Stream
- Massachusetts
- Spicks And Specks
- I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You
- To Love Sombebody
- Lonely Days
- Chain Reaction
- Jive Talkin’
- Nights On Broadway
- Night Fever
- You Should Be Dancing
- You Win Again
- Words
- Immortality
- Juliet
- Saved By The Bell / I Started A Joke
- Acoustic Medley
- Living Together
- Too Much Heaven
- Fanny (Be Tender)
- If Paradise / Il Paradiso
- (item about Amen Corner)
Songbird - Emotion
- If I Can’t Have You
- How Deep Is Your Love
- More Than A Woman
- Staying Alive
- —
- Tragedy
- I.O.I.O. / Massachusetts
Fan review
Definitely 5 stars because the Italian Bee Gees are simply brilliant, Björn Geske played a very good old man, the atmosphere was great and the show is more a musical than before.
Photo report Bergheim copyright A+D Wange (8 images)
January 28th. – Düren, Arena Kreis Düren
In the afternoon we all left our hotel to go to the next venue in Düren. We chatted a bit with some people backstage, had a drink and a bite and watched the soundcheck. During these few days I finally had some time again to talk with Dennis Bryon whom I hadn’t seen for so many years and also it was great to meet his new wife with whom I talked a lot about Dennis’ book and the old days when I travelled for many weeks through America during for instance the Spirits tour. So many memories came back, great….! The director of the Massachusetts production had also come for a visit to the tour and for some meetings. I believe he was very satisfied with what he saw. At the time the show started we found ourselves some good seats and watched again the story of The Bee Gees. During the Meet And Greet Dennis signed his book for me!! It however has been not possible to offer books during the past few shows as they were completely sold out. New books are expected to arrive in one or two days. Late at night we all left for our hotel again and the next day we spent some more time to talk with everyone in the hotel as the tour bus would not leave Koln earlier then in the afternoon.
Songlist of the medley (there’s a possibility of small changes between the shows)
Photo report Düren copyright A+D Wange (16 images)
Hello Bamberg
New York Mining Disaster 1941
World
Run To Me
Lollipop
Don’t Forget To Remember
Lamplight
Fanreview
Everyone should see this, I very much recommend. The performance looks a lot like the real. The context of the musical is very informative with respect to the original. Again and again, interesting Bee Gees stories are told. The stage is quite simple, but perfectly adequate.
The dancers are also top.
Photo report Düren copyright A+D Wange (16 images)
January 29th. still some time off in Koln and a good chance for Antonio and Dennis to visit that special shop with drum sets!! © Kayte Strong.
New York Mining Disaster 1941
World
Run To Me
Lollipop
Don’t Forget To Remember
Lamplight
Fanreview
Everyone should see this, I very much recommend. The performance looks a lot like the real. The context of the musical is very informative with respect to the original. Again and again, interesting Bee Gees stories are told. The stage is quite simple, but perfectly adequate.
The dancers are also top.
Photo report Düren copyright A+D Wange (16 images)
January 29th. still some time off in Koln and a good chance for Antonio and Dennis to visit that special shop with drum sets!! © Kayte Strong.
a personally signed book for me, © A+D Wange
January 29th. – Iserlohn, Parktheater
Photo report www.eisenhuth-photographie.de
Fanreview
Last night we visited your concert in Iserlohn in the park theater – a sold out house for weeks already!! We, the audience, were totally inspired, simply miraculous, unforgettable – THANKS.
January 30th. – Lemgo, Lipperlandhalle
newspaper review Die Lipperlandhalle bebte The Italian Bee Gees begeisterten mit “Massachussetts”
Photo report Lemgo copyright A+D Wange (4 images)
January 31st. – Ilsenburg, Harzlandhalle
Fanreview
Thanks for the wounderful show yesterday in Ilsenburg. We enjoyed it very much. The new concept is great. You win again — and we come back again…..
Photo report Ilsenburg copyright A+D Wange (14 images)
Dennis on the tourbus being part of the Massachusetts team 2016. © Kayte Strong.
End of the first leg of this 2016 Tour
Italian Bee Gees:
‘Grazie a tutti per una prima parte di Tour fantastica,grande team! Grazie al pubblico venuto a vederci, a tutto lo staff tecnico, alla produzione, agli attori e ballerini, ma grazie soprattutto a due ‘ragazzi’ fantastici, che rendono speciale ogni concerto: Blue Weaver e Dennis Bryon, we love you!
Ci vediamo il 24 Febbraio a Lüneburg’ ‘We want to thank everybody for a wonderful first part of the Tour, great team! Thanks to the audience, to all the technical staff, the Production, the actors and dancers, but above all we want to thank two cool guys, that make it special every concert: Blue Weaver and Dennis Bryon, we love you!
See you in Lüneburg on February 24′
