Cherry Town

The Dutch National Opera presents the operetta Cherry Town in Amsterdam. This musical spectacle by Dmitri Shostakovich, directed by Jakop Ahlbom, deals with housing shortages and corruption, but also with love. Can honesty and love defeat the selfish real estate entrepreneur? Physical theater, hip-hop dance and swirling music Housing shortage, corruption, love: the themes of Cherry Town are highly topical. In a large city where rents are high, a new construction project is announced: Cherry Trees Estate. Here, countless people hope to find a place for themselves. Unfortunately, they soon encounter the selfishness of the project's real estate developer. Can honesty and love triumph over corruption? Cherry Town is a comedic, musical spectacle for the whole family. Swinging music by Shostakovich In Shostakovich's only operetta, we hear the 'lighter' side of the composer. The work bursts with waltzes, polkas, and other types of dance music. In between, Shostakovich pokes fun at 'more serious' musical styles. This swirling music is in good hands with the Netherlands Philharmonic and conductor Bassem Akiki, who previously impressed at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam with Animal Farm (2023) and We Are The Lucky Ones (2025). Artistic forces For this production, De Nationale Opera, Jakop Ahlbom Company, and ISH Dance Collective join artistic forces for the first time. Director Jakop Ahlbom is known for his visual productions full of humor and visual poetry. In Cherry Town, he replaces the spoken dialogue of the operetta with silent acting. He develops the stunt and dance scenes together with choreographer Marco Gerris (artistic director of ISH Dance Collective and winner of the Johannes Vermeer Prize 2025). An energetic cast includes beloved Dutch singers such as Thomas Oliemans, Frederik Bergman, Nina van Essen, Michael Wilmering, and Alexander de Jong. They share the stage with dancers from ISH Dance Collective and the Choir of the Dutch National Opera.