Dracula, The Musical
Encyclopedia
Dracula, the Musical is a musical based on the original Victorian novel
by Bram Stoker
. The score is by Frank Wildhorn
, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
.
It had its regional premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse
, La Jolla, California, in 2001, and then premiered on Broadway
in 2004. It starred Tom Hewitt
as the frightening Count and Melissa Errico
as the woman he loves, Mina Harker
. The show ran for only 154 performances, and received mainly negative reviews. A brief nudity scene in which Dracula seduces Lucy Westerna (played by Kelli O'Hara
) received much publicity, as did the show's numerous and spectacular special effects.
The show later had engagements in Europe
.
. However, the Count notices a picture of Jonathan's fiancée Mina Murray, which seems to have a strange effect on him. Harker's stay in the remote castle is turning more and more into a nightmare. Harker manages to escape - after being bitten by his host - to Budapest
. Mina travels to him and marries him, while Mina's friend Lucy is marrying Arthur in London.
In the meantime, Dracula has reached London and starts searching for victims. He contacts Renfield and promises him eternal life in exchange for his service. His first victim is Lucy, who dies soon after he bites her. Even the renowned vampire expert Van Helsing cannot help her anymore. Lucy, however, turns into a vampire herself and - with the assistance of Dr. Van Helsing - is killed by her former love interests, Quincey and Jack, in her tomb.
Mina feels a strange attraction to the Count. Torn between her fear and love, she eventually invites him to come in. Dracula lets her taste his blood, intending to turn her into a vampire as well. Later on, he has to escape from London, because the vampire hunters are closing in on him. His enemies follow him. They take Mina, who is connected to the Count telepathically, with them.
At the Count's Castle, the final showdown takes place. While the vampire hunters fight with an entire army of vampires, Mina now decides to follow her beloved Dracula into the darkness. But Dracula realizes that this should not be Mina's fate. He asks Mina to release him from his doomed existence. With tears running down her face, she fulfills her lover's last wish.
on August 19, 2004 and closed on January 2, 2005 after 157 performances and 22 previews. Directed by Des McAnuff
, the choreography was by Mindy Cooper, the scenic design by Heidi Ettinger, costume design by Catherine Zuber
, lighting by Howell Binkley
orchestrations by Doug Besterman
and special effects by Flying by Foy. The musical starred Tom Hewitt, along with Melissa Errico as Mina. Darren Ritchie
joined as Jonathan Harker, with Stephen McKinley Henderson as Van Helsing, and Chris Hoch as Arthur Holmwood. The show featured Don Stephenson as Renfield, and Kelli O'Hara
as Lucy. Chuck Wagner
was the standby for the roles of Dracula and Van Helsing. Elizabeth Loyacano was promoted to stand-by for Errico, after the role proved to be more demanding then it had been previously expected. She performed the role from September 7 through October 13. The original Catherine Zuber designed wardrobe is on display at the Costume World Broadway Collection in Pompano Beach, Florida.
After the show closed on January 2, 2005, the musical made its international debut at Theater St. Gallen
, Switzerland, from April 23, 2005 to June 6, 2006. This was in a much revised form, with many changes that Wildhorn had reportedly wanted for Broadway. This version included 6 new songs, performed by a 40-piece orchestra and a European cast, led by Thomas Borchert
.
The musical played an engagement at the Graz, Austria Summer Festival in August 2007, starring Thomas Borchert and Lyn Liechty. The show received several more revisions as well as a complete new orchestration by Koen Schoots and was considered a rave. This production was recorded.
The UK premiere of the musical took place in March 2010 at The Lowther Pavilion, Lytham St Anne's, Lancashire. Produced by AV Productions the cast included Andy Vitolo as Dracula, Mairi Claire Connor as Mina, Mike Cosgrove as Van Helsing, Jeremy Clark as Jonathan Harker, Lucy Fellows as Lucy Westenra, Derek Winward as Arthur/Renfield and Phil Gwilliam as Dr Jack Seward, subsequent performances took place at The Lancaster Grand Theatre in September the same year.
