BERLIN, Germany. A controversial performance at a Catholic cathedral in Paderborn earlier this month, which included raw chickens in diapers onstage, has led church and city leaders to apologize for “hurting religious feelings.”
The performance, titled “Westphalia Side Story,” took place on May 15 during celebrations marking the 1,250th anniversary of the Westphalia region. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Archbishop Udo Bentz of Paderborn were reportedly in the audience.
Videos of the performance showed one woman and two shirtless men singing “Fleisch ist Fleisch” (“Meat is meat”) while dancing with dead chickens in front of the cathedral’s altar. The scene spoofed the 1984 pop song “Live Is Life” by the Austrian band Opus.
The performance company BodyTalk explained that the scene was an excerpt from the upcoming “Westphalia Side Story,” which references “West Side Story” and will premiere in September as part of the region’s anniversary events. “It was not meant to be a spoof at all,” said BodyTalk cofounder Rolf Baumgart, adding that the performance aimed to reflect the region’s rural history and identity.
However, the show sparked backlash, including an online petition with more than 22,000 signatures demanding an apology and penance from Archbishop Bentz, as well as the reconsecration of the cathedral.
In a statement posted on the cathedral’s website, the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe and the church’s leadership said they were not aware of the full content of the show. They apologized for the “hurtful” performance and promised to vet future events more thoroughly. The cathedral also launched an internal review.
President Steinmeier’s office has not commented on the matter.
