Topsy Küppers

Topsy Küppers (2020)

Topsy Küppers (born 17 August 1931) is an Austrian writer, singer, soubrette, actress and former theatre director of German origin.

Life

Born in Aachen, the foundation stone for Küppers' career as an actress was laid by Ursula Staudte, who taught her according to the so-called Stanislawski principle. However, according to her own statement, the greatest influence was Trude Hesterberg, who taught her the chanson and its interpretation. Küppers then took her exams at the Bühnengenossenschaft, which had Gustaf Gründgens on its board of examiners.

She worked on German stages and for German and Austrian television and from 1958 performed with her then husband Georg Kreisler in Munich, among other places.

On 17 December 1976 she opened the Freie Bühne Wieden [de] in Vienna with four cabaret programmes, which was "dedicated to the preservation of Jewish literature and Jewish authors - both deceased and contemporary".[1] In the 25 years that she voluntarily directed the theatre until January 2001, the "headmaster [...] Urwienerin".[2] During this time, she fought against misogyny, anti-Semitism and fascism with musical-literary programmes such as Gehackte Zores, Weit von wo and Amoureuses, Scandaleuses, Heiteres und so Weiteres.

Private life

In 1965, Küppers took Austrian citizenship.[1]

From her marriage to Georg Kreisler came her daughter Sandra Kreisler [de], who also works as a singer, speaker and actress,[3] as well as a son.[4] Kreisler and Topsy Küppers separated in the mid-1970s.

Küppers was married in second marriage to Karlheinz (called Carlos) Springer († 2013).[2][5] In early August 2013, Küppers was diagnosed with colon cancer, which she describes as "my unhappiness" and which she dealt with in the identically titled 2014 book.[2]

Awards

Küppers has received awards at home and abroad for her work, including:

Discography

  • Frivolitäten, LP (1963)
  • Gehn ma Tauben vergiften, with Georg Kreisler, LP (1964)
  • Die heiße Viertelstunde, with Georg Kreisler, LP (1968)
  • Der Tod, das muß ein Wiener sein, with Georg Kreisler, LP/CD (1969/1994)
  • Anders als die andern, with Georg Kreisler, LP (1969)
  • Heute Abend: Lola Blau, Musical für eine Frau und zwei Klaviere von Georg Kreisler, Doppel-LP/CD (1971/1997)
  • Komm… 12 schicke Schlager, LP (1971)
  • Immer wieder Widerstand, LP (1973)
  • Das Ungeheuer Zärtlichkeit, LP/CD (1974/2001)
  • Spiegelbilder, LP (1980)
  • Anny macht Moneye, (1987)
  • Lieder nach Lust und Laune, LP (1989)
  • Die Zunge der Kultur reicht weit. Lieder and text by Erich Kästner, CD (2007)
  • Signale aus dem Jenseits, Gastrolle bei den drei ???, CD (2017)

Books

  • Freie Bühne Wieden. Einführung Topsy Küppers. Graphische Gestaltung Johann Hofmann. Freie Bühne Wieden, Vienna 1977.
  • Erwin Brecher: Jedes Wort Gedankensport. Bearbeitet von Topsy Küppers und Elke Browne. htp, Vienna 1995, ISBN 3-7004-0684-3.
  • Lauter liebe Leute. Ein dicker Brief an mein Publikum. Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna 1996, ISBN 3-218-00621-X.
  • Alle Träume führen nach Wien. Ein Tatsachenroman. Ibera, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-85052-105-2.
  • Wolf Messing. Hellseher und Magier. Langen Müller, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-7844-2880-0.
  • Wenn dein Leben trist ist – erleuchte es mit Humor! Erlebtes – Erhörtes – Erdachtes …[7] Ibera, Vienna 2009, ISBN 978-3-85052-273-1.
  • Mein Ungustl. Ein widerlicher Gast. Langen Müller, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-7844-3366-0.
  • Die Brüder Saphir. Ein Tatsachenroman. Verlag Der Apfel, Vienna 2018, ISBN 978-3-85450-779-6.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b "Topsy Küppers, actress and author, in conversation with Christoph Lindenmeyer". Bayerischer Rundfunk: alpha-Forum. 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Topsy Küppers: Ihr Leben mit dem Ungustl". kurier.at. December 28, 2014.
  3. ^ Sandra Kreisler. In Andrea von Treuenfeld: Heirs of the Holocaust. Life between silence and memory. Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 2017, ISBN 978-3-579-08670-5, pp. 134ff.
  4. ^ Georg Kreisler: Doch gefunden hat man mich nicht. Posthumous edition of previously unpublished texts and photographs. Atrium-Verlag, Zurich 2014, ISBN 978-3-85535-367-5.
  5. ^ Ziegler, Mathias. "Sachbuch - Den Krebs überstehen". Literatur.
  6. ^ "Grazer Autorinnen Autorenversammlung - MITGLIEDER". www.gav.at.
  7. ^ Wenn dein Leben trist ist – erleuchte es mit Humor! Erlebtes – Erhörtes – Erdachtes … on WorldCat

Further reading

  • Walter Rösler (1984). Ernst Günther; Heinz P. Hofmann; Walter Rösler (eds.). Topsy Küppers – "Haßt mich oder liebt mich…". Kassette. Berlin: Henschelverlag Kunst und Gesellschaft. pp. 171–177. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  • Topsy Küppers. Schauspielerin und Autorin im Gespräch mit Christoph Lindenmeyer. Transcription from the TV series alpha-Forum: Prominente Persönlichkeiten im Gespräch. BR-alpha, 16 May 2003. (as of 20 December 2011: Full text online; PDF, 53,63-KB.)