"Bring Me Edelweiss"

Vincent Bueno: “It’s going to be colorful, wild and crazy!”

You can see the new 80-year musical "Bring Me Edelweiss" at the Vienna Metropol with Vincent Bueno (left) on February 12.(Bild: Peter Burgstaller)

This is how the singer and our former ESC hopeful describes "Bring Me Edelweiss - The Musical of the 80s", which premieres on February 12 at the Metropol in Vienna. The "Krone" spoke to the musician about the new play and his love for this special decade.

The new musical by Metropol director Peter Hofbauer and Austrian author Markus Gull is all about flashy outfits, iconic sounds and the lifestyle of the 80s. A Viennese comedy duo and two Munich singers form a band and want to conquer the charts with a book of advice. One of the performers is our former ESC hopeful Vincent Bueno, who plays the role of JoJo.

"Krone": How would you describe "Bring Me Edelweiss" in a few sentences? 
Vincent Bueno: Simply crazy, funny, exciting and extraordinary.

What particularly appealed to you about this project? And how did you get this role?
First of all, my long-standing collaboration with the Metropol, which is always a pleasure for me. This is already my fifth play and so it was a matter of course for me, because every time the director asks: "Host time?", I say: "Yes, I'd love to". The Vienna Metropol doesn't offer you a long run as a musical performer, everything runs for three months including rehearsals, but you like going there because it's like a little family. And Peter Hofbauer has become a good friend who I trust and who trusts me.

Flashy outfits and 80s flair: Vincent Bueno as Jojo in "Bring Me Edelweiss - The Musical of the 80s".(Bild: Peter Burgstaller)

You play the role of Jojo - what can you tell us about it?
I play a Filipino. Na no na na ned. I am one too (laughs). But here I get to play a Filipino who speaks completely Viennese. I had to learn a lot of sayings and the typical Viennese accent. I grew up with it in Vienna, but it's still something different, because as a child with a migrant background you still can't speak it like that.

Is there a scene or a song in the musical that is particularly close to your heart right now?
I really like the beginning, where I prank my cabaret music duo partner Walter (Stefan Bleiberschnig), a very good colleague of mine, and sing Michael Jackson's number "Bad", but in Viennese and I think it's really something that people wouldn't expect. And as I said, the first act starts off really crazy. I just have so much fun playing this role because it's really funny.

How did you prepare for this role in terms of singing and acting?
I have to say, as a Filipino Austrian, I didn't really come into contact with Austropop and the Neue Deutsche Welle as a child, but rather with American music. That's why it was a change for me now to find a sound where the voice doesn't sound too "perfect", because you don't have to sing Austropop in an aesthetically beautiful way, but rather feel it.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about seeing the new musical?
If you want to see something special, where at the end of the evening you think to yourself "Oh my God, what was that cool?" Then come to "Bring Me Edelweiss".

Here with all the actors: Stefan Bleiberschnig (left), Vincent Bueno (top left), Cornelia Mooswalder (next to Bueno), Dagmar Bernhard (bottom right), Boris Pfeifer (bottom center).(Bild: Peter Burgstaller)

Are you a fan of 80s music yourself? Are there any artists or songs from that era that particularly inspire you?
I'm a child of 1985, so I'm a child of the 80s. I was also born in the era of the best music. That was the time of the legends: Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston. I grew up with American music and also a bit of Austropop, but when I listen to Wolfgang Ambros now, it's a new world that opens up for me. The music of the 80s was in all the cultures of the world, simply magnificent.

If you had to choose a song from the eighties for a reinterpretation or a cover, which song would it be and why?
I would say Michael Jackson, because I'm a huge Michael Jackson fan. The song "Rock With You" is one of the most beautiful mid-tempo funk songs that just hasn't found the spotlight too much in our part of the world. It's such a beautiful song and it would be the first song I would cover if I were allowed to.

What can your fans expect from the new musical?
Let me surprise you! I know there are a lot of loyal fans of the Metropole. There are many highlights in this piece, but it will also be very Viennese and very German.