What grim adventures lie in wait for me at Dracula?
Dracula - Stadttheater Pforzheim, 19th January 2013
After not standing the Lüneburg's production of Dracula some people must think am mad to see another production (not that it is their business what I see and what not and the people who think it is are just pathetic as the people who think it is their business whether I clap or not, and if how loudly, after a song at a show as that sad woman at the stage door after the show whose comment about me I caught - I know why I clearly stay away from musical groupies these days and avoid stage door as much as possible, rant over).
I am most probably mad but with one of the two performers onstage I adore most in this country aka Thomas Christ in it plus Chris Murray I had to go. Yes, I had to, whatever someone may say or actually said that I just shouldn't if I do not like this show (okay I think I made it clear now, care about your own business, not mine).
Well, what definitely hasn't changed since November is my opinion about the actual show as written >> here but at least this production sticks to the book so no changing, twisting, making it even worse as Lüneburg did.
The music is still Wildhorn pab (how some journalist can write that these songs are "atmospherically deep" is beyond my understanding, that can only someone say who also likes music trash as the German "composer" Dieter Bohlen or any other where most/all songs usually sound the same) noticing all the recycling from his other shows even more this time making me cringe. The dialogues are still wooden (and come on, it really does not matter what German translation you use whether the original one or the re-worked one from the Graz production or whatever mishmash, the originals so banal, no translation can help even if the translation is rather free style), the arc of suspense is as flat as the Netherlands but what this production at least can boast with a credible cast which was at that night's performance:
Dracula: Chris Murray
Jonathan Harker: Thomas Christ
Lucy Westenra: Yvonne Luithlen
Mina Murray: Femke Soetenga
Prof. Abraham v. Helsing: Jon Geoffrey Goldsworthy
Renfield: Timo Päch (alternating part with Benjamin Savoie)
Arthur Holmwood: Benjamin Merkl (covering Steffen Fichtner)
Quincey Morris: Ingo Wagner
Dr. Jack Seward: Klaus Geber
Vampires: Chiharu Takahashi/ Manuela Wagner, Franziska Hornyai/ Gitte Pleyer, Aline Münz/ Laura Wick (alternating but not sure who was on but Chiharu Takahashi)
After the disappointing casting of Gerd Achilles in Lüneburg Chris Murray is most probably THE ideal casting.
At the beginning being a weakened Dracula (with his make up and hair reminding of Gary Oldman's Dracula in the 1992 movie version, saying that several ideas reminded of that movie I know rather well) speaking and moving like and old man his Dracula, once he had bitten Jonathan Harker, managed to show off his transformation most convincingly (the whole ripping of wig and mask visible for the audience though is something I did not want to see) with a voice so perfectly altered for every emotional state and scene Dracula goes through in the show and with expressive and distinctive vocal abilities and techniques matching that he delivered a full package.
Femke Soetenga as Mina was largely adorable and touching. At the beginning/in act 1 I was not sure as especially her full confident voice did not match my idea of an innocent, pure intelligent young woman being also way too prim and frumpy that for me that what Jonathan says about Mina and why loving was not making enough sense but in act 2 when the emotional part, Mina's whole falling for Dracula becomes more serious she managed to soften and later becoming desperate and as pathetic the songs are sang them most intensely.
In act 1 it also did not help that Yvonne Luithen as the fresh and whirlwind Lucy stole her the show impressing with her clear endearing voice and her vivid and bold play that I was seriously asking myself why Dracula would choose Mina over Lucy when Lucy is far more interesting and appealing (I personally love the whole idea of Mina reminding Dracula of his first wife, Elisabeta, in the 1992 movie and it is a shame that such an idea is not part of the original or here as I see the loss of the wife being an important turning point in Vlad the Impaler's life).
Jon Geoffrey Goldsworthy as Van Helsing made most out of this underwritten part (it also does not help that the Pforzheim version does not include "Rosanne" to understand Van Helsing's motifs) who could despite the poor material give a convincing performance of "Nosferatu".
Funny to watch was the combination of the three guys who propose to Lucy: with Steffen Fichtner off sick and Benjamin Merkl, currently student at the Bayerische Theaterakademie, looking like 18, Ingo Wagner looking like mid 40s and Klaus Geber looking like mid 60s it seemed Lucy had the choice between grandson, son and (grand)dad - well suppose there are so many guests you can get as a subsidised rep theatre and you need to rely on the in house personnel you have (okay Klaus Geber officially guest but he has been in shows at that theatre for years). Saying that Benjamin Merkl certainly did a great job and it shall be interesting to see where he will head to.
Thomas Christ as Jonathan Harker was rather underutilised which was a shame but he used the chances he had to breath life into the character.
