For a woman of a relatively young age, Adrienne Haan has racked up some pretty impressive credits.  Born and raised in Germany and Luxembourg, she came to NYC to hone her performing skills at the American Academy the Dramatic Arts, from which she graduated in 1999.

Haan also attended classes at Julliard.  Due to her multifaceted vocal and theatrical range, she has performed Shakespeare, Musical Theatre (Cabaret, Evita) and the O’Neill drama Anna Christie, to name a few.

Upon returning to Bonn, Adrienne was cast in many different musicals touring Europe, and has also established herself as a solo performer. Speaking three languages fluently allows her to work in German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as Luxembourg, France and Belgium. She has also worked extensively for the “WestDeutscherRundfunk” Television Channel, and her first CD, I Could Have Danced All Night, was released in November, 2007.

Most recently Ms. Haan has generated much excitement with her latest cabaret show “The Streets of Berlin,” and is returning with the highly acclaimed historical chanson evening at the DUPLEX, on November 12 & 19 @ 9.30 pm.  A must see!!!

Her new show in collaboration with Micaela Leon, “Narcissa & Goldmund-Diabolical Weimar Wunderkinder,” will run at the Metropolitan Room, Saturdays, October 24 & 31 @ 9.45pm, and Sundays, November 22 & 29 @ 4 pm.

1. As with many successful artists, you knew from a young age that you were bound to be a performer. What is your first memory of getting in front of an audience with the intention to entertain?

- I was 3 and had just started kindergarten. They were getting ready for the “1981 Christmas Spectacular” at the local kindergarten, and I was to play the lead role, of course. I remember that I kept bossing everyone around, since I thought the way the teachers were approaching the play was nonsense. Now, what does that tell you?

2.  How did your family react?  Did you have a special mentor early on?

- Thank God, they always have been very supportive. I must admit that my Mom thought that my wanting to become a performer was temporary, and she would have liked me for me to become a doctor or lawyer instead, but my Dad always used to say that if I decided to be a performer, then I should become one. He once told me to “simply stick to it and do it right!” I guess that’s what I have been doing ever since.

3. When you were a small child the Berlin Wall “fell,” and the reunification took place.  As a youngster, how aware were you of this momentous occasion?  Was there a heightened feeling of excitement in the air?

- I was only 11, and we didn’t have relatives in the East, but people around us did, so I do remember their excitement about finding their long lost relatives again.

4. Why did you choose the study in the US?

- The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a very renowned school that provides a wonderful program. I learned a lot there and had always wanted to study in New York.

5. Considering the “politically” charged arguments in today’s society, you          were able to take a purely artistic look at a political era (the Weimar Republic),     much to the benefit of the show’s entertainment value.  Was it a conscious decision or did it just naturally play out that way?

-The show has a lot of facts and political statements in it, but you should never forget the entertainment aspect. I performed this show way before the recession started, and it is indeed a coincidence that “in these days of intense global financial insecurity, The Streets of Berlin (a cabaret which addresses issues such as the Weimar Republic and impending Nazism) rears its head on 'The Streets of New York' "– as you put it so nicely in your review! By the way, thanks again for that.

6. How did you come to the decision to perform Cabaret, since you have done so much theatre?

-Why not? Performing is performing, and Cabaret means to me that you have a solo career, which is wonderful. At least that is the European standpoint. As far as I understand, Cabaret in the US is sometimes seen as something almost “negative,” which seems awkward to me. But I must admit that I haven’t seen too much Cabaret here in New York, so I can simply say that there must be a difference between our two continents, when it comes to Cabaret.

7. Many Americans today believe the people of post war Germany have evolved into one of the most responsible and liberal minded of populations-- Do you concur - or is this just a phenomenon among the “big city intellectuals?”

-The Weimar Republic (pre-war Germany!) was the most liberal and creative period, and Berlin was the most vivacious city on the planet. I guess this period describes the Germans much better than anything else. When the Nazis came, they took all that liberty and freedom away from us, and people lived in fear and terror, which was horrible.

Please consider Kurt Weill, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, James Franck, Max von Laue, Friedrich Hollaender and many more, artists and brilliant minds of that period. They were all creative Germans who had to flee from the terror of one of the most evil minds of the 20th or any century! So we always were a very open minded country for hundreds of years before the Nazis dropped the curtain of doom and terror. Also, people like Marlene Dietrich started a career in Hollywood, but continued to speak out, and worked with the Allies to defeat the Nazis. Up till then, my country was the country of the great poets, musicians and writers: Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Heinrich Heine, Goethe, Schiller, and many more were also pre WW2 creative Germans. It has taken a long time for our nation to recover after having lost so many of its best and brightest forever.

8. I must mention that you have an extraordinarily chameleon-like appearance.  Studying your print work, is seems as if you can look like the girl next door, all the way to the most edgy of dominatrix’s.  Do you find that you can avoid being typecast because of this perceived advantage? Do you think it is in your mind or purely physical?

-Ha! I like that question. Isn’t that what performing is all about? Being able to change and adapt? I like to portray different characters and I wouldn’t want to be type cast all the time. But I guess that’s what always happens when you audition for things. They look at you and say either yes or no because of your type. Once you’re in the game, you can do what you like anyway.

9. Your singing voice also has many facets.  You can sing a pure soprano, down to an earthy belt. Were you always able to do that?

-I wouldn’t call myself a belter. I’ve got a mixed voice with many facets, how about that? I am constantly working on my voice, and am still taking classes with my wonderful teacher at the “Cologne School of Music” back home. I think you have to keep at it and never stop, plus, I keep in physical shape and keep my diet balanced.

10. So many people want to be performers, but you actually fit the bill to a tee. How do you keep your eye on the prize among the hordes of wanna-bees?

-Well, thank you for that. I feel very flattered. As I mentioned before, I never stop working on myself, never stop trying out new things and I am very dedicated to my art. If you want to make it in this business, you can’t ever stop trying and you have to absolutely love what you do.

11.  Any passions outside of performing?

-My husband and I love to travel the world; I enjoy family gatherings and long dinners among my closest friends. I love discussing over a bottle of wine or two (or three! J ), and one of my great passions has become cooking. If time allows, I love to read a good book, I enjoy skiing and horse-riding.

12. Thank you for your participation, your story is inspirational – I wish you great success this year!

-Thank you!

A full copy of Ms. Grell’s review of The Streets of Berlin is archived on www.cabaretscenes.org