The composer-producer duo Peter Plate and Ulf Leo Sommer will perform at the venerable Theater des Westens (TdW) in Berlin-Charlottenburg only through the end of April 2027 for now. In talks with the Berlin daily B.Z., the two theater-makers disclosed that an agreement on extending the lease with the owner Stage Entertainment for the remaining months of 2027 could not be reached.
Plate and Sommer have been active at the Theater des Westens since November 2021. Their tenure began with the world premiere of their musical “Ku’damm 56” (TheColu.mn reported).
Rosenstolz-Musikkatalog verkauft
The news carries particular sensitivity because of how the financing was arranged: to keep the house’s operations running and to realize new self-produced projects like “Ku’damm 56,” “Romeo & Julia — Liebe ist alles,” “Wir sind am Leben,” and the newly launching “Salon Rosie,” the duo sold the music catalog of their former band Rosenstolz for cash.
Asked how the partnership managed the substantial business and financial risk at TdW, Plate explained plainly: “We sold the rights to our Rosenstolz songs and invested the money here.” Even after selling the catalog to an unnamed investor, the two authors retained broad usage rights for their own future projects. Ulf Leo Sommer stressed: “We negotiated that in good faith.”
Plate also noted that they do not siphon private wealth from the operation, operating strictly on a project-driven basis: “We don’t pay ourselves money. And we have enough. We don’t need a boat, not a third home.”
Vertragskonflikt und offene Zukunft ab Mai 2027
Although the duo has long filled the venue with queer-themed works, pop-culture musical successes, and sociopolitical engagement—such as benefit events against anti-queer violence—an extension for the May 2027 period with Stage Entertainment did not materialize. Plate summed up the negotiations: “We presented a concept, but we simply could not reach an agreement with Stage for the rest of 2027, even though we have always worked really well together.”
The Berlin cultural administration confirmed to B.Z. that discussions are currently underway with several prospective partners about future programming and a potential renovation of the house. Plate and Sommer have not abandoned their commitment to Berlin: for 2028 there is a plan in place, and negotiations continue.
Despite the setback, the two producers intend to use the remaining run through spring 2027 with optimism and escapism for audiences. Plate said: “We are in love with making it work.”
Sommer added about the programmatic ambition of their productions: “We have to laugh, laugh, laugh! And help audiences forget that so much outside is actually enough to make you cry.”
Peter Plate and Ulf Leo Sommer had been a couple since the early 1990s for about twenty years; their professional and creative partnership has continued uninterrupted since then. Sommer joined Rosenstolz early on as a co-author, lyricist and producer, shaping the band’s sound. After the end of their romantic relationship, they continued their work seamlessly: they formed joint production companies. They also wrote and produced successful albums for artists including Sarah Connor and Max Raabe.