I still remember the day in summer last year I was told he would be in this show and I honestly so hadn't been able to picture him as Jonathan, a recently admitted solicitor, so rather young, but again he managed very quickly to disabuse me of my opinion. Jonathan changes a great deal in the course of the story from an enthusiastic and hopeful chap to a serious and afflicted man who sincerely cares about Mina, whatever she did to him, and just wants to rescue her.
Fortunately Thomas' Jonathan was not going down the totally fanatic manic route as e.g. Kristian Lucas' Jonathan in Lüneburg and despite the changes stayed true to himself which made his Jonathan the only actual human I could care about - he actually was the only character that feels human. His "Before The Summer Ends" was full of devotion, pure love and despair.
The staging is simple and seen often enough as the big solo numbers are often sung in front of a closed black curtain and near the stage edge (and preferably the protagonist wallowing on the ground) with Wolf Widder's signature perceptible reminding me of productions of other shows he did in past .
Other black curtain are well used as sometimes just bit/half of the stage would be covered and action taking place on the other half or as in the scenes with Renfield in the asylum just a small stage section is ajar with strobe lighting working effectively to create some oppressive atmosphere.
In other scenes they would work with different levels as rather at the beginning during "Over Whitby Bay" with Jonathan at the front on the left of the stage sitting at a desk and Mina at the back on the right on behind some sheer curtain. A similar staging was used during e.g. the wedding. The supporting lighting and the usage of video projections usually work and match the scene though could be occasionally less flashy (the spotlights for the orchestra were actually more annoying for me sitting in the front row so that the stage behind the rather light orchestra pit seemed even darker).
I was not impressed by the use of this cobweb like prop which sometimes Dracula would crawl down on like a spider or e.g. the three female vampires (two of them totally miscast IMHO, I want them to be sexy and on fire, they were all but that) - Dracula associated with a spider? Err, hardly, more a bat. It does not help either that these kind of elements were all but eerie and blood-curdling.
What also did not work too well were the flight scenes which looked not only unnatural but amateurish and did not add anything to the show as also the dull ballet at the end of act 1 all dressed in black trousers and the men topless and the women in bare-coloured tops reminding me very much of the Tanz der Vampire final (and do not get me started of the nonsense the ballet having their own curtain call at beginning of the interval, what ridiculous idea).
Fortunately these moments of ballet and choir were numbered unlike in Lüneburg and the focus was kept on the actual protagonists.
A major issue is the sound system being especially at the beginning sometimes so unbalanced and overamplified that were minutes in the show when I could hardly understand a word with the largely well conducted and performing orchestra being way too overpowering. I wouldn't have minded to hear the orchestra less to hear less of this exchangeable music.
Well overall Dracula stays a dire show for me with its bad book and the unimaginative unincisive music, but at least thanks to the great lead cast on-stage the focus is less on it and I could just enjoy the performers who deserved the standing ovation at the curtain call.
P.S. If anyone is interested in a much more promising Dracula musical, may want to check out this one which will hopefully get a full stagig eventually - at least some news is to be announced this year.
http://www.dracula-uk.com/
The music is still Wildhorn pab (how some journalist can write that these songs are "atmospherically deep" is beyond my understanding, that can only someone say who also likes music trash as the German "composer" Dieter Bohlen or any other where most/all songs usually sound the same) noticing all the recycling from his other shows even more this time making me cringe. The dialogues are still wooden (and come on, it really does not matter what German translation you use whether the original one or the re-worked one from the Graz production or whatever mishmash, the originals so banal, no translation can help even if the translation is rather free style), the arc of suspense is as flat as the Netherlands but what this production at least can boast with a credible cast which was at that night's performance:
Dracula: Chris Murray
Jonathan Harker: Thomas Christ
Lucy Westenra: Yvonne Luithlen
Mina Murray: Femke Soetenga
Prof. Abraham v. Helsing: Jon Geoffrey Goldsworthy
Renfield: Timo Päch (alternating part with Benjamin Savoie)
Arthur Holmwood: Benjamin Merkl (covering Steffen Fichtner)
Quincey Morris: Ingo Wagner
Dr. Jack Seward: Klaus Geber
Vampires: Chiharu Takahashi/ Manuela Wagner, Franziska Hornyai/ Gitte Pleyer, Aline Münz/ Laura Wick (alternating but not sure who was on but Chiharu Takahashi)
After the disappointing casting of Gerd Achilles in Lüneburg Chris Murray is most probably THE ideal casting.
At the beginning being a weakened Dracula (with his make up and hair reminding of Gary Oldman's Dracula in the 1992 movie version, saying that several ideas reminded of that movie I know rather well) speaking and moving like and old man his Dracula, once he had bitten Jonathan Harker, managed to show off his transformation most convincingly (the whole ripping of wig and mask visible for the audience though is something I did not want to see) with a voice so perfectly altered for every emotional state and scene Dracula goes through in the show and with expressive and distinctive vocal abilities and techniques matching that he delivered a full package.