The Canadian
debut took place in October 2011 in Medicine Hat, Alberta
at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Center. It was produced by Firehall Theater.
Act I
Act II
Act II
(* new songs added to the show in revised version)
and Wildhorn's previous productions. Though this production was intended as a serious, dramatic interpretation of the source material, critics complained of a complete lack of emotion in general, and of suspense and horror in particular. Also, while the plot of the musical hits all the major points of Stoker's novel, it does so in such an obtuse way that audience members unfamiliar with the story may find themselves unable to comprehend the action.
However the new, revised version, that opened in Graz, Austria, in the Summer of 2007 was very successful among critics and audiences. The version of the show licensed by Music Theatre International
is based on this production. A Cast Recording was released in 2008 and was a huge hit in the sale charts.
World Premiere Recording - Austrian Cast
Demo/Promotional Recordings
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
. The score is by Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn is an American composer known for both his musicals and popular songs. He is most known for his musical Jekyll & Hyde, which ran four years on Broadway, and for writing the #1 International Hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" for Whitney Houston.-Early years:Wildhorn was born in...
, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
Christopher Hampton
Christopher James Hampton CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, screen writer and film director. He is best known for his play based on the novel Les Liaisons dangereuses and the film version Dangerous Liaisons and also more recently for writing the nominated screenplay for the film adaptation of...
.
It had its regional premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
, La Jolla, California, in 2001, and then premiered on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 2004. It starred Tom Hewitt
Tom Hewitt
Tom Hewitt is an actor and Broadway stage performer, and a native of Victor, Montana.-Life:After graduating from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with the Professional Theatre Training Program's first class in 1981, Tom Hewitt worked with such regional powerhouses as Minneapolis's Guthrie...
as the frightening Count and Melissa Errico
Melissa Errico
-Biography:Born in Manhattan, Errico moved to Manhasset on Long Island at an early age. Her parents, a sculptor and a physician/concert pianist, supported her early interest in ballet, and gymnastics, and Melissa competed nationally as a gymnast...
as the woman he loves, Mina Harker
Mina Harker
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 horror novel Dracula.- In the novel :She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young school mistress who is engaged to Jonathan Harker, and best friends with Lucy Westenra...
. The show ran for only 154 performances, and received mainly negative reviews. A brief nudity scene in which Dracula seduces Lucy Westerna (played by Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara is an American actress, singer, and songwriter.O'Hara has been nominated for three Tony Awards: for her performance as Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza; for her performance as Babe Williams in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of The Pajama Game, where she starred...
) received much publicity, as did the show's numerous and spectacular special effects.
The show later had engagements in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Plot
Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer from England, travels to Transylvania in order to fix a deal with Count Dracula, who wants to buy a home in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. However, the Count notices a picture of Jonathan's fiancée Mina Murray, which seems to have a strange effect on him. Harker's stay in the remote castle is turning more and more into a nightmare. Harker manages to escape - after being bitten by his host - to Budapest
Budapest
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...
. Mina travels to him and marries him, while Mina's friend Lucy is marrying Arthur in London.
In the meantime, Dracula has reached London and starts searching for victims. He contacts Renfield and promises him eternal life in exchange for his service. His first victim is Lucy, who dies soon after he bites her. Even the renowned vampire expert Van Helsing cannot help her anymore. Lucy, however, turns into a vampire herself and - with the assistance of Dr. Van Helsing - is killed by her former love interests, Quincey and Jack, in her tomb.
Mina feels a strange attraction to the Count. Torn between her fear and love, she eventually invites him to come in. Dracula lets her taste his blood, intending to turn her into a vampire as well. Later on, he has to escape from London, because the vampire hunters are closing in on him. His enemies follow him. They take Mina, who is connected to the Count telepathically, with them.
At the Count's Castle, the final showdown takes place. While the vampire hunters fight with an entire army of vampires, Mina now decides to follow her beloved Dracula into the darkness. But Dracula realizes that this should not be Mina's fate. He asks Mina to release him from his doomed existence. With tears running down her face, she fulfills her lover's last wish.
