Australia’s favourite German, Hans, knows how to win over a crowd.
Whether it’s dazzling the likes of international personalities Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell on 'America’s Got Talent' or winning over a legion of fans at Adelaide Fringe, Hans assures that when he’s on stage “it’s going to be a good time”. Hans – who proclaims himself as Germany’s proudest export – is set to return to Adelaide Fringe with 'Haus Of Hans: Disco Spektakulär' which is arguably his biggest spectacle to date. “Normally when people come to my show there’s a lot of dancing and a band and sequins and everything but we have really blown the budget on this. . . Usually I say this is a Kylie show on a Dannii budget but this is like Beyoncé.”
In 'Haus Of Hans: Disco Spektakulär', The Adelaide-based performer will revisit the opulent New York City club scene of the early ‘80s and ‘90s for a night of disco, dance and drama. “I always want to remember the first time I ever went clubbing, it was kind of like when Dorothy in ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ goes from black and white to colour. I literally remember the first time stepping into a club going ‘oh my gosh this is amazing!’, so that’s what I want to do with this show.”
It’s been a busy 2020 for Hans, in addition to his Fringe show he recently returned to 'America’s Got Talent' for 'America’s Got Talent: The Champions' where he reunited with judges Simon Cowell and fellow German Heidi Klum. But Hans revealed it wasn’t an entirely happy reunion. “The last time there was a bit of a love affair (with Cowell) but this time he’s been giving me a bit of grief and frankly he can go do one now. It’s over for me. I’m team Heidi Klum all the way. I’ve got the fellow German on my side.”
And while one might think there’s no room for two German divas on the popular series, Hans assures he’s taken Klum’s insecurities into consideration. “I do think Heidi looks at me as a threat. She has perpetuated a nasty rumour I’m not actually from Germany and I understand why. She’s been on American TV for years now and she’s had the monopoly as the world’s hottest German and how would you feel if somebody, let’s face it younger and more beautiful, came along? And I think that’s what’s happened!
“But really she can’t help but love me and to be honest I love her too. I feel like our careers have been paralleled in a lot of ways. We are both models, she was runway and I was hand but Heidi is wonderful.”
Despite his international success, Hans is excited to be back in Adelaide for Fringe. “The city comes alive and everyone gets behind it,” he says. “There are a lot of people that don’t consider themselves theatrical people or whatever but they come to these shows during Fringe because it’s not a threatening environment. . . At my shows you can do anything and I think that’s the good thing about Fringe. If it encourages more people to support the arts then I’m all for it. It’s the gateway drug to the theatrical world.”
And if you think you’ve experienced a Hans show before, the entertainer insists you’ve seen nothing yet.
“That was a small tapas, this is the full buffet.”
