Berlin music hall that staged Marlene Dietrich's first performance faces bankruptcy

London, September 4 : The Friedrichstadtpalast music hall in Berlin, where actress Marlene Dietrich made her debut, is reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy.

An official in the city's culture department has revealed that the music hall, known for upholding a tradition of near-naked young women performing risque dance routines with almost military discipline, has appealed to Mayor Klaus Wowereit to provide 2.8million pounds to fend off imminent financial collapse.

"This was completely unexpected. It is deeply worrying and depressing," Times Online quoted the official as saying.

The theatre is said to be working at 60 per cent capacity, and is relying heavily on annual government subsidies.

Wowereit considers the music hall to be a vital part of the city's image, but he still has to convince the city's Parliament to spend more money on it.

Young adults in the city, however, do not seem to be in a mood to support funding for the hall.

"Chorus girls? That's something for my grandad," said Eike Depping, a 23-year-old student wheeling her bicycle past the huge music hall.

"This is Berlin, not Las Vegas. You don't have to pay for a theatre ticket to see women without clothes," the student added.

ANI