Ethan: Yes of course, but I never did it in German but in English.

Kunze: Which was it?

Ethan: I had the pleasure to do Les Misérables. I almost could have done it in German as well, 1989 in Vienna but I took the other way and went to do the Phantom in Vienna so unfourtunatley I never had the opportunity to sing Les Miz in German.

Kunze: You would have been a great Javert.

Ethan: Thank you. Actually, that's what I did some years later in London.

Hofer: Mr. Freeman, you are American and are used to see "show off election campaigns". Are politics in Germany boring?

Ethan: In politics today I see an international "Anton aus Tirol"* Effect. The people turn to follow a very simple idol. "Anton aus Tirol" for example is interesting because of a certain simple rhythm but what it says is totally stupid. I think what America finds interesting in politics are human stories. Something you can deal with. In some ways, the world has become so complicated that most of the people don't have the time to follow the difficult, complex aspects of world politics anymore. Yet, there are organisations that prove the opposite. People who wake up and speak out against the globalisation, saying to themselves: "Wait, what does globalization really mean to me as a simple person?" In politics personalities became interesting, for politics contain themes which appear to be difficult to the people. That's an American disease which is spreading around the world.

Hofer: What is living in Germany like for an American? How does it feel to be in a German talkshow? Is it something typically German that you encounter here?

Ethan: No, I think that it is a meeting of thinking people. Artists, policicans, spiritual personalities. I don't think that there are any borders anymore. I see it as something international when people sit together and think and talk. So I'm happy to be here for all of the topics we discussed are topics that I encounter in what I'm doing, especially in Jekyll & Hyde that deals with the big questions of the human race. What is good? What is evil? Where do we seperate our savage lust from our moralic and ethical way of life? Just like in 1875 these are still important topics and these are the topics that give people motivation to work in politics or to write or to preach. Those are the main questions of our lives. Acting is my way to tell a story and a way to work with myths and sagas to make the people understand their own being.

Hofer: And at the same time you do something like a professional marathon. You're onstage almost every night.

Ethan: It's a very difficult role. Vocally and physically, but also mentally. I take it very seroiusly. Of course it's a kind of entertainment, but for me, it's also important to tell this story and to bring it into the light and I'm glad to have the chance to give my best night by night. That's what I'm prepared for and I feel ready to do it. It's also fun and I'm glad that I'm able to do something that's almost a pro sport at my age.

Hofer: How much time beside this marathon is left to see what's happening in Germany?

Ethan: I'm always interested in politics in each country I work in. I was also in Austria and spent some years in England. I'm also following American politics as far as possible, but I'm some kind of sceptical about it. That's why I'm not really political myself. I try to reach to people in other ways. Unfortunately I've lost my trust in politics as many other in America have because politics and public life there is slowly dumbing down. So my job as an artist is to give the people other motivations to improve their lives. Compared to politics this is a much more superficial way, but with the arts, you can touch the inner beings of the people with telling them a story more then somebody who wants to touch it just with any political topic.