Dance of the Vampires
Encyclopedia
Dance of the Vampires is a musical
remake of a 1967 Roman Polanski
film
of the same name (called The Fearless Vampire Killers
in the USA). Polanski also directed the original German production of this musical. Music was composed by Jim Steinman
and orchestrated by Steve Margoshes, and original German book and lyrics were written by Michael Kunze.
somewhere in the Alps
, where they hope to prove the Professor's theory that vampires actually do exist. Naturally, the villagers are in deep denial and refuse to confirm his beliefs. Nearly freezing to death in the nearby woods (He, Ho, He), the two are taken in by Chagal, a stereotypical Jewish inkeeper who spends most of his free time lusting after Magda, his beautiful shiksa
chambermaid, much to the disdain of his long suffering wife, Rebecca (Knoblauch).
After exploring the rooms upstairs in which they are staying (Bitte, meine Herren), Alfred discovers and is smitten by Chagal's beautiful eighteen year old daughter, Sarah. Chagal is very protective of his child, going as far as boarding up her room so she wouldn't bathe around the two guests (Eine schöne Tochter ist ein Segen). That night, Alfred and Sarah sing of their mutual attraction, while Chagal does some more fooling around with the maid, and Abronsius is swiftly knocked on the head by persons unknown (Nie geseh'n). Unknown to Alfred, late at night Sarah is serenaded by a mysterious stranger, promising her eternal life and power (Gott ist tot).
The next morning, the Professor bears witness to a small business exchange between Chagal and Koukol, a hideous hunchback living somewhere in the woods (Alles ist hell). He inquires about the odd man (Wahrheit), but Chagal refuses to discuss the matter. That same night, Sarah tricks Alfred into giving up his bath for her (Du bist wirklich sehr nett) and as she joyfully soaps her sponge, Count von Krolock, an aristocratic vampire breaks into the bathroom from the roof above and invites her to a midnight ball at his castle (Einladung zum Ball). He is about to bite the girl, but Alfred, who has been spying on Sarah's bathing ritual, screams for help. Chagal and Rebecca arrive, furious. Sarah's father spanks her and forbids her to ever go outside.
However, later that night, Koukol arrives by the inn and leaves a red bundle for Sarah on the doorstep. She sneaks outside and discovers it to be a pair of expensive red boots. Alfred comes outside as well and professes his love to her (Draußen ist Freiheit). The two plan on running off together and Sarah asks Alfred to go back into the house to fetch her sponge. With Alfred gone, Sarah fantasizes about the fantastical, romantic vampire ball she could be missing and decides to accept the Count's invitation (Stärker als wir sind). She runs off into the woods. Alfred starts a panic, Chagal and Rebecca rush outside, but it's too late and Sarah's gone. Chagal wraps himself in garlic and runs into the woods after his daughter.
The next morning, Chagal's frozen body is found; Rebecca is devastated (Trauer um Chagal). Professor Abronsius discovers small puncture wounds all over the body, but the villagers, still in denial, assume they came from wolf bites. The Professor hands Rebecca a wooden stake and explains she must puncture Chagal's heart in order to prevent him from becoming a vampire. Hysterical, Rebecca chases him and Alfred out of the room, covering her husband with a bedsheet and swearing that she would never let anyone violate his corpse.
In the middle of the night, Magda sneaks downstairs to look at Chagal's corpse, expressing mixed feelings about his death and the sexual advances she was forced to endure while Chagal was alive (Tot zu sein ist komisch). Suddenly, Chagal sits up, now a vampire. Magda tries to fend him off with a crucifix
, but being a Jewish vampire, he manages to overpower her and feed on her blood, accidentally killing her in the process. Alfred and the Professor sneak into the room as well, planning to stake Chagal, but they find Magda's body there instead. A chase ensues and the two finally corner Chagal, who begs for mercy and promises to show them the route to the vampire's castle where his daughter supposedly is held if he's spared.
Chagal leads the two heroes to a giant castle in the woods (Durch die Wildnis zum Schloß), where they are greeted by the mysterious Count von Krolock and his flamboyant son Herbert, who is instantly attracted to Alfred (Vor dem Schloß). Von Krolock invites the two men into his domain and the two reluctantly accept his invitation.
The next morning, Alfred wants to find Sarah and flee the castle (Ein perfekter Tag / Für Sarah), but Professor Abronsius is more concerned with staking Von Krolock and Herbert. Alfred and the Professor make their way to the crypt (In der Gruft), where they locate the two vampires. The Professor becomes stuck on a bannister as he attempts to get into the crypt and assigns Alfred to kill von Krolock and his son, but Alfred can't bring himself to drive a stake through their hearts. Before the Professor can think of something else, he hears a noise and the hapless duo flee the crypt just as Chagal arrives with Magda's coffin. Magda climbs out, now a vampire, and finally concedes to having a sexual relationship with Chagal.
Alfred and the Professor continue searching the castle and separate in the library (Bücher, Bücher). Alfred comes across a small bedroom where he finds Sarah in the bathroom, apparently unharmed. Alfred begs for her to leave, but Sarah refuses, saying she wants to stay for the midnight ball. She coaxes Alfred to leave the room (involving another encounter in the library, Noch mehr Bücher) while she gets dressed, but when Alfred returns, Sarah is gone and Herbert is in her place. Herbert tries flirting with the confused and terrified "hero" (Wenn Liebe in dir Ist), which culminates with him lunging at Alfred's neck, but the Professor comes in the nick of time and scares the younger vampire off with a crucifix.
As Alfred and the Professor make it outside, the sun sets and they are confronted by von Krolock, who mocks the Professor's naive attempt to destroy him (Sie irren, Professor). To their horror, the two watch a whole mob of vampires rise up from a nearby church yard and head towards the ballroom (Ewigkeit). As the vampires leave their resting places, von Krolock reflects on his painful damnation as a member of the undead (Die unstillbare Gier), which Alfred overhears, but the Professor dismisses von Krolock as nothing more than a monster.
The vampires arrive in the castle and the ball begins (Tanzsaal). Alfred and Professor Abronisus sneak their way inside dressed as members of the undead. Count von Krolock appears at the top of the stairs to introduce his "guest," whom he forbids the other vampires to touch. Sarah enters the ballroom in an elegant red ball gown and approaches von Krolock. He is quick to embrace her with a bite, draining her blood. The Count then proceeds to dance with the weakened Sarah as the other vampires join them in a menuet. Alfred and the Professor plan to sneak Sarah out during the dance, but unfortunately for them, a mirror is unveiled, blowing their cover since they're the only ones reflected. Von Krolock commands his vampire flock to attack Alfred and his mentor, but the former manages to form a makeshift cross out of two candelabras, causing a diversion. The three humans make their escape as von Krolock, furious, sends Koukol chasing after the girl.
Koukol chases Alfred, Sarah and the Professor through the woods, but is attacked by wolves and killed. The three heroes stop on a small hillside to rest. Alfred once more professes his love to Sarah and the two lovers embrace (Draußen ist Freiheit - Reprise). Professor Abronsius, too consumed by his note taking, does not see what is happening behind him... Tonight, the vampires will dance (Der Tanz der Vampire).
in Vienna
, Austria
, on October 4, 1997. It was produced by the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien
. In 1998, it won the IMAGE AWARD for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The production closed on January 15, 2000.
A complete cast recording and a highlights cast recording were made of this production.
Original Vienna Cast
.
A live recording was released.
Vienna Concert Cast
2009 Vienna Cast
Notable Replacements
Drew Sarich
replaced Thomas Borchert as von Krolock on the 6th November 2010.
, Germany
on March 31, 2000 at the Apollo Theater and closed on August 31, 2003.
Original Stuttgart Cast
As a result of a public voting Tanz der Vampire returned to Stuttgart on 25 February 2010 at the Palladium Theatre.
Stuttgart Revival Cast
and closed on January 22, 2006.
Original Hamburg Cast
Original Berlin Cast
production opened at the Metronom Theater am Centro on November 7, 2008. The show played its final performance on January 31, 2010 before transferring to Stuttgart.
Original Oberhausen Cast
on November 10, 2000 in the Tallinna Linnahall arena for a short run of 10 performances. Due to success, the show was repeated in Estonia in a concert version in 2004 with the same cast members, except for Koit Toome
who was replaced by Andero Ermel. Nele-Liis Vaiksoo
, who originated the role of Sarah in her native land, was to return to the show 8 years later in Oberhausen
, Germany
.
No official recording was released in Estonia, although the Estonian Television did broadcast most of the show, and a 5-track promotional single was released for the use of radio stations with "Öölaps" (Totale Finsternis), "Vabaks võin saada" (Draußen ist Freiheit), "Sarahle" (Für Sarah), "Laul surmast" (Tot zu sein ist komisch) and "Kaunis tütreke" (Eine schöne Tochter ist ein Segen) included.
Original Estonian Cast
founder Joseph Papp
in the early Seventies and authored several musicals, including The Dream Engine, Neverland and The Confidence Man, and also provided the lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webber
's musical Whistle Down the Wind
. After briefly considering a West End run, under the influence of Steinman and his manager David Sonenberg
, it was decided to bring the musical (now titled Dance of the Vampires) to New York for the 1998 season, with Steinman translating and reshaping the German book and lyrics, Polanski returning as director, and original Viennese producer/Polanski manager Andrew Braunsberg serving as executive producer. Efforts to return Polanski to the United States in spite of past indiscretions
proved fruitless, leading first to postponing the show's opening to Halloween 2000, and then to the decision (dated to roughly March 2000) to seek a different director if Polanski could not return.
