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Together with his company COFO Entertainment, Oliver Forster is one of Germany’s most successful event organisers for concerts and tours. Not only does he fill famous concert halls and open-air theatres with big names such as David Garret, Xavier Naidoo, Elton John, CRO and Simply Red, he is also a renowned tour organiser. Among others, he has staged biographies by star producer Bernhard Kurz such as “All you need is love! - The Beatles Musical”, “THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC – the ABBA-STORY”, “SIMPLY THE BEST - The TINA TURNER Story” and “ELVIS – The Musical”.
In addition, Oliver Forster is one of the leading local organisers in Southern Germany and Austria, presenting stars from the genres of rock, pop, schlager and folk music as well as dance shows, festivals, exhibitions and top-class classical music events. One of his most successful projects was his own production of “FALCO – The Musical” in 2017. Over the last two years this show has welcomed more than 250,000 spectators at more than 100 events. In 2018, his next genial performance is “BEAT IT” – The Show about the King of Pop”.
After obtaining a degree in film and theatre studies, Andreana made her directorial debut in 2001 with “The Dose”, a self-penned play which toured nationally. She then went on to form a theatre group, and this has acted as a vehicle for the creation, direction and production of shows for the stage and for industry.
Andreana has already been the lead director for a host of national and international productions. In 2012 and 2016, she took on the position of Creative Consultant for the Peter Maffay children’s productions “Tabaluga and the Signs of the Times” and “Long Live Friendship”. Between 2004 and 2008, she was artist director for “Night of the Sultans – performing Pandora’s Legend” as the show embarked upon a global tour and also joined forces with André Heller to stage the popular production “Africa Africa”.
Andreana’s musical “Yakari – Friends for Life” brought her two Sold Out Awards in Hamburg and Cologne. Her highlights in 2016 included authorship and direction of the Mattel-branded musical “Monster High Live”. During the same year, she also directed the stage plays “Verrückte Sonne” and “Spiel mit der Zeit” at the Friedrichstadt Palast in Berlin.
Stefan Warmuth studied musical studies in Berlin and Los Angeles. After he had finished his degree, he first worked as a freelance musician at theatres in Berlin and he accompanied many well-known German-speaking artists during their studio-, TV- and tour productions.
Under the directorship of Boy Gobert, Warmuth obtained the opportunity to enact at the workshop stage of the public drama theatres Berlin, during his studies. As a consequence of that, he founded the "Comédie Berlin" in 1980, with which he produced his own music-revues (i.a. with Günter Lamprecht and Rüdiger Wandel).
The collaboration with André Heller led him into the world of varieté. As conductor of the orchestra of the Wintergarten-Varieté in Berlin, Warmuth got charged to direct several Shows there and in different prestigious german and international locations.
Besides his function as stage director, Warmuth composed film and incidental music. He directed "FALCO - The Musical", a triumphantly production of COFO Entertainemnt.
Andy Machals can look back at ten years of experience in the fields of theatre, performance and events. After completing a degree in Business Administration and Events Management in Rostock and Durham, he studied for a Master of Arts in Performance Research at the University of Bristol and went on to pursue a PhD in Theatre and Performance at the same institution.
Andy has a great passion for non-verbal show theatre. He supported the team at the Friedrichstadt Palast in Berlin for several years, most recently as a freelance creative producer for major shows, seasonal summer and winter reviews and performances staged by the young ensemble. He has also worked on trans-medial theatre and exhibition concepts both in Germany and abroad.
Alex Burgos trained as a dancer, actor, choreographer, theatre specialist and stage director in his home city of New York after being awarded scholarships to the High School of the Performing Arts, the Alvin Ailey School of Dance and Fordham University. He subsequently appeared in a number of classical Shakespearean roles and was also cast in various musicals and films.