Productions
The musical had its world premiere developmental engagement at La Jolla Playhouse from October 9 to November 25, 2001, starring Tom Hewitt in the title role. The musical, after several revisions and additional workshops premiered on Broadway at the Belasco TheatreBelasco Theatre
The Belasco Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 111 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco, the interior featured Tiffany lighting and ceiling panels, rich woodwork and expansive murals by American artist...
on August 19, 2004 and closed on January 2, 2005 after 157 performances and 22 previews. Directed by Des McAnuff
Des McAnuff
Desmond McAnuff is the Canadian-American artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and director of musical theatre of such Broadway productions as Big River, The Who's Tommy and Jersey Boys.-Biography:...
, the choreography was by Mindy Cooper, the scenic design by Heidi Ettinger, costume design by Catherine Zuber
Catherine Zuber
- Broadway :Zuber's Broadway credits include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying , Born Yesterday , Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, South Pacific , The Coast of Utopia , The Light in the Piazza , Edward Albee's Seascape , Awake and Sing! ,...
, lighting by Howell Binkley
Howell Binkley
Howell Binkley is a professional lighting designer in New York City. He received the 2006 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a musical for Jersey Boys....
orchestrations by Doug Besterman
Doug Besterman
Douglas "Doug" Besterman is an American orchestrator, musical arranger and music producer. He is the recipient of three Tony Awards out of five total nominations and two Drama Desk Awards out of six total nominations, and was a 2009 Grammy Award nominee.- Career :Besterman found work in New York...
and special effects by Flying by Foy. The musical starred Tom Hewitt, along with Melissa Errico as Mina. Darren Ritchie
Darren Ritchie (actor)
- Career :He is perhaps best known for originating the role of Jonathan Harker in Frank Wildhorn's Broadway production of Dracula, the musical in 2004. He has also appeared in featured roles in the Broadway revivals of The Little Shop of Horrors, 2003, and Bells are Ringing, 2001,...
joined as Jonathan Harker, with Stephen McKinley Henderson as Van Helsing, and Chris Hoch as Arthur Holmwood. The show featured Don Stephenson as Renfield, and Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara is an American actress, singer, and songwriter.O'Hara has been nominated for three Tony Awards: for her performance as Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza; for her performance as Babe Williams in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of The Pajama Game, where she starred...
as Lucy. Chuck Wagner
Chuck Wagner
Chuck Wagner is an American actor, Director, Musical Theatre Historian, and Teacher.-Education and early career:Wagner was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and raised in Hartsville, Tennessee. He attended public school in Gallatin, TN...
was the standby for the roles of Dracula and Van Helsing. Elizabeth Loyacano was promoted to stand-by for Errico, after the role proved to be more demanding then it had been previously expected. She performed the role from September 7 through October 13. The original Catherine Zuber designed wardrobe is on display at the Costume World Broadway Collection in Pompano Beach, Florida.
After the show closed on January 2, 2005, the musical made its international debut at Theater St. Gallen
Theater St. Gallen
The Theater St. Gallen is a performing arts center for opera, musical, ballet, and theatre in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and considered to be the oldest professional theatre in Switzerland....
, Switzerland, from April 23, 2005 to June 6, 2006. This was in a much revised form, with many changes that Wildhorn had reportedly wanted for Broadway. This version included 6 new songs, performed by a 40-piece orchestra and a European cast, led by Thomas Borchert
Thomas Borchert
Thomas Borchert is a German actor, singer, and songwriter. He has performed especially in musical theatre.- Biography :...
.
The musical played an engagement at the Graz, Austria Summer Festival in August 2007, starring Thomas Borchert and Lyn Liechty. The show received several more revisions as well as a complete new orchestration by Koen Schoots and was considered a rave. This production was recorded.