In October 2000, a tentative fall 2001 opening was announced, along with the rather surprising declaration that Steinman himself would serve as the show's director, a somewhat off-putting notion due to the fact that Steinman had never directed any shows, much less one of this size and scale, in his career. Attempting to reassure doubters, Steinman asserted in interviews that "Half the show [in Vienna] I had to talk Polanski into doing, and did it behind his back a lot. He's a great guy but he had a totally different vision". As early 2001 approached, however, and a reading for potential producers and investors was announced in the news section of Steinman's fan website, things began taking on a more concrete shape. John Caird
was to co-direct, and comic playwright David Ives
was helping to reconfigure the book with a view toward a more comic angle instead of a straightforward adaptation of the successful Austrian version, which was deemed to be written in a style no longer accepted by Broadway critics and audiences. As Steinman later put it, looking back with a more jaundiced eye, "We were told to put five jokes on every page". Signing on as producers were Sonenberg and the producing team of Elizabeth Williams and Anita Waxman, then known for the critically acclaimed revival of The Music Man
.
The new version, described by Steinman to the press as "a big, Wagnerian musical with lots of humor [...] a lot of it is pure Mel Brooks and a lot of it Anne Rice" and to the by-invitation-only audience as a musical for "people who think musicals suck," was met with a mixed reception. Potential investors and producers seemed to love the score, but felt the new book with its mix of bawdy humor and eroticism needed fine-tuning. Unfortunately, Steinman's creative disagreements with his producing team (at one point telling the press "I can't tell you how many things are the opposite of what I want, but I am part of a team"), and their seeming inability to raise the investment money in time for a now-rather-unrealistic fall opening, led to tense situations backstage. Finally Waxman and Williams were ousted from the production, with Sonenberg assuming day-to-day responsibilities as the lead producer, a strategic move viewed by many as a power grab on Steinman's part (as one source put it, "he has the final say on everything").
, John Travolta
, Richard Gere
and Placido Domingo
. Ultimately, the team came to an agreement with Michael Crawford
, best known on Broadway at the time as the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber
's The Phantom of the Opera
in the 1980s. Steinman was reportedly elated, calling him "a towering talent" and "probably the biggest box-office star in the theater." However, Crawford wanted some assurances before he would take on a planned three years in the role. He demanded complete creative control of his character, he wanted a "retirement package" of up to £20m a year ($180,000 a week in American money), and he also preferred to have "first refusal" on (i.e., the option to reprise) the role in London and Los Angeles. Additionally, though not a major point in negotiations, Crawford also sought assurance that he would receive the role of von Krolock in any resulting film version, having recently lost the film role of the Phantom to initial star Antonio Banderas
(later replaced by Gerard Butler
). Of the four points of negotiation, Crawford won two, creative control and first refusal, eschewing the original salary (after initial press reports caused an outcry over his massive payday) for a much slimmer $30,000 a week. While Steinman, still ebullient over Crawford's casting, defended the original figure by saying Crawford "would be worth every cent we can pay him", a more sensible Crawford claimed that initial reports of a $180,000 salary were "ridiculous" and "a piece of fantasy journalism from my home country," adding that "anyone who knows how many people you can fit in a theater knows that you don't do Broadway to make money". The possibility of the film role, meanwhile, was never mentioned again.
By the time an official deal with Crawford was announced, by now downgraded to a yearlong contract in the role rather than three, he had been pulling his weight in the creative control department; as Sonenberg put it, "[He has been] working with us the last several months on input on the book." Crawford's agent Mort Viner reported that the role would not be a repeat of his Phantom performance "because of the comedy." Indeed, Crawford was involved in reshaping the role of von Krolock in a more comic fashion, insisting that the role as written was too close to the Phantom. Later reports would claim that Crawford, paranoid about doing anything that could be compared to the Phantom, agreed with the party line that the piece should be a comedy on the lines of Mel Brooks
and that he personally revised and rearranged the book to that end, causing co-librettist Ives to remark that he was a stenographer rather than a writer, but in truth, the show already exhibited signs of much larger changes of a similar fashion as far back as the workshop production in mid-May 2001 before Crawford's casting; it seems that Crawford's major contributions at this time were in the vein of a "Continental accent" (a bizarre mix of Italian and Cockney tones that Crawford claimed made singing the score easier) and input on costume designs aimed at hiding alleged weight problems (jowls in particular). After rehearsals were to begin in January, the opening was set for April 2002 following six weeks of previews starting in March. Further casting sessions for secondary leads and ensemble were set for September 2001.
On September 11, 2001, however, the game-plan changed in a major league fashion. With most of the show's major creative team (including co-director Caird) based in London, a myriad of logistic delays were caused by mass cancellation of flights, among other variables. Realizing there was no way to open before the Tony
cut-off as planned, and (it later emerged) unable to raise his share of the investment on time, Sonenberg publicly announced the postponement of the show's opening to October 24.
and Bill Haber), of the revival of Noises Off
, Bob Boyett (producer of a revival of Hedda Gabler
and investor in a revival of The Crucible
and original productions Sweet Smell of Success
and Topdog/Underdog
), and Lawrence Horowitz (producer of Electra
and It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues) signed on. A creative team was also finally being assembled, including set designer David Gallo
, who Steinman liked because Gallo told him upon meeting for the first time that he was probably the only set designer in America who still subscribed to Heavy Metal Magazine, and that he bought Bat Out of Hell
because he saw the album cover artwork (conceived by Steinman and executed by Richard Corben
) and decided he had to have it before he even heard the music. On a perhaps slightly less delightful note for Steinman, due to delays caused by Caird's long-distance habitation, and a desire on the part of the new producers to see names experienced with quirky comedies at the helm, he found himself and Caird replaced as directors by John Rando of Urinetown
fame, who was quickly joined by choreographer John Carrafa, his co-helmer on Urinetown.
A cast also rapidly shaped up around Crawford with the input of the new director and choreographer in a fresh set of auditions, with then-ingenues Mandy Gonzalez
and Max von Essen
in the young lead roles of Alfred and Sarah, Rene Auberjonois
(after similar prolonged negotiations to Crawford's) as Professor Abronsius, Ron Orbach (late of the out-of-town run of The Producers
) as Chagal, and rising talent Julia Murney
as Magda, among others
On paper, put together by talented people, Dance of the Vampires looked like magic. A celebrated rock composer, a critics' darling who had authored several Off-Broadway plays, a Tony-winning director, and a high-wattage Broadway star were the captains of this ship. However, rehearsals proved just how unsteady the ship actually was.
Rando had never directed a musical of this size, and quickly proved overwhelmed according to cast members. Choreographer Carrafa wasn't helping; his idea of staging a big dance number was to tell the performers, "Just rock on!" Company morale was no better, as cast members began poking fun at Crawford's weight-sensitive costumes behind his back, calling him a "fat rooster." Crawford himself was no angel either; co-author Michael Kunze attested after the fact that Crawford "reject[ed] any well-meant suggestions for change by saying 'I don't wanna talk about it anymore.'" Indeed, Kunze, the original author of the German work, had much to complain about when it came to changes, but most of all that there was no "final moment" where one concept for the production was crystallized, partly because the director didn't seem "able to decide what was good or bad about both Jim Steinman's and Michael Crawford's ideas." Adding to the lack of a definitive creative head was the director's unplanned absence, due to his mother's death, which sidelined Rando from the production during several weeks of previews. Steinman proved to have a bad attitude about the process; although publicly he put on a brave face for the press preview and for most interviews, he later claimed he could see what was wrong with the show, which he dubbed "a runaway train": "We ended up with two shows at war with each other. One was sensual and Gothic, the other was camp Rocky Horror
. I knew the critics would kill us for that. We were the perfect target, a fat lady with a sign on her back that said, 'Kick me!'" However, unable to express his opinions without fighting with Crawford or the rest of the team (to the point that sharp- and quick-witted Steinman was viewed as verbally abusive by certain cast members), he opted instead to stop coming to the theater regularly, according to his account. It later emerged that in truth, presumably for his inactivity if Steinman's account is believable, Steinman was fired from the show by his own manager, acting as producer. Similarly, citing Sonenberg's inability to come up with his share of the investment, Steinman managed to get Sonenberg thrown overboard as a producer; the two did not speak for some time after the mutual firing. At about the same time, some cast members left the show, sensing that all was not well; Murney was one.
The show finally started previews after technological and creative delays at the Minskoff Theatre
on October 18, 2002. Initially, the seemingly final result was an altered version with a lot of campy humor that differed considerably from the original show. Although the show initially went well in sales based on Crawford's name (for a time, the show played to packed houses in previews, and was in fourth place in terms of high-selling Broadway grosses without even having officially opened), the humor received some laughter and much criticism.
