Letzte Runde (Last Call) - schedule, program & buy tickets

Bernstein and Karajan at the Hotel Sacher 
Austrian Premiere

Translated into German by Gil Mehmert

For half a century, Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan were among the most famous figures in the world of classical music—and at the same time, they were fierce rivals.

In 1988, Bernstein and Karajan crossed paths at the Blue Bar in Vienna’s Hotel Sacher. How their encounter unfolded remains a subject of fascinating speculation to this day. Inspired by this true story, American author Peter Danish wrote the play “Last Call,” which premiered to great acclaim on Broadway in New York in 2025.

The audience witnesses a final confrontation in which both their constant rivalry and their mutual admiration come to the fore. Even at the end of their lives, Bernstein and Karajan show no sign of shying away from conflict or softening their stance—on the contrary: with unsparing candor, they ask the most private of questions and engage in discussions about political responsibility. Karajan’s ties to the Nazis are addressed, as is Bernstein’s hedonistic lifestyle. But time and again, the focus returns to their great shared love: music. This summit meeting of two legendary figures is directed by the Israeli-American director Guy Ben-Aharon, who is making his debut before the Viennese audience and, with “Letzte Runde,” tells a story—both lighthearted and musical, yet also thought-provoking—about the boundaries and greatness of these two musicians.

Subject to change.