About the work
Axel an der Himmelstür is a three-act Singspiel by Ralph Benatzky, based on a book by Paul Morgan and Adolf Schütz, with lyrics by Hans Weigel. It premiered on 1 September 1936 at the Theater an der Wien. The piece pokes fun at the Hollywood dream factory and its star cult, blending foxtrot, tango, blues and Viennese waltz.
Plot
Ambitious reporter Axel Swift is determined to land an interview with celebrated Hollywood star Gloria Mills, but his fiancée Jessie, who works in the film industry, blocks his official access. Axel exploits Gloria's temperamental nature by posing as an unfairly dismissed extra, is wrongly accused of stealing her jewellery, and gradually wins her affection.
Cultural significance
The premiere turned the then-unknown Zarah Leander into an overnight star as Gloria Mills. In 2016 Peter Lund and Kai Tietje created a widely praised new version at the Volksoper Wien (Austrian Musiktheaterpreis 2016); since September 2025 the Staatsoperette Dresden has staged the piece under the title "Kinostar!".