An attempt was made at arriving at a comfortable middle between the "two shows at war with each other," and original author Kunze was finally consulted for his opinion of what should be changed (far too late, in his view). Ultimately, thanks ironically to the German author of the original piece, the show arrived at much of its final form: during previews, 30% of the dialogue was cut to allow room to expand the score and arrive closer to the original almost sung-through concept; the vampire costumes were redesigned to look less freakish; a new staging of the shock ending set in modern times suggested by Kunze was inputted. Other suggestions, such as cutting a new dramatic death scene for the Count and restoring some of the original German lyrics, met with more dissension, and Kunze withdrew those suggestions, not wishing to cause any trouble. On a lighter note, entertainment mogul Howard Stringer
, a friend of Crawford's, rang the final death knell for the weight-hiding costumes by telling Crawford he looked silly; from that point forward, the ruffled collars were gone.
Those major changes aside, the show seen in previews was still in flux, and a show that changed huge amounts of its material nightly, which caused some trouble with the cast. Crawford was regularly changing his dialogue and inserting his own jokes, testing the strength of the material, to the point that co-star Rene Auberjonois
became paranoid about all of his jokes being cut, and the two of them began trying to step on each other's punchlines. By the time of opening, however, this mutual tomfoolery seemed to have been reined in; producer Bob Boyett had no complaints about Crawford's behavior, calling him "a great star and a total professional" and saying that he "didn't find him to be difficult at all." Another unfortunate side-effect of the changing material was that with Steinman out of the picture, there was no one around to write new lyrical material as necessary in some cases, and so the English version (of necessity) borrowed a lot of new material from Steinman's lyrics for the previous English versions of what songs were recycled in the show (see song list below).
and David Ives
. This version of the show was critically lambasted; the work of lead performer Michael Crawford was reviewed particularly harshly. When the reviews came out, Jim Steinman made a show of his disapproval of the project by not attending opening night and publicly distancing himself from the show that had resulted from this "too many cooks" approach: "The show that I wrote is not at the Minskoff. The show that is dear to me is still running in Vienna (sic). The one at the Minskoff was just a job." In later days, on his blog, he would still refuse responsibility for what had occurred, writing that "DOTV as we know was UTTER SHIT!" in one post, and describing the production as a "shit pile" in another. He stated in other blog entries that his music was "wasted" on the show, and was careful to make a clear distinction between the Broadway version (referred to as DOTV) and the successful European version (referred to as Tanz).
On January 25, 2003, after 56 performances, Dance of the Vampires closed. According to The New York Times, it was "one of the costliest failures in Broadway history", losing roughly $12 million, easily eclipsing the infamous musical Carrie
.
Original Broadway Cast
at the Roma Teatr Muzyczny on October 8, 2005, using the original staging and choreography, but boasting completely new sets and costumes. The production closed on October 22, 2006 in order to avoid potential competition with the nearby Berlin production.
A highlights cast recording was released of this production.
The Original Warsaw Cast
.
A live cast recording was released.
The Original Japanese Cast
. The musical was given a new visual look in the Hungarian production through the sets and costumes designed by Kentaur. The show has continued in brief runs during the summers and late December/early January each year, and the production celebrated its 150th performance on 15 January 2011.
A live cast recording was released.
Budapest Cast 2007-
(* signifies that the actor has left the production)
Original Flemish Cast
. Directed by Peter Oravec.
The Original Slovak Cast
Original Russian Cast
, Finland
, on September 10, 2011.
Original Finnish Cast
), although it also features music from his widely known records like "Total Eclipse of the Heart
" (remade as "Totale Finsternis") and the melody, but not the lyric, from a Bat Out Of Hell II song called "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are
" (remade as "Die unstillbare Gier").
Asked at one point to explain this phenomenon, particularly with regard to the re-use of "Total Eclipse," Steinman explained, "That was an accident almost. I'm surprised it stayed in. [For the original production] in Vienna, I had only a month and a half to write this whole show and we needed a big love duet... But with 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' I was trying to come up with a love song and I remembered I actually wrote that to be a vampire love song. Its original title was 'Vampires in Love' because I was working on a musical of Nosferatu, the other great vampire story. If anyone listens to the lyrics, they're really like vampire lines. It's all about the darkness, the power of darkness and love's place in dark. And so I figured 'Who's ever going to know; it's Vienna!' And then it was just hard to take it out."
Asked about the impact of previously heard songs, especially "Total Eclipse," on the show's popularity in Europe, Steinman replied, "Well, the reaction, at least in Europe, was great. They recognized it, but then it seems - if it's done well - to take on a different personality."
Act One
Act Two
Act One
Act Two
Act Two
Act Two
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
remake of a 1967 Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
of the same name (called The Fearless Vampire Killers
The Fearless Vampire Killers
The Fearless Vampire Killers is a 1967 comedy horror film directed by Roman Polanski, written by Gérard Brach and Polanski, produced by Gene Gutowski and co-starring Polanski with future wife Sharon Tate...
in the USA). Polanski also directed the original German production of this musical. Music was composed by Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
and orchestrated by Steve Margoshes, and original German book and lyrics were written by Michael Kunze.
Plot
This synopsis applies to the European and Japanese productions only. The Broadway version was heavily rewritten. In addition, portions of this synopsis may reflect later changes to the European show, which will become clear when one reads the song list below.Act I
Some time in the late 19th century, Professor Abronsius and Alfred, his young but bumbling sidekick, arrive in a small Jewish shtetlShtetl
A shtetl was typically a small town with a large Jewish population in Central and Eastern Europe until The Holocaust. Shtetls were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, Galicia and Romania...
somewhere in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, where they hope to prove the Professor's theory that vampires actually do exist. Naturally, the villagers are in deep denial and refuse to confirm his beliefs. Nearly freezing to death in the nearby woods (He, Ho, He), the two are taken in by Chagal, a stereotypical Jewish inkeeper who spends most of his free time lusting after Magda, his beautiful shiksa
Shiksa
Shiksa or shikse, is a Yiddish and Polish word that has moved into English usage, mostly in North American Jewish culture, as a term for a non-Jewish woman, initially and sometimes still pejorative but now often used satirically...
chambermaid, much to the disdain of his long suffering wife, Rebecca (Knoblauch).
After exploring the rooms upstairs in which they are staying (Bitte, meine Herren), Alfred discovers and is smitten by Chagal's beautiful eighteen year old daughter, Sarah. Chagal is very protective of his child, going as far as boarding up her room so she wouldn't bathe around the two guests (Eine schöne Tochter ist ein Segen). That night, Alfred and Sarah sing of their mutual attraction, while Chagal does some more fooling around with the maid, and Abronsius is swiftly knocked on the head by persons unknown (Nie geseh'n). Unknown to Alfred, late at night Sarah is serenaded by a mysterious stranger, promising her eternal life and power (Gott ist tot).
The next morning, the Professor bears witness to a small business exchange between Chagal and Koukol, a hideous hunchback living somewhere in the woods (Alles ist hell). He inquires about the odd man (Wahrheit), but Chagal refuses to discuss the matter. That same night, Sarah tricks Alfred into giving up his bath for her (Du bist wirklich sehr nett) and as she joyfully soaps her sponge, Count von Krolock, an aristocratic vampire breaks into the bathroom from the roof above and invites her to a midnight ball at his castle (Einladung zum Ball). He is about to bite the girl, but Alfred, who has been spying on Sarah's bathing ritual, screams for help. Chagal and Rebecca arrive, furious. Sarah's father spanks her and forbids her to ever go outside.
However, later that night, Koukol arrives by the inn and leaves a red bundle for Sarah on the doorstep. She sneaks outside and discovers it to be a pair of expensive red boots. Alfred comes outside as well and professes his love to her (Draußen ist Freiheit). The two plan on running off together and Sarah asks Alfred to go back into the house to fetch her sponge. With Alfred gone, Sarah fantasizes about the fantastical, romantic vampire ball she could be missing and decides to accept the Count's invitation (Stärker als wir sind). She runs off into the woods. Alfred starts a panic, Chagal and Rebecca rush outside, but it's too late and Sarah's gone. Chagal wraps himself in garlic and runs into the woods after his daughter.
The next morning, Chagal's frozen body is found; Rebecca is devastated (Trauer um Chagal). Professor Abronsius discovers small puncture wounds all over the body, but the villagers, still in denial, assume they came from wolf bites. The Professor hands Rebecca a wooden stake and explains she must puncture Chagal's heart in order to prevent him from becoming a vampire. Hysterical, Rebecca chases him and Alfred out of the room, covering her husband with a bedsheet and swearing that she would never let anyone violate his corpse.
In the middle of the night, Magda sneaks downstairs to look at Chagal's corpse, expressing mixed feelings about his death and the sexual advances she was forced to endure while Chagal was alive (Tot zu sein ist komisch). Suddenly, Chagal sits up, now a vampire. Magda tries to fend him off with a crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
, but being a Jewish vampire, he manages to overpower her and feed on her blood, accidentally killing her in the process. Alfred and the Professor sneak into the room as well, planning to stake Chagal, but they find Magda's body there instead. A chase ensues and the two finally corner Chagal, who begs for mercy and promises to show them the route to the vampire's castle where his daughter supposedly is held if he's spared.
Chagal leads the two heroes to a giant castle in the woods (Durch die Wildnis zum Schloß), where they are greeted by the mysterious Count von Krolock and his flamboyant son Herbert, who is instantly attracted to Alfred (Vor dem Schloß). Von Krolock invites the two men into his domain and the two reluctantly accept his invitation.