Femke Soetenga as Mina was largely adorable and touching. At the beginning/in act 1 I was not sure as especially her full confident voice did not match my idea of an innocent, pure intelligent young woman being also way too prim and frumpy that for me that what Jonathan says about Mina and why loving was not making enough sense but in act 2 when the emotional part, Mina's whole falling for Dracula becomes more serious she managed to soften and later becoming desperate and as pathetic the songs are sang them most intensely.
In act 1 it also did not help that Yvonne Luithen as the fresh and whirlwind Lucy stole her the show impressing with her clear endearing voice and her vivid and bold play that I was seriously asking myself why Dracula would choose Mina over Lucy when Lucy is far more interesting and appealing (I personally love the whole idea of Mina reminding Dracula of his first wife, Elisabeta, in the 1992 movie and it is a shame that such an idea is not part of the original or here as I see the loss of the wife being an important turning point in Vlad the Impaler's life).
Jon Geoffrey Goldsworthy as Van Helsing made most out of this underwritten part (it also does not help that the Pforzheim version does not include "Rosanne" to understand Van Helsing's motifs) who could despite the poor material give a convincing performance of "Nosferatu".
Funny to watch was the combination of the three guys who propose to Lucy: with Steffen Fichtner off sick and Benjamin Merkl, currently student at the Bayerische Theaterakademie, looking like 18, Ingo Wagner looking like mid 40s and Klaus Geber looking like mid 60s it seemed Lucy had the choice between grandson, son and (grand)dad - well suppose there are so many guests you can get as a subsidised rep theatre and you need to rely on the in house personnel you have (okay Klaus Geber officially guest but he has been in shows at that theatre for years). Saying that Benjamin Merkl certainly did a great job and it shall be interesting to see where he will head to.
Thomas Christ as Jonathan Harker was rather underutilised which was a shame but he used the chances he had to breath life into the character.I still remember the day in summer last year I was told he would be in this show and I honestly so hadn't been able to picture him as Jonathan, a recently admitted solicitor, so rather young, but again he managed very quickly to disabuse me of my opinion. Jonathan changes a great deal in the course of the story from an enthusiastic and hopeful chap to a serious and afflicted man who sincerely cares about Mina, whatever she did to him, and just wants to rescue her.
Fortunately Thomas' Jonathan was not going down the totally fanatic manic route as e.g. Kristian Lucas' Jonathan in Lüneburg and despite the changes stayed true to himself which made his Jonathan the only actual human I could care about - he actually was the only character that feels human. His "Before The Summer Ends" was full of devotion, pure love and despair.
The staging is simple and seen often enough as the big solo numbers are often sung in front of a closed black curtain and near the stage edge (and preferably the protagonist wallowing on the ground) with Wolf Widder's signature perceptible reminding me of productions of other shows he did in past .
Other black curtain are well used as sometimes just bit/half of the stage would be covered and action taking place on the other half or as in the scenes with Renfield in the asylum just a small stage section is ajar with strobe lighting working effectively to create some oppressive atmosphere.
In other scenes they would work with different levels as rather at the beginning during "Over Whitby Bay" with Jonathan at the front on the left of the stage sitting at a desk and Mina at the back on the right on behind some sheer curtain. A similar staging was used during e.g. the wedding. The supporting lighting and the usage of video projections usually work and match the scene though could be occasionally less flashy (the spotlights for the orchestra were actually more annoying for me sitting in the front row so that the stage behind the rather light orchestra pit seemed even darker).
I was not impressed by the use of this cobweb like prop which sometimes Dracula would crawl down on like a spider or e.g. the three female vampires (two of them totally miscast IMHO, I want them to be sexy and on fire, they were all but that) - Dracula associated with a spider? Err, hardly, more a bat. It does not help either that these kind of elements were all but eerie and blood-curdling.
What also did not work too well were the flight scenes which looked not only unnatural but amateurish and did not add anything to the show as also the dull ballet at the end of act 1 all dressed in black trousers and the men topless and the women in bare-coloured tops reminding me very much of the Tanz der Vampire final (and do not get me started of the nonsense the ballet having their own curtain call at beginning of the interval, what ridiculous idea).
Fortunately these moments of ballet and choir were numbered unlike in Lüneburg and the focus was kept on the actual protagonists.
A major issue is the sound system being especially at the beginning sometimes so unbalanced and overamplified that were minutes in the show when I could hardly understand a word with the largely well conducted and performing orchestra being way too overpowering. I wouldn't have minded to hear the orchestra less to hear less of this exchangeable music.
Well overall Dracula stays a dire show for me with its bad book and the unimaginative unincisive music, but at least thanks to the great lead cast on-stage the focus is less on it and I could just enjoy the performers who deserved the standing ovation at the curtain call.
P.S. If anyone is interested in a much more promising Dracula musical, may want to check out this one which will hopefully get a full stagig eventually - at least some news is to be announced this year.
http://www.dracula-uk.com/
