Actor Heiner Lauterbach takes his audience on a literary and musical journey through the United States. In his program "Like a Hobo," he explores the literary DNA of the U.S., focusing on the great storytellers who have inspired and shaped world literature and whose works remain as relevant today as ever.

• He focuses on the small, subtle, lesser-known stories of Mark Twain: the forefather of modern U.S. literature, known for his sharp wit and his socially critical observations.
• John Steinbeck: As a Nobel Prize winner, he captured the fate of ordinary people and migrant workers during the Great Depression. His writings are deeply humanistic and full of empathy for outsiders.
• William Faulkner: He dissected the soul of the American South and is considered one of the most important pioneers of modernist literature.
• Truman Capote: Known for his brilliant style and his ability to describe the darkest aspects of human nature with cool precision.
• O. Henry: The grand master of the short story. His writing is characterized by sharp turns of phrase and a deep understanding of the irony of fate in urban life.
• Jack London: with his precise observations and thrilling adventure stories.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald: In addition to his masterpiece *The Great Gatsby*, he wrote many other brilliant stories.

As a huge music fan, however, Heiner Lauterbach doesn’t just focus on the great writers; he also bridges the gap to the musical storytellers who not only founded the blues with their music but also decisively shaped the music world and laid the foundation for today’s soul, rock, and pop music. The COLOGNE BLUES CLUB feat. Timo Gross provides the soundtrack for the evening, a tribute to “storytellers” such as Robert Johnson: the legend of the Delta Blues, and Leadbelly: a powerful singer who carried folk and blues from the prisons of the South out into the world.

"Like a Hobo" is no ordinary reading evening. Heiner Lauterbach presents a show that brings together the giants of American literature with the country’s greatest musicians. A fascinating blend of "spoken word" and concert.

Advance ticket sales began on May 29.