Act II
Sarah is indeed at Count von Krolock's castle, wandering the dark empty halls and considering what her relationship with the Count truly is (Totale Finsternis). At the same time, Alfred is asleep with the Professor in a guest bedroom in another part of the castle, suffering from terrifying nightmares in which he loses Sarah to bloodthirsty vampires (Carpe noctem).The next morning, Alfred wants to find Sarah and flee the castle (Ein perfekter Tag / Für Sarah), but Professor Abronsius is more concerned with staking Von Krolock and Herbert. Alfred and the Professor make their way to the crypt (In der Gruft), where they locate the two vampires. The Professor becomes stuck on a bannister as he attempts to get into the crypt and assigns Alfred to kill von Krolock and his son, but Alfred can't bring himself to drive a stake through their hearts. Before the Professor can think of something else, he hears a noise and the hapless duo flee the crypt just as Chagal arrives with Magda's coffin. Magda climbs out, now a vampire, and finally concedes to having a sexual relationship with Chagal.
Alfred and the Professor continue searching the castle and separate in the library (Bücher, Bücher). Alfred comes across a small bedroom where he finds Sarah in the bathroom, apparently unharmed. Alfred begs for her to leave, but Sarah refuses, saying she wants to stay for the midnight ball. She coaxes Alfred to leave the room (involving another encounter in the library, Noch mehr Bücher) while she gets dressed, but when Alfred returns, Sarah is gone and Herbert is in her place. Herbert tries flirting with the confused and terrified "hero" (Wenn Liebe in dir Ist), which culminates with him lunging at Alfred's neck, but the Professor comes in the nick of time and scares the younger vampire off with a crucifix.
As Alfred and the Professor make it outside, the sun sets and they are confronted by von Krolock, who mocks the Professor's naive attempt to destroy him (Sie irren, Professor). To their horror, the two watch a whole mob of vampires rise up from a nearby church yard and head towards the ballroom (Ewigkeit). As the vampires leave their resting places, von Krolock reflects on his painful damnation as a member of the undead (Die unstillbare Gier), which Alfred overhears, but the Professor dismisses von Krolock as nothing more than a monster.
The vampires arrive in the castle and the ball begins (Tanzsaal). Alfred and Professor Abronisus sneak their way inside dressed as members of the undead. Count von Krolock appears at the top of the stairs to introduce his "guest," whom he forbids the other vampires to touch. Sarah enters the ballroom in an elegant red ball gown and approaches von Krolock. He is quick to embrace her with a bite, draining her blood. The Count then proceeds to dance with the weakened Sarah as the other vampires join them in a menuet. Alfred and the Professor plan to sneak Sarah out during the dance, but unfortunately for them, a mirror is unveiled, blowing their cover since they're the only ones reflected. Von Krolock commands his vampire flock to attack Alfred and his mentor, but the former manages to form a makeshift cross out of two candelabras, causing a diversion. The three humans make their escape as von Krolock, furious, sends Koukol chasing after the girl.
Koukol chases Alfred, Sarah and the Professor through the woods, but is attacked by wolves and killed. The three heroes stop on a small hillside to rest. Alfred once more professes his love to Sarah and the two lovers embrace (Draußen ist Freiheit - Reprise). Professor Abronsius, too consumed by his note taking, does not see what is happening behind him... Tonight, the vampires will dance (Der Tanz der Vampire).
Premiere
Tanz der Vampire premiered at the Raimund TheaterRaimund Theater
The Raimund Theater is a theatre in the Mariahilf district of Vienna, Austria.Named after the Austrian dramatist Ferdinand Raimund, the theatre was built by an association of Viennese citizens and opened on 28 November 1893 with Raimund's play Die gefesselte Phantasie...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, on October 4, 1997. It was produced by the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien
Vereinigte Bühnen Wien
Vereinigte Bühnen Wien , or United Stages Vienna, is a musical production company based in Vienna, Austria which produced several own musicals that were very successful.- Original musical productions :...
. In 1998, it won the IMAGE AWARD for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The production closed on January 15, 2000.
A complete cast recording and a highlights cast recording were made of this production.
Original Vienna Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Steve BartonSteve BartonSteve Barton was an American actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, stage director and teacher.- Biography :Steven Neal Barton was born on June 26, 1954, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States, the youngest of three children of Tom and Mary Barton...
(Winner of 1998 IMAGE Award for Best Actor) - Alfred - Aris Sas
- Sarah - Cornelia Zenz
- Professor Abronsius - Gernot Kranner
- Chagal - James Sbano
- Magda - Eva Maria Marold
- Rebecca - Anne Welte
- Herbert - Nik Breidenbach
- Koukol - Torsten Flach
Tenth Anniversary Concert
Tanz der Vampire returned to Vienna in February 2007. A scaled-down concert version was staged at the Raimund TheaterRaimund Theater
The Raimund Theater is a theatre in the Mariahilf district of Vienna, Austria.Named after the Austrian dramatist Ferdinand Raimund, the theatre was built by an association of Viennese citizens and opened on 28 November 1893 with Raimund's play Die gefesselte Phantasie...
.
A live recording was released.
Vienna Concert Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Thomas Borchert
- Alfred - Lukas Perman
- Sarah - Marjan Shaki
- Professor Abronsius - Gernot Kranner
- Chagal - Thomas Bayer
- Magda - Suzanne Carey
- Rebecca - Tina Schöltzke
- Herbert - Tim Reichwein
2009 Revival
Tanz der Vampire opened at the Ronacher Theater on September 16, 2009. The production does not replicate the original. It features new sets, costumes, and lighting. Sets and costumes for the 2009 production were developed by Kentaur, based on the designs he developed previously for the Budapest production (see below).2009 Vienna Cast
- Graf von Krolock - Thomas Borchert
- Alfred - Lukas Perman
- Sarah - Marjan Shaki
- Professor Abronsius - Gernot Kranner
- Chagal - James Sbano
- Rebecca - Katharina Dorian
- Magda - Anna Thorén
- Herbert - Marc Liebisch
- Koukol - Thomas Weissengruber
Notable Replacements
Drew Sarich
Drew Sarich
-Biography:Sarich received a BFA in Musical Theatre with a concentration in Directing from Boston Conservatory in 1997. Sarich made his Off-Broadway debut in Tony n' Tina's Wedding, followed by a tour as a backup singer for Liza Minnelli with the Cortes Alexander Trio...
replaced Thomas Borchert as von Krolock on the 6th November 2010.
Stuttgart
The show had its German premiere in StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on March 31, 2000 at the Apollo Theater and closed on August 31, 2003.
Original Stuttgart Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Kevin Tarte
- Alfred - Aris Sas
- Sarah - Barbara Köhler
- Professor Abronsius - Werner Bauer
- Chagal - James Sbano
- Magda - Maaike Schuurmans
- Rebecca - Anne Welte
- Herbert - Thomas Mülner
- Koukol - Torsten Flach
2010 Revival
As a result of a public voting Tanz der Vampire returned to Stuttgart on 25 February 2010 at the Palladium Theatre.
Stuttgart Revival Cast
- Graf von Krolock - Jan Ammann / Kevin Tarte (alternate)/Florian Soyka
- Alfred - Krisha Dalke
- Sarah - Lucy Scherer / from 30 March 2010 Sabrina Auer
- Professor Abronsius - Christian Stadlhofer
- Chagal - Jerzy Jeszke
- Magda - Linda Konrad
- Rebecca - Martine de Jager
- Herbert - Florian Fetterle
- Koukol - Stefan Büdenbender
Hamburg
A new production of the show opened on December 16, 2003, at the Neue Flora Theater in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and closed on January 22, 2006.
Original Hamburg Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Thomas BorchertThomas BorchertThomas Borchert is a German actor, singer, and songwriter. He has performed especially in musical theatre.- Biography :...
- Alfred - Fredrik Wickerts
- Sarah - Jessica Kessler
- Professor Abronsius - Werner Bauer
- Chagal - Jerzy JeszkeJerzy JeszkeJerzy Jeszke, born November in Bytów, is a Polish actor and singer.-Life And Work:He started his four-year-long studies of acting and singing at the "Studio" Danuta Baduszkowa in 1976 and completed it with honours in 1980...
- Magda - Anna Thorén
- Rebecca - Jan Merchant
- Herbert - Norbert Kohler
- Koukol - Stefan Büdenbender
Berlin
The Berlin production opened at the Theater Des Westens on December 10, 2006 and closed on March 30, 2008.Original Berlin Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Thomas Borchert
- Alfred - Alexander KlawsAlexander KlawsAlexander Klaws is a German pop singer, who came to fame as the winner of the first season of the television show Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the German version of Pop Idol.- Early life :...
- Sarah - Lucy Scherer
- Professor Abronsius - Veit Schäfermeier
- Chagal - Ulrich Wiggers
- Magda - Katja Berg
- Rebecca - Maike Katrin Schmidt
- Herbert - Haldor Laegreid
- Koukol - Stefan Büdenbender
Oberhausen
The OberhausenOberhausen
Oberhausen is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen . The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It is also well known for the...
production opened at the Metronom Theater am Centro on November 7, 2008. The show played its final performance on January 31, 2010 before transferring to Stuttgart.