The UK premiere of the musical took place in March 2010 at The Lowther Pavilion, Lytham St Anne's, Lancashire. Produced by AV Productions the cast included Andy Vitolo as Dracula, Mairi Claire Connor as Mina, Mike Cosgrove as Van Helsing, Jeremy Clark as Jonathan Harker, Lucy Fellows as Lucy Westenra, Derek Winward as Arthur/Renfield and Phil Gwilliam as Dr Jack Seward, subsequent performances took place at The Lancaster Grand Theatre in September the same year.
The Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
debut took place in October 2011 in Medicine Hat, Alberta
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Medicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....
at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Center. It was produced by Firehall Theater.
Songs (Broadway)
Act I
- Prologue - Harker
- A Quiet Life - Dracula
- Over Whitby Bay - Harker & Mina
- Jonathan's Bedroom - Harker
- Forever Young - Vamp Brides
- Fresh Blood - Dracula, Vamp brides & Harker
- The Master's Song - Renfield
- How Do You Choose? - Lucy, Mina, Arthur, Dr. Seward & Quincey
- The Mist - Lucy
- The Mist (Reprise) - Dracula
- Modern World - Lucy, Mina, Arthur, Dr. Seward & Quincey
- A Perfect Life - Mina
- The Weddings - Mina, Harker, Arthur & Lucy
- Nosferatu - Van Helsing
- Prayer for the Dead - Van Helsing, Mina, Harker, Dr. Seward, Arthur, Quincey & Chorus
- Life After Life - Dracula & Lucy
Act II
- Undead one, Surrender - Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, Arthur, Quincey & Chorus
- The Heart is Slow to Learn - Mina
- The Master's Song (Reprise)- Renfield & Dracula
- If I Could Fly - Mina
- Mina's seduction - Mina & Dracula
- There's Always a Tomorrow - Dracula & Mina
- Deep in the Darkest Night - Van Helsing, Arthur, Quincey & Dr. Seward
- Before the Summer Ends - Harker
- All is Dark/Life After Life (reprise)- Mina & Dracula
- The Longer I Live - Dracula
- Finale: There's Always a Tomorrow - Mina & Dracula
Songs (Austria)
Act I- Prologue - Vamp Brides
- A Solitary Man - Dracula
- Whitby Bay - Mina & Harker
- Jonathan's Bedroom - Harker
- Forever Young - Vamp Brides
- Fresh Blood - Dracula, Vamp Brides & Harker
- The Master's Song - Renfield
- How Do You Choose? - Lucy, Mina, Arthur, Dr. Seward & Quincey
- The Mist - Lucy
- The Mist - reprise * - Dracula
- A Perfect Life - Mina
- Loving You Keeps Me Alive* - Mina, Harker & Dracula
- Whitby bay (Reprise)* - Harker & Mina
- The Weddings - Mina, Harker, Arthur & Lucy
- The Invitation * - Lucy
- Nosferatu * - Van Helsing
- Prayer for the Dead - Van Helsing, Arthur, Dr. Seward, Quincey, Mina & Chorus
- Life After Life - Dracula & Lucy
Act II
- Undead One, Surrender * - Van Helsing, Arthur, Dr. Seward, Quincey & Harker
- Please Don't Make Me Love You * - Mina
- The Master's Song (Reprise) - Renfield & Dracula
- Rosanne * (written specially for Uwe Kröger) - Van Helsing
- If I Could Fly - Mina
- The Seduction (There's Always a Tomorrow)- Dracula & Mina
- It's Over * (written specially for Uwe Kröger and Thomas Borchert) - Dracula & Van Helsing
- Jonathan's Promise * - Harker
- Deep in the Darkest Night - Van Helsing, Quincey, Arthur, Dr. Seward, Mina & Harker
- Before the Summer Ends - Harker
- The Train Sequence (Life After Life-Reprise) - Dracula, Mina & Van Helsing
- The Longer I Live - Dracula
- Finale: There's Always a Tomorrow - Dracula & Mina
(* new songs added to the show in revised version)
Critical response
Musical theater critics have disliked Wildhorn musicals, and Dracula is no exception. Reviews were universally negative, referring to the lyrics as simply unoriginal, and to the music as monotonous and derivative of both Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew 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...
and Wildhorn's previous productions. Though this production was intended