An audition, a costume - and a complete role change: in the musical version of the cult comedy Tootsie, the choleric actor Michael Dorsey suddenly becomes Dorothy Michaels - and his career takes off. But success in the wrong dress not only brings fame, but also plenty of complications. With sparkling wit, trenchant songs and surprising depth, Tootsie tells of the absurd balancing act between professional ambition, gender roles and genuine closeness - staged by successful director Gil Mehmert in a new production for Theater Bonn.
Michael Dorsey is an unsuccessful actor. He doesn't get any roles because he likes to disregard the opinions of directors. When he helps a friend prepare for an audition for the musical Juliet's Curse, he has an idea: disguised as a woman, he auditions for the role of the nurse himself - and to his surprise is cast. Michael slowly but surely takes over the management of the production, and after many changes and the renaming of the play, Juliet's Nurse celebrates an acclaimed premiere. But his double life soon presents him with ever greater challenges. And when he falls in love with his colleague Julie, who only sees him as a good friend, the chaos is perfect.
Following the huge success of the 1982 comedy starring Dustin Hoffman, David Yazbek and Robert Horn brought Tootsie to the stage as a musical for the first time in Chicago in 2018. After winning numerous awards - including two Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Actor - the musical celebrated its European premiere in Munich in 2022 under the direction of Gil Mehmert. Mehmert is now restaging the play for Theater Bonn.
Premiere October 26
Further performances: November 8 and 15, December 6, 13 and 22, 2025, January 1 and 27, February 14 and 28, March 20, 24 and 28, April 6, 11, 16 and 24, May 14, 2026
