Otto & Astrid: The Stages Tour
Presented by Frigid New York
Under St. Marks, 94 St. Marks Pl New York, NY 10009
March 6, 2026 - March 8, 2026
All hail to glam rock royalty unfolding before your very eyes in Otto & Astrid: The Stages Tour performing at Under St. Marks. Dynamic duo Otto and Astrid are taking the stage by storm in their rock and roll fury toward becoming Berlin’s legendary rock siblings.
For anyone who has ever loved synth, goth, new wave, the 80s, Otto & Astrid: The Stages Tour is a wacky heartfelt love letter to the underground freaks, geeks and goths in between. There is something very powerful in being misunderstood that even outcasts can find comfort in. Otto and Astrid embrace their quirk, dare to be bold, and whether you like them or not, their authenticity screams empowerment.
Under St. Mark’s lends itself as the perfect venue for watching underground, live and visceral groundbreaking theater unfold. Otto and Astrid could have literally climbed out of the womb and into St. Marks with the level of comfort, ease and intimacy you see them exude throughout their performance.
“Cause it’s a rock n roll concert and I’m a rock n roll monster” are just a few of the catchy lyrics as the music radiates across the stage in their head banging beats. Who are they? Are they truly brother and sister who were orphaned at 12 and 9 from Berlin? The line blurs between reality and fiction as their performance is so convincing you wonder if they really are related.
Clare Bartholomew and Daniel Tobias are the actors behind the personas, hailing from Australia. Together they have been performing as Otto and Astrid since 2008. Knowing this alone shows how longevity is the key that unlocks the maddening passion it takes toward mastery. The comfort and unconscious anticipation of each other’s very breath is what takes this comedic act several notches toward theater as a study in humanity.
From flawless makeup where Otto has red lipstick overshadowing the circumference of his entire mouth, eyeliner and emo hairdo for days, to Astrid with her Asian inspired goddess ensemble meets sexy Dom with piercing eyes and rock n roll jet black hair, the duo have it all nailed down to rock and roll science.
The performance is set as a concert but along the way unfolds as a proper drama of how two orphans with big dreams land themselves as rockstars. Stage lighting takes precedence as Otto calls out for dramatic mood lighting according to his Depeche Mode music selection. Whenever his sister Astrid wanders backstage the audience excitedly encourages his own tango with solo performance and we all howl in hysteria as his lyrics mimic the irony of familiar bands we know and love. Watching all this releases a light bulb moment where sometimes the silliest of lyrics creates the most satisfying alliteration and onomatopoeia.
This high energy radical cacophony of electrifying sounds is sure to delight the hearts and minds of rock kindred spirits alike. Rather than watching the usual concert unfold, we are spectators of theater as a means to a musical end. It is a show with immersive elements and audience participation that breathes the symbiotic energy always found in real life concerts. Otto and Astrid are masters at coordinating theatrical elements such as a compelling narrative, stylized costuming and the use of musical instruments to frame the narrative arc. Prepare to be tickled silly with excitement as you rock your socks off with Otto & Astrid: The Stages Tour.
Review by Bianca Lopez.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on March 10th, 2026. All rights reserved.