Prior to being hired for the successful musical “Starlight Express”, Alex was a member of the “West Side Story” ensemble which toured America and Europe and also staged the show at the Bonn Opera House. He has danced for stars such as Michael Jackson and has assumed choreography, stage direction and directing duties for several international events and theatre productions. Peter Maffay’s “Tabaluga and the Signs of the Times/ “Tabaluga… Long Live Friendship” (Germany), Burj Khalifa New Year’s Eve Spectacle (Dubai), Leona Lewis (China) and the Ferrari World Show (Las Vegas) are just a few examples of shows in which he has been involved.
Alex’s speciality is the creation of performances which conjure up fluent illusions between artists and media formats such as video, light and sound.
Movement and music have always been important and inspiring components of Betty’s life. As a result, she completed extensive dance education at the Rochester School of Ballet in the USA, including jazz, hip-hop, Latin and modern.
This was followed by dancing and acting roles in various musical productions, such as West Side Story. Betty has appeared at the Bonn Opera, and has also graced the stage as an actor and dancer in theatre and TV productions.
For more than 15 years Betty has been a successful choreographer for numerous national and international event productions, including shows in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beijing and Las Vegas.
In her choreographies, diverse dance styles combine to create an artistic oeuvre. Among others, she has choreographed for Avatar singer Leona Lewis, fashion shows for Nike, as well as prestigious shows for international press conferences such as Daimler and BMW.
Furthermore, Betty is internationally active as a certified Vinyasa yoga teacher, and also involves movement and music in her artistic work.
Berlin-born Detlef Soost is a highly charismatic figure who possesses an extraordinary ability to fire people’s enthusiasm and drive them on. He has been a highly versatile presence on TV for more than 25 years, during which time he has acted as a jury member, presenter and fitness expert. No one in Europe has appeared more frequently as a coach on judge on casting shows.
Detlev Soost’s talent for motivating his protégés and spurring them on to conquer new limits and horizons is virtually unrivalled. His passions in life are dance, fitness and the enjoyment of movement. He has published a range of DVD’s and books on these topics and also has his own online programme for those seeking to achieve the perfect figure.
Beginning with the first opportunity to absolve an education about event technology, 20 years ago, Thimo Kolonko was one of the first graduates at the management for event technology in Bavaria.
After being part of the technical performance for a couple of years, the master-qualification followed. After some initial, mostly technical executions in fields of light and audio, Thimo Kolonko was drawn to creative and logistic fields, more and more.
As technical director for numerous festivals, major events and musicals, he created technical master plans and also played a part in the implementing of those plans. During the last 16 years, Thimo Kolonko attended many successfull productions of COFO Entertainment as technical director and technical consulter such as FALCO - The Musical, ELVIS, Simply The Best and many more. As a part of the FeedBack Show Systems & service GmbH, he and his team supervise the whole engineering and logistic executions for the tour production.
Marin Subasic has been working as a composer and musical director since 1996.
He has produced pieces for various television formats, some of which have featured live studio performances together with his band. Between 2014 and 2016, Marin was a coach for the casting shows X Factor and “Das Supertalent”, the German version of the international Got Talent franchise. He has been engaged as musical director for numerous projects and has taken to the stage with Jennifer Rush, Sir Cliff Richard and Chris de Burgh amongst others.
In 2001, Marin founded his own recording studio in Cologne, M2 Productions. Marin Subasic studied electronic keyboard instruments and media production in the Netherlands.
Alex Gernandt is a journalist, author and former editor-in-chief of youth magazine BRAVO.
In his time as a reporter, he accompanied stars such as Madonna, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Tina Turner. As the absolute highlight, he describes his collaboration with MICHAEL JACKSON, whom he accompanied personally over many years and met exclusively 16 times! He can share stories of many exciting events and big, emotional moments. For example, Gernandt was part of the video shoots for “Scream” in Hollywood, “They Don’t Care About Us” (Rio de Janeiro) and “Stranger in Moscow” (Los Angeles). He was also backstage on the “Dangerous” and “History” world tours, as well as attending the movie premiere of “Ghosts” in Cannes and Michael's spectacular “Wetten, dass ...?” gig.
During this time, he got to know the "King Of Pop" up close and personal, creating a friendly, trusting collaboration with this one-of-a-kind entertainer. In 2010 he presented Michael's mother Katherine Jackson with a Golden BRAVO-Otto in LA, posthumously recognising her never-to-be-forgotten son with the award for “Best Singer”.
Haegar Deutsch studied media art. Since 1997 he has been working in the fields of graphics, camera and editing for various agencies. In addition to his own art and exhibition projects, as a motion designer he has created video clips and live visuals for numerous artists and music productions, including Herbert Grönemeyer, The Fantastic Four and Fury in the Slaughterhouse.
Alexandra Matthes graduated in fashion design before working as a stylist and costume designer etc. for Rosenstolz. She was also employed by MTV for 5 years, and founded her own fashion label. Since completing various training courses, she has been working as a graphic and web designer, as well as in the field of 3D visualisation and animation.
Born and raised in Hamburg, Marcus Krömer developed his feel for lighting while still at school. Internships in the paint workshop at the Deutsche Schauspielhaus in Hamburg and the lighting department of the Hamburg State Opera ballet company were followed by various performances and band festivals. After graduating from high school and training as an electrician, in 1995 he began his career in professional lighting technology.
After working for a few years as a support technician and lighting specialist for musicals, he became a freelance programmer and lighting designer in 2002.
Since then, he has ensured that countless musicals, shows and television programmes have been seen in the right light, as well as various tours and corporate events.
Among others, he has worked with Stage Entertainment, “Mamma Mia!”, “BLUE MAN GROUP”, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, the Eurovision Song Contest, EHRLICH BROTHERS, Festival Erl, “Schlag den Raab”, Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Electronic Arts, DVAG, the GQ Awards, etc.
Matthias Läßig trained as a theatrical painter before going on to study at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. He has been working as an inspirational set designer for more than 30 years. During his career, Mathias has created fantastic and illusionistic stage settings for major live and theatre productions including “Waiting for Godot” at the Halle Theatre, “Apassionata – Gala Night of the Horses”, the “Gayle in Wonderland“ Revue at the Friedrichstadt Palast in Berlin and the musical “The Spirit of Christmas”. From 2007 to 2016, he was involved with the Theater am Marientor in Duisburg, the Capitol Theater in Düsseldorf and the Musical Dom in Cologne.
In addition to all of this, Matthias Läßig is one of the most experienced set designers currently working for German television. He has assisted with the production of a number of high-profile prime time shows such as “Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel” (ZDF 2004 –2017), “Sing meinen Song – Das Tauschkonzert” (VOX), “Songs für die Ewigkeit” (VOX) and “Sternstunden-Gala” (BR 2013 – 2017) as well as contributing to over 100 other events, shows and TV projects.
Inez Paolini looks back on a long career both onstage and behind the scenes. As a make-up artist she travels worldwide for shows with artists and TV productions.
Her love and passion for hair and make-up, her energy, and her skill for transformation spur her on.
Whether in the fashion world (e.g. Gerry Weber, Esprit, Hugo Boss), for the biggest TV channels (ARD, ZDF, SAT 1, RTL), or for music celebrities (eg: N’Sync, Gloria Gaynor, Snap), Inez’ expertise is appreciated and in high demand.
As a diehard Michael Jackson fan, supporting the “BEAT IT” show with all her might lies especially close to her heart.
Stephan began by training as a craftsman in the fields of armoury, millinery, and costume painting at the City of Cologne Opera House and subsequently studying Egyptology, classical archaeology, art history and fashion design in Berlin. In 1995 he began freelance work as a fashion designer, stylist, set designer, costume designer and stage designer.
Among others, Stephan Bolz has designed costumes and sets for music videos and stage shows by David Bowie, Rammstein, Madonna, and Helene Fischer. Since 2008, Stephan Bolz has regularly been engaged as a costume designer for the Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin. He has also been able to bring his ideas to numerous theatre productions at home and abroad, including renowned works such as Swan Lake, The Magic Flute, and Romeo and Juliet. In 2015 he created, among other things, the set for Circus Krone.