At Hamburg’s Theater für Kinder (Allee Theater), Der gestiefelte Kater turns the well-known Grimm fairy tale into a bright, fast-moving fairy-tale opera with live music—colourful in both costumes and set, and staged with a distinctly modern, cheeky spirit. The story begins with a shock of disappointment: after their father’s death, the elder brothers inherit the mill and the donkey, while the youngest son, Jan, is left with “only” a cat. Jan (played by Berus Komarschela) pours out his frustration in song—until the cat offers an unexpected promise: together they will become more than “two hungry stomachs.” 

What follows is a tale of courage, trust, and clever reinvention. Jan wagers his last coins on a pair of tailor-made boots, transforming his companion into Hinze, the booted cat, who can suddenly stride confidently onto society’s “dance floor.”  With charm, wit, and strategic mischief, Hinze pulls strings at court—convincing even the King (Simon Thorbjørnsen) and Princess (Lana Sophie Westendorf) of his master’s supposed noble status—and setting a plan in motion to lead a poor miller’s son toward love and a new life.  At the heart of the production is Susanne Lichtenberg’s charismatic cat: self-assured, warm, and relentlessly resourceful—the positive force that keeps Jan moving forward when doubt creeps in. 

Musically, the production frames the adventure as an accessible opera experience for families, built from melodies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart shaped into simple arias and duets, performed live by the Allee-Theater ensemble under the musical direction of Makiko Eguchi, with staging by director Nils Braun.