Original Oberhausen Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Jan Ammann / Kevin Tarte (alternate)
- Alfred - Krisha Dalke
- Sarah - Nele-Liis VaiksooNele-Liis Vaiksoothumb|Nele-Liis Vaiksoo in "Fame" Nele-Liis Vaiksoo , is an Estonian singer and actress.-Career:In the 1990s Vaiksoo toured Europe with the Eesti Televisioon concert choir. In 2000 she received fourth place at the all-Estonian song contest for children organized by ETV...
- Professor Abronsius - Gernot Kranner
- Chagal - Jerzy JeszkeJerzy JeszkeJerzy Jeszke, born November in Bytów, is a Polish actor and singer.-Life And Work:He started his four-year-long studies of acting and singing at the "Studio" Danuta Baduszkowa in 1976 and completed it with honours in 1980...
- Magda - Linda Konrad
- Rebecca - Heike Schmitz
- Herbert - Florian Fetterle
- Koukol - Stefan Büdenbender
Estonia
Vampiiride Tants premiered in TallinnTallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
on November 10, 2000 in the Tallinna Linnahall arena for a short run of 10 performances. Due to success, the show was repeated in Estonia in a concert version in 2004 with the same cast members, except for Koit Toome
Koit Toome
Koit Toome is an Estonian singer and musical actor.-Career:In late 1994 the highly successful pop duo Code One consisting of Koit Toome and Sirli Hiius was formed by the producer Mikk Targo...
who was replaced by Andero Ermel. Nele-Liis Vaiksoo
Nele-Liis Vaiksoo
thumb|Nele-Liis Vaiksoo in "Fame" Nele-Liis Vaiksoo , is an Estonian singer and actress.-Career:In the 1990s Vaiksoo toured Europe with the Eesti Televisioon concert choir. In 2000 she received fourth place at the all-Estonian song contest for children organized by ETV...
, who originated the role of Sarah in her native land, was to return to the show 8 years later in Oberhausen
Oberhausen
Oberhausen is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen . The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It is also well known for the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
No official recording was released in Estonia, although the Estonian Television did broadcast most of the show, and a 5-track promotional single was released for the use of radio stations with "Öölaps" (Totale Finsternis), "Vabaks võin saada" (Draußen ist Freiheit), "Sarahle" (Für Sarah), "Laul surmast" (Tot zu sein ist komisch) and "Kaunis tütreke" (Eine schöne Tochter ist ein Segen) included.
Original Estonian Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Jassi Zahharov
- Alfred - Koit ToomeKoit ToomeKoit Toome is an Estonian singer and musical actor.-Career:In late 1994 the highly successful pop duo Code One consisting of Koit Toome and Sirli Hiius was formed by the producer Mikk Targo...
- Sarah - Nele-Liis VaiksooNele-Liis Vaiksoothumb|Nele-Liis Vaiksoo in "Fame" Nele-Liis Vaiksoo , is an Estonian singer and actress.-Career:In the 1990s Vaiksoo toured Europe with the Eesti Televisioon concert choir. In 2000 she received fourth place at the all-Estonian song contest for children organized by ETV...
/ Kristine MuldmaKristine MuldmaKristine Muldma is an Estonian singer.In the 1990s she sang with the Estonian Television concert choir, and was later seen in several musicals, including The King and I, Tanz der Vampire , Les Misérables and Miss Saigon.-References:... - Professor Abronsius - Rostislav Gurjev
- Chagal - Marko MatvereMarko MatvereMarko Matvere is an Estonian actor. He was the front actor of the Tallinn City Theatre since graduating from the Higher Theatre School of the Estonian Academy of Music in 1990, but was to go freelance in 2004. Matvere is one of the most famous and expensive Estonian actor. He made his first movie...
- Magda - Kaire VilgatsKaire VilgatsKaire Vilgats , born on January 11, 1976 is an Estonian singer and actress.Vilgats was born and grew up in Pärnu, a resort town in South-West of Estonia...
- Rebecca - Katrin Karisma
- Herbert - Bert Pringi / Lauri Liiv
- Koukol - Lauri Liiv / Bert Pringi
Pre-opening
From the premiere of Tanz der Vampire, English producers were seeking to bring the show to English-speaking countries. Composer Steinman was no stranger to the theater scene in New York, having spent five years under the professional wing of New York Shakespeare FestivalNew York Shakespeare Festival
New York Shakespeare Festival is the previous name of the New York City theatrical producing organization now known as the Public Theater. The Festival produced shows at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, as part of its free Shakespeare in the Park series, at the Public Theatre near Astor Place...
founder Joseph Papp
Joseph Papp
Joseph Papp was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in downtown New York . "The Public," as it is known, has many small theatres within it...
in the early Seventies and authored several musicals, including The Dream Engine, Neverland and The Confidence Man, and also provided the lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's musical Whistle Down the Wind
Whistle Down the Wind
Whistle Down the Wind may refer to:* Whistle Down the Wind , a film directed by Bryan Forbes* Whistle Down the Wind , a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the film...
. After briefly considering a West End run, under the influence of Steinman and his manager David Sonenberg
David Sonenberg
David Sonenberg is known for being the founder of the music management label DAS Communications. Sonenberg also dabbled in the film industry as the producer of the Academy Award winning film When We Were Kings....
, it was decided to bring the musical (now titled Dance of the Vampires) to New York for the 1998 season, with Steinman translating and reshaping the German book and lyrics, Polanski returning as director, and original Viennese producer/Polanski manager Andrew Braunsberg serving as executive producer. Efforts to return Polanski to the United States in spite of past indiscretions
Roman Polanski sexual abuse case
In March 1977, film director Roman Polanski was arrested and charged with a number of offenses against Samantha Geimer, a 13-year-old girl – rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor...
proved fruitless, leading first to postponing the show's opening to Halloween 2000, and then to the decision (dated to roughly March 2000) to seek a different director if Polanski could not return.
In October 2000, a tentative fall 2001 opening was announced, along with the rather surprising declaration that Steinman himself would serve as the show's director, a somewhat off-putting notion due to the fact that Steinman had never directed any shows, much less one of this size and scale, in his career. Attempting to reassure doubters, Steinman asserted in interviews that "Half the show [in Vienna] I had to talk Polanski into doing, and did it behind his back a lot. He's a great guy but he had a totally different vision". As early 2001 approached, however, and a reading for potential producers and investors was announced in the news section of Steinman's fan website, things began taking on a more concrete shape. John Caird
John Caird (director)
John Newport Caird is a British stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre,...
was to co-direct, and comic playwright David Ives
David Ives
David Ives is a contemporary American playwright. A native of South Chicago, Ives attended a minor Catholic seminary and Northwestern University and, after some years' interval, Yale School of Drama, where he received an MFA in playwriting...
was helping to reconfigure the book with a view toward a more comic angle instead of a straightforward adaptation of the successful Austrian version, which was deemed to be written in a style no longer accepted by Broadway critics and audiences. As Steinman later put it, looking back with a more jaundiced eye, "We were told to put five jokes on every page". Signing on as producers were Sonenberg and the producing team of Elizabeth Williams and Anita Waxman, then known for the critically acclaimed revival of The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
.
The new version, described by Steinman to the press as "a big, Wagnerian musical with lots of humor [...] a lot of it is pure Mel Brooks and a lot of it Anne Rice" and to the by-invitation-only audience as a musical for "people who think musicals suck," was met with a mixed reception. Potential investors and producers seemed to love the score, but felt the new book with its mix of bawdy humor and eroticism needed fine-tuning. Unfortunately, Steinman's creative disagreements with his producing team (at one point telling the press "I can't tell you how many things are the opposite of what I want, but I am part of a team"), and their seeming inability to raise the investment money in time for a now-rather-unrealistic fall opening, led to tense situations backstage. Finally Waxman and Williams were ousted from the production, with Sonenberg assuming day-to-day responsibilities as the lead producer, a strategic move viewed by many as a power grab on Steinman's part (as one source put it, "he has the final say on everything").
Casting Crawford, 9/11, and Other Disasters
At this point, the show needed some kind of drawing card to attract investors scared off by the previous snafus on the producing front. It was decided that a star lead in the role of Count von Krolock would be just the trick; feelers were put out to names as diverse as David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
, Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
and Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
. Ultimately, the team came to an agreement with Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
, best known on Broadway at the time as the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
in the 1980s. Steinman was reportedly elated, calling him "a towering talent" and "probably the biggest box-office star in the theater." However, Crawford wanted some assurances before he would take on a planned three years in the role. He demanded complete creative control of his character, he wanted a "retirement package" of up to £20m a year ($180,000 a week in American money), and he also preferred to have "first refusal" on (i.e., the option to reprise) the role in London and Los Angeles. Additionally, though not a major point in negotiations, Crawford also sought assurance that he would receive the role of von Krolock in any resulting film version, having recently lost the film role of the Phantom to initial star Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
(later replaced by Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
). Of the four points of negotiation, Crawford won two, creative control and first refusal, eschewing the original salary (after initial press reports caused an outcry over his massive payday) for a much slimmer $30,000 a week. While Steinman, still ebullient over Crawford's casting, defended the original figure by saying Crawford "would be worth every cent we can pay him", a more sensible Crawford claimed that initial reports of a $180,000 salary were "ridiculous" and "a piece of fantasy journalism from my home country," adding that "anyone who knows how many people you can fit in a theater knows that you don't do Broadway to make money". The possibility of the film role, meanwhile, was never mentioned again.
