Karel de Rooij celebrates biography launch at Koninklijke Schouwburg

Karel de Rooij, a member of the former musical variety duo Mini & Maxi, celebrated the launch of his biography, ‘Wat had ik anders moeten worden?’, at a packed Koninklijke Schouwburg in The Hague.

Co-authored with Dick van den Heuvel, the book explores De Rooij’s musical family history. The event featured a performance by various artists coached or directed by De Rooij, including Ellen ten Damme, Percossa, and the Dutch Don’t Dance Company. The program concluded with a performance by Peter de Jong, De Rooij’s longtime partner in Mini & Maxi, accompanied by his brother Nico on piano.

Following the presentation, Mayor Jan van Zanen received the first copy of the biography. Additionally, the Koninklijke Schouwburg pledged to include a special variety performance in its upcoming season, a significant development for De Rooij and his Scala Variété aan Zee Foundation, which advocates for dedicated variety venues in The Hague.