The 13th Austrian Music Theater Award will be presented on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, as part of a festive gala in the tent of the Circus-Theater Roncalli. This unusual choice of venue on Vienna's Heumarkt is the result of a cooperation with the "Johann Strauss 2025 Vienna" festival year. The event will honor the stars of the Austrian opera and music theater scene and promises an evening of musical performances and poetic circus interludes.
The coveted Schikaneder Statuettes will be awarded this evening for outstanding achievements on, in, and behind the country's stages. The selection of Circus-Theater Roncalli for the gala is a first and is intended to underscore the connection between the arts. The historic Chapiteau provides a special backdrop for the ceremony and promises a unique ambiance. The Austrian Music Theater Award, presented annually since 2013, recognizes the artistic diversity and quality of music theater in Austria.
A special feature of the gala evening will be a glimpse into the new production "Cagliostro – Johann Strauss in the Circus Tent." This production is based on the rarely performed operetta "Cagliostro in Vienna" by Johann Strauss and will be presented as part of the anniversary year honoring Johann Strauss's 200th birthday as a musical spectacle combining pop, theater, and the world of circus with international appeal. Roland Geyer, artistic director of "Johann Strauss 2025 Vienna," announced that this special spectacle will premiere in the Manegenrund from September 10 to 28, 2025.
Karl-Michael Ebner, President of the Austrian Music Theatre Prize, expressed his delight at the unusual location. He emphasized that musical theatre thrives on imagination, emotion, and grand gestures – elements that are combined in the new production "Cagliostro – Johann Strauss in the Circus Tent" in the unique atmosphere of Vienna's Heumarkt. The choice of this location reflects the magic of the art form and simultaneously connects to Johann Strauss's anniversary year. Tickets for the gala on September 17, 2025, are already available.