By the time an official deal with Crawford was announced, by now downgraded to a yearlong contract in the role rather than three, he had been pulling his weight in the creative control department; as Sonenberg put it, "[He has been] working with us the last several months on input on the book." Crawford's agent Mort Viner reported that the role would not be a repeat of his Phantom performance "because of the comedy." Indeed, Crawford was involved in reshaping the role of von Krolock in a more comic fashion, insisting that the role as written was too close to the Phantom. Later reports would claim that Crawford, paranoid about doing anything that could be compared to the Phantom, agreed with the party line that the piece should be a comedy on the lines of Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
and that he personally revised and rearranged the book to that end, causing co-librettist Ives to remark that he was a stenographer rather than a writer, but in truth, the show already exhibited signs of much larger changes of a similar fashion as far back as the workshop production in mid-May 2001 before Crawford's casting; it seems that Crawford's major contributions at this time were in the vein of a "Continental accent" (a bizarre mix of Italian and Cockney tones that Crawford claimed made singing the score easier) and input on costume designs aimed at hiding alleged weight problems (jowls in particular). After rehearsals were to begin in January, the opening was set for April 2002 following six weeks of previews starting in March. Further casting sessions for secondary leads and ensemble were set for September 2001.
On September 11, 2001, however, the game-plan changed in a major league fashion. With most of the show's major creative team (including co-director Caird) based in London, a myriad of logistic delays were caused by mass cancellation of flights, among other variables. Realizing there was no way to open before the Tony
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
cut-off as planned, and (it later emerged) unable to raise his share of the investment on time, Sonenberg publicly announced the postponement of the show's opening to October 24.
Previews to Opening
Having postponed the show, the team sought to bring in additional producers who could help get the show in on time. Finally, USA Ostar Theatricals (headed by Barry DillerBarry Diller
Barry Charles Diller is the Chairman and Senior Executive of IAC/InterActiveCorp and the media executive responsible for the creation of Fox Broadcasting Company and USA Broadcasting.-Early life:...
and Bill Haber), of the revival of Noises Off
Noises Off
Noises Off is a 1982 play by English playwright Michael Frayn. The idea for it was born in 1970, when Frayn was standing in the wings watching a performance of Chinamen, a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave...
, Bob Boyett (producer of a revival of Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
and investor in a revival of The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
and original productions Sweet Smell of Success
Sweet Smell of Success
Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir made by Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner. The screenplay was written by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman...
and Topdog/Underdog
Topdog/Underdog
Topdog/Underdog is a play by Suzan-Lori Parks. Parks received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002 for the work.The play chronicles the adult lives of two African American brothers, Lincoln and Booth, as they cope with women, work, poverty, gambling, racism, and their troubled upbringings...
), and Lawrence Horowitz (producer of Electra
Electra
In Greek mythology, Electra was an Argive princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. She and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father Agamemnon...
and It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues) signed on. A creative team was also finally being assembled, including set designer David Gallo
David Gallo
David Gallo is an American scenic designer and projection designer for Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, and international theatre venues...
, who Steinman liked because Gallo told him upon meeting for the first time that he was probably the only set designer in America who still subscribed to Heavy Metal Magazine, and that he bought Bat Out of Hell
Bat out of Hell
Bat Out of Hell is the second album by American rock musician Meat Loaf, and his first collaboration with composer Jim Steinman, released in October 1977 on Cleveland International/Epic Records #PE-34974. Selling approximately 200,000 copies per year as of 2010, it is the fifth best-selling album...
because he saw the album cover artwork (conceived by Steinman and executed by Richard Corben
Richard Corben
Richard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
) and decided he had to have it before he even heard the music. On a perhaps slightly less delightful note for Steinman, due to delays caused by Caird's long-distance habitation, and a desire on the part of the new producers to see names experienced with quirky comedies at the helm, he found himself and Caird replaced as directors by John Rando of Urinetown
Urinetown
Urinetown: The Musical is a satirical comedy musical, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, and municipal politics...
fame, who was quickly joined by choreographer John Carrafa, his co-helmer on Urinetown.
A cast also rapidly shaped up around Crawford with the input of the new director and choreographer in a fresh set of auditions, with then-ingenues Mandy Gonzalez
Mandy Gonzalez
Mandy Gonzalez is an American actress and singer, who most recently finished a 10-month run as Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked.-Early life and education:...
and Max von Essen
Max von Essen
Max von Essen is an American musical theatre actor and vocalist.A son of Rita and Thomas Von Essen, who was the New York City Fire Commissioner during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he is the youngest of four children.Von Essen is a 1992 graduate of South Side High School,...
in the young lead roles of Alfred and Sarah, Rene Auberjonois
Rene Auberjonois
René Murat Auberjonois is an American actor, known for portraying Father Mulcahy in the movie version of M*A*S*H and for creating a number of characters in long-running television series, including Clayton Endicott III on Benson , Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chef Louis in The Little...
(after similar prolonged negotiations to Crawford's) as Professor Abronsius, Ron Orbach (late of the out-of-town run of The Producers
The Producers
The Producers commonly refers to Mel Brooks' series of comedic works about two con-men who attempt to cheat theater investors out of their money, only to have the scheme improbably backfire:...
) as Chagal, and rising talent Julia Murney
Julia Murney
Julia Kathleen Murney is an American actress, singer and theatre performer, primarily featured in theatre and television commercial voice-overs. Until 2005, she was commonly known as the Broadway actress who had technically never appeared on Broadway...
as Magda, among others
On paper, put together by talented people, Dance of the Vampires looked like magic. A celebrated rock composer, a critics' darling who had authored several Off-Broadway plays, a Tony-winning director, and a high-wattage Broadway star were the captains of this ship. However, rehearsals proved just how unsteady the ship actually was.
Rando had never directed a musical of this size, and quickly proved overwhelmed according to cast members. Choreographer Carrafa wasn't helping; his idea of staging a big dance number was to tell the performers, "Just rock on!" Company morale was no better, as cast members began poking fun at Crawford's weight-sensitive costumes behind his back, calling him a "fat rooster." Crawford himself was no angel either; co-author Michael Kunze attested after the fact that Crawford "reject[ed] any well-meant suggestions for change by saying 'I don't wanna talk about it anymore.'" Indeed, Kunze, the original author of the German work, had much to complain about when it came to changes, but most of all that there was no "final moment" where one concept for the production was crystallized, partly because the director didn't seem "able to decide what was good or bad about both Jim Steinman's and Michael Crawford's ideas." Adding to the lack of a definitive creative head was the director's unplanned absence, due to his mother's death, which sidelined Rando from the production during several weeks of previews. Steinman proved to have a bad attitude about the process; although publicly he put on a brave face for the press preview and for most interviews, he later claimed he could see what was wrong with the show, which he dubbed "a runaway train": "We ended up with two shows at war with each other. One was sensual and Gothic, the other was camp Rocky Horror
Rocky Horror
Rocky Horror could refer to:* The Rocky Horror Show, a stage musical* The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the film version of the stage musical* Rocky Horror, a dessert at Harvesters...
. I knew the critics would kill us for that. We were the perfect target, a fat lady with a sign on her back that said, 'Kick me!'" However, unable to express his opinions without fighting with Crawford or the rest of the team (to the point that sharp- and quick-witted Steinman was viewed as verbally abusive by certain cast members), he opted instead to stop coming to the theater regularly, according to his account. It later emerged that in truth, presumably for his inactivity if Steinman's account is believable, Steinman was fired from the show by his own manager, acting as producer. Similarly, citing Sonenberg's inability to come up with his share of the investment, Steinman managed to get Sonenberg thrown overboard as a producer; the two did not speak for some time after the mutual firing. At about the same time, some cast members left the show, sensing that all was not well; Murney was one.
The show finally started previews after technological and creative delays at the Minskoff Theatre
Minskoff Theatre
The Minskoff Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre, located at 1515 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan. It is now showing the musical The Lion King, based on the Disney animated film of the same name....
on October 18, 2002. Initially, the seemingly final result was an altered version with a lot of campy humor that differed considerably from the original show. Although the show initially went well in sales based on Crawford's name (for a time, the show played to packed houses in previews, and was in fourth place in terms of high-selling Broadway grosses without even having officially opened), the humor received some laughter and much criticism.
An attempt was made at arriving at a comfortable middle between the "two shows at war with each other," and original author Kunze was finally consulted for his opinion of what should be changed (far too late, in his view). Ultimately, thanks ironically to the German author of the original piece, the show arrived at much of its final form: during previews, 30% of the dialogue was cut to allow room to expand the score and arrive closer to the original almost sung-through concept; the vampire costumes were redesigned to look less freakish; a new staging of the shock ending set in modern times suggested by Kunze was inputted. Other suggestions, such as cutting a new dramatic death scene for the Count and restoring some of the original German lyrics, met with more dissension, and Kunze withdrew those suggestions, not wishing to cause any trouble. On a lighter note, entertainment mogul Howard Stringer
Howard Stringer
Sir Howard Stringer is a Welsh-born American businessman and the chairman, president and CEO of Sony Corporation.-Personal life:...
, a friend of Crawford's, rang the final death knell for the weight-hiding costumes by telling Crawford he looked silly; from that point forward, the ruffled collars were gone.
Those major changes aside, the show seen in previews was still in flux, and a show that changed huge amounts of its material nightly, which caused some trouble with the cast. Crawford was regularly changing his dialogue and inserting his own jokes, testing the strength of the material, to the point that co-star Rene Auberjonois
Rene Auberjonois
René Murat Auberjonois is an American actor, known for portraying Father Mulcahy in the movie version of M*A*S*H and for creating a number of characters in long-running television series, including Clayton Endicott III on Benson , Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chef Louis in The Little...
became paranoid about all of his jokes being cut, and the two of them began trying to step on each other's punchlines. By the time of opening, however, this mutual tomfoolery seemed to have been reined in; producer Bob Boyett had no complaints about Crawford's behavior, calling him "a great star and a total professional" and saying that he "didn't find him to be difficult at all." Another unfortunate side-effect of the changing material was that with Steinman out of the picture, there was no one around to write new lyrical material as necessary in some cases, and so the English version (of necessity) borrowed a lot of new material from Steinman's lyrics for the previous English versions of what songs were recycled in the show (see song list below).
Opening
After a prolonged period of development (61 previews in total, with two of the originally set opening dates missed), the English version of Dance of the Vampires opened on Broadway on December 9, 2002. Music and lyrics for the English version were officially credited to Jim Steinman, and the English book was officially credited to Jim Steinman, Michael KunzeMichael Kunze (writer)
Michael Kunze is a German musical theater lyricist and librettist.He is best known for the hit musicals Elisabeth , Dance of the Vampires , Mozart! , and Rebecca ....
and David Ives
David Ives
David Ives is a contemporary American playwright. A native of South Chicago, Ives attended a minor Catholic seminary and Northwestern University and, after some years' interval, Yale School of Drama, where he received an MFA in playwriting...
. This version of the show was critically lambasted; the work of lead performer Michael Crawford was reviewed particularly harshly. When the reviews came out, Jim Steinman made a show of his disapproval of the project by not attending opening night and publicly distancing himself from the show that had resulted from this "too many cooks" approach: "The show that I wrote is not at the Minskoff. The show that is dear to me is still running in Vienna (sic). The one at the Minskoff was just a job." In later days, on his blog, he would still refuse responsibility for what had occurred, writing that "DOTV as we know was UTTER SHIT!" in one post, and describing the production as a "shit pile" in another. He stated in other blog entries that his music was "wasted" on the show, and was careful to make a clear distinction between the Broadway version (referred to as DOTV) and the successful European version (referred to as Tanz).
On January 25, 2003, after 56 performances, Dance of the Vampires closed. According to The New York Times, it was "one of the costliest failures in Broadway history", losing roughly $12 million, easily eclipsing the infamous musical Carrie
Carrie (musical)
Carrie: The Musical is a musical with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore. Adapted from Stephen King's novel Carrie, it focuses on an awkward teenage girl with telekinetic powers whose lonely life is dominated by an oppressive religious fanatic mother...
.
Original Broadway Cast
- Count Giovanni Von Krolock - Michael CrawfordMichael CrawfordMichael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
- Sarah - Mandy GonzalezMandy GonzalezMandy Gonzalez is an American actress and singer, who most recently finished a 10-month run as Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked.-Early life and education:...
- Professor Abronsius - Rene AuberjonoisRene AuberjonoisRené Murat Auberjonois is an American actor, known for portraying Father Mulcahy in the movie version of M*A*S*H and for creating a number of characters in long-running television series, including Clayton Endicott III on Benson , Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Chef Louis in The Little...
- Alfred - Max von EssenMax von EssenMax von Essen is an American musical theatre actor and vocalist.A son of Rita and Thomas Von Essen, who was the New York City Fire Commissioner during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, he is the youngest of four children.Von Essen is a 1992 graduate of South Side High School,...
- Chagal - Ron Orbach
- Magda - Leah Hocking
- Rebecca - Liz McCartneyLiz McCartneyLiz McCartney cofounded the St. Bernard Project in March 2006 to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in the St. Bernard Parish of Louisiana, southeast of New Orleans. She is the 2008 Hero of the year.-Biography:...
- Herbert - Asa SomersAsa SomersAsa Somers is an American stage, film, and television actor. He is an alumnus of the Phillips Exeter Academy and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Theatre Studies at Yale University.-Stage work:...
- Boris - Mark PriceMark PriceWilliam Mark Price is a retired American basketball player who played for 12 seasons in the NBA, from 1986 to 1998...
Warsaw
Taniec Wampirów opened in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
at the Roma Teatr Muzyczny on October 8, 2005, using the original staging and choreography, but boasting completely new sets and costumes. The production closed on October 22, 2006 in order to avoid potential competition with the nearby Berlin production.
A highlights cast recording was released of this production.
The Original Warsaw Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Łukasz Dziedzic / Paweł Podgórski
- Alfred - Jakub Molęda / Marcin Wortmann
- Sarah - Malwina Kusior / Aleksandra Bieńkowska / Agata Załuska
- Professor Abronsius - Robert Rozmus / Grzegorz Pierczyński
- Chagal - Wojciech Paszkowski / Janusz Kruciński
- Magda - Dominika Szymańska / Katarzyna Walczak / Anna Gigiel
- Rebecca - Grażyna Strachota / Izabela Bujniewicz
- Herbert - Jakub Wocial / Modest Ruciński
- Koukol - Jakub Szydłowski
Tokyo
The Japanese production premiered on July 7, 2006 in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.
A live cast recording was released.
The Original Japanese Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Yuichiro Yamaguchi
- Alfred - Yohei Izumi / Kenji Urai
- Sarah - Chihiro OtsukaChihiro Otsukais a Japanese actress. Her birth name in kanji is , but she transformed her given name into hiragana characters.-Movie:*Dark Water *Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. *Be with You...
/ Tamaki Kenmochi - Professor Abronsius - Masachika IchimuraMasachika Ichimurais a Japanese voice actor and musical singer. He was born in Kawagoe, Saitama. He is married to singer Ryoko Shinohara.-Movies:*Pokémon: The First Movie *The Nightmare Before Christmas...
- Chagal - Masahiro Sato
- Magda - Yuko Miyamoto
- Rebecca - Satomi Achiwa
- Herbert - Keigo Yoshino
- Koukol - Hajime Komada
Budapest
Vámpírok Bálja opened on June 30, 2007 at the Magyar Színház in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. The musical was given a new visual look in the Hungarian production through the sets and costumes designed by Kentaur. The show has continued in brief runs during the summers and late December/early January each year, and the production celebrated its 150th performance on 15 January 2011.
A live cast recording was released.
Budapest Cast 2007-
- Graf Von Krolock - Géza Egyházi / Sándor Nagy* / Pál Feke* / Bálint Merán* / Gábor Bot
- Alfred - László Sánta* / Tibor Héger / János Szemenyei* / György Mihálka / Ádám Pásztor
- Sarah - Zsanett Andrádi / Krisztina Nádorfi* / Nikolett Kovács / Dóra Stróbel* / Anna Török
- Professor Abronsius - Csaba Jegercsik / Dávid Sándor
- Chagal - Béla Pavletits / Gábor Bot / János Balog*
- Magda - Tímea Kecskés / Anna Balogh* / Dóra Stróbel* / Éva Sári / Márta Debreczeni
- Rebecca - Judit Dobos* / Krisztina Urbanovits* / Kinga Csóka-Vasass / Viktória Várady
- Herbert - Dávid Pirgel / Victor Posta* / Máté Kamarás* / Gábor Jenei
- Koukol - Gábor Attila Farkas / János Balog* / Zsolt Szentirmai
(* signifies that the actor has left the production)
Antwerp
On 9 September a Flemish production opened in Antwerp, Belgium for a limited engagement after being delayed for several months due to a legal dispute over government backing of the production. The production, the first in the Dutch language, was directed by Polanski's assistant, Cornelius Baltus, who directed most of the previous and subsequent stagings of the show. Kentaur's production design was used once more in this production.Original Flemish Cast
- Graf von Krolock - Hans Peter Janssens
- Alfred - Niels Jacobs
- Sarah - Anne Van Opstal
- Professor Abronsius - Sébastien De Smet
- Chagal - Frank Hoelen
- Rebecca - Lulu Aertgeerts
- Herbert - Michaël Zanders
- Magda - Goele De Raedt
- Koukol - James Cooke
Nitra
The Slovak non replica production premiered on May 3, 2011 in NitraNitra
Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
. Directed by Peter Oravec.
The Original Slovak Cast
- Graf Von Krolock - Ján Hyža
- Alfred - Vladimír Hanák
- Sarah - Michaela Horňáková / Beáta Mészárosová / Mária Lechmanová
- Professor Abronsius - Marián Hlavatý
- Chagal - Dušan Musil / Lukáš Števík
- Magda - Melinda Farkašová / Katarína Hudáková
- Rebeka - Miroslava Čajová / Michaela Gerhardová
- Herbert - Dušan Musil / Lukáš Števík / Juraj Dobiš
- Koukol - Ladislav Tischler
St. Petersburg
The Russian production of Tanz der Vampire premiered on September 3, 2011 at the "State Theater of Musical Comedy" in St. Petersburg. It is the fourth staging to utilize Kentaur's sets and costumes.Original Russian Cast
- Krolock - Ivan Ozhogin / Alexandr Sukhanov / Rostislav Kolpakov
- Sarah - Elena Gazaeva / Vera Sveshnikova / Elena Romanova
- Alfred - Georgy Novitsky / Sergey Denisov
- Professor Abronsius - Andrey Matveev / Ivan Korytov / Denis Konovalov
- Chagal - Konstantin Kitanin / Alexandr Sukhanov
- Magda - Natalia Bogdanis / Anna Lukoyanova
- Rebecca - Manana Gogitidze / Sofia Dushkina
- Herbert - Kirill Gordeev / Rostislav Kolpakov / Alexey Borovko
- Koukol - Alexandr Chubatiy / Sergey Sorokin
Seinäjoki
A brand new non-replica production of Tanz der Vampire ("Vampyyrien tanssi") opened in SeinäjokiSeinäjoki
Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, on September 10, 2011.
Original Finnish Cast
- Krolock – Jyri Lahtinen
- Alfred – Ville Salonen
- Sarah – Raili Raitala
- Abronsius – Esa Ahonen
- Chagal – Heikki Vainionpää
- Rebecca – Leena Rousti
- Herbert – Jouko Enkelnotko
- Magda – Anne Vihelä
- Koukol – Antti Railio
Characters
(Note: Many changes in characterization were made for the Broadway version. This refers to the original European version.)- Graf von Krolock, the powerful and seductive vampire lord.
- Professor Abronsius, an absent-minded vampire hunter.
- Alfred, Abronsius' young well-meaning assistant.
- Sarah, the innkeeper's beautiful young daughter.
- Chagal, a Jewish innkeeper and Sarah's over-protective father.
- Rebecca, Chagal's long-suffering wife.
- Magda, the pretty maid-of-all trades at Chagal's inn.
- Herbert von Krolock, the Count's homosexual son.
- Koukol, the Count's hunchbacked servant.
Songs
While Steinman's fans acclaim it as his biggest musical success, about 70% of the musical score written by Steinman was recycled from his earlier projects, mainly from his less-known shows like The Dream Engine and The Confidence Man (co-written with Ray Errol FoxRay Errol Fox
Ray Errol Fox is an American journalist who has written and produced award winning documentaries, written books, and composed.Ray Errol Fox's novel career in journalism and the arts has resulted in a wide range of distinguished achievements...
), although it also features music from his widely known records like "Total Eclipse of the Heart
Total Eclipse of the Heart
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
" (remade as "Totale Finsternis") and the melody, but not the lyric, from a Bat Out Of Hell II song called "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are
Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are
"Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1994 as the third single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and it reached #38 on US's Billboard Hot 100, and #26 in...
" (remade as "Die unstillbare Gier").
Asked at one point to explain this phenomenon, particularly with regard to the re-use of "Total Eclipse," Steinman explained, "That was an accident almost. I'm surprised it stayed in. [For the original production] in Vienna, I had only a month and a half to write this whole show and we needed a big love duet... But with 'Total Eclipse of the Heart,' I was trying to come up with a love song and I remembered I actually wrote that to be a vampire love song. Its original title was 'Vampires in Love' because I was working on a musical of Nosferatu, the other great vampire story. If anyone listens to the lyrics, they're really like vampire lines. It's all about the darkness, the power of darkness and love's place in dark. And so I figured 'Who's ever going to know; it's Vienna!' And then it was just hard to take it out."
Asked about the impact of previously heard songs, especially "Total Eclipse," on the show's popularity in Europe, Steinman replied, "Well, the reaction, at least in Europe, was great. They recognized it, but then it seems - if it's done well - to take on a different personality."
Original Austrian version (1997)
This song list also reflects the Japanese production in 2006.Act One
- Ouverture (Overture)
- He, Ho, He (Hey, Ho, Hey)
- Knoblauch (Garlic)
- Bitte, meine Herren (Please, Gentlemen)
- Eine schöne Tochter ist ein Segen (A Beautiful Daughter is a Blessing)
- Nie geseh'n (Never Seen)
- Gott ist tot (God is Dead)
- Alles ist hell (Everything's Bright)
- Wahrheit (Truth)
- Du bist wirklich sehr nett (You're Really Very Nice)
- Einladung zum Ball (Invitation to the Ball)
- Draußen ist Freiheit (Outside is Freedom)
- Die roten Stiefel (The Red Boots)
- Trauer um Chagal (Mourning for Chagal)
- Tot zu sein ist komisch (To Be Dead is Strange)
- Durch die Wildnis zum Schloß (Through the Wilderness to the Castle)
- Vor dem Schloß (In Front of the Castle)
Act Two
- Totale Finsternis (Total Eclipse)
- Carpe noctem (Carpe Noctem)
- Ein perfekter Tag (A Perfect Day)
- In der Gruft (In the Crypt)
- Bücher, Bücher (Books, Books)
- Für Sarah (For Sarah)
- Noch mehr Bücher (Still More Books)
- Wenn Liebe in dir Ist (When Love is Inside You)
- Sie irren, Professor (You're Wrong, Professor)
- Ewigkeit (Eternity)
- Die unstillbare Gier (The Insatiable Greed)
- Tanzsaal (The Ballroom)
- Draußen ist Freiheit - Reprise
- Der Tanz der Vampire (The Dance of the Vampires)
Later European versions
While some song titles changed in later variations, aside from the addition of one number to replace "Die roten Stiefel," the substance of the score is largely the same. (For example, the new title of "Nie geseh'n" merely reflects the first line of the song replacing its original title, not a new number being written. English translations of the new German phrases are provided as above, the exception being "Wuscha Buscha," which is a nonsense phrase repeated in the peasant scenes in question.) The list below reflects changes made to all productions after the Stuttgart and Berlin runs. A few scenes have also been revised with shorter songs and less underscoring in order to pick up the pace of the show.Act One
- Ouverture
- He, Ho Professor
- Knoblauch
- Bitte, meine Herren!
- Eine schöne Tochter
- Ein mädchen, das so lächeln kann (A Girl Who Smiles in Such a Way)
- Sei bereit (Gott ist tot) (Be Prepared)
- Alles ist hell
- Wahrheit
- Du bist wirklich sehr nett
- Einladung zum Ball
- Draußen ist Freiheit
- Stärker als wir sind (Braver Than We Are)
- Wuscha Buscha
- Tot zu sein ist komisch
- Durch die Wildnis zum Schloß
- Vor dem Schloß
Act Two
- Liebesduett / Totale Finsternis (Love Duet)
- Carpe noctem
- Ein guter Tag (A Good Day)
- Für Sarah
- Die Gruft (The Crypt)
- Bücher
- Bücher - Reprise
- Wenn Liebe in dir Ist
- He Ho, Professor - Reprise
- Ewigkeit
- Die unstillbare Gier
- Tanzsaal
- Draußen ist Freiheit - Reprise
- Der Tanz der Vampire
Previews version
Act One- Overture
- Angels Arise
- God Has Left the Building
- Original Sin
- Garlic
- Logic
- There's Never Been a Night Like This
- Don't Leave Daddy
- The Invitation (Medley: A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely/The Devil May Care (But I Don't)/Sometimes We Need the Boogeyman)
- Death is Such an Odd Thing
- Braver Than We Are
- Red Boots Ballet
- Say a Prayer
- Come With Me
Act Two
- Vampires in Love (Total Eclipse of the Heart)
- Books, Books
- Carpe Noctem
- For Sarah
- Something to Kill (Our Time)
- Death is Such an Odd Thing - Reprise
- When Love is Inside You
- Eternity
- Confession of a Vampire
- The Ball (Medley: The Minuet/Never Be Enough/Read My Apocalypse)
- Braver Than We Are - Reprise
- The Dance of the Vampires
Final version
Act One- Overture
- Angels Arise
- God Has Left the Building
- Original Sin
- Garlic
- Logic
- There's Never Been a Night Like This
- Don't Leave Daddy
- The Invitation (Medley: A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely/Forevermore in the Night)
- Death is Such an Odd Thing
- Braver Than We Are
- Red Boots Ballet
- Say a Prayer
- Come With Me
Act Two
- Vampires in Love (Total Eclipse of the Heart)
- Books, Books
- Carpe Noctem
- For Sarah
- Death is Such an Odd Thing - Reprise
- When Love is Inside You
- Eternity
- Confession of a Vampire
- The Ball (Medley: The Minuet/Never Be Enough/You Will Live Forever)
- Braver Than We Are - Reprise
- The Dance of the Vampires
See also
- Vereinigte Bühnen WienVereinigte Bühnen WienVereinigte Bühnen Wien , or United Stages Vienna, is a musical production company based in Vienna, Austria which produced several own musicals that were very successful.- Original musical productions :...
(Vienna & St. Petersburg Production Company) - Stage EntertainmentStage EntertainmentThe musical production company Stage Entertainment is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It has a very successful subsidiary in Germany based in Hamburg which almost has a monopoly in Germany.- History :...
(German Production Company)
External links
- Official website for the current Vienna production (in German and English)
- Official website for the current Stuttgart production (in German)
- Official website for Dance of the Vampires (Vámpírok bálja) in Hungary (in Hungarian, English, German)
- Official website for Dance of the Vampires (Vampyyrien tanssi) in Finland (in Finnish)
- International Facebook page for the Finnish production (in English)
- Official website for the Antwerp (Belgium) production (in Dutch)
- Dance of the Vampires in Germany (in German)
- Internet Broadway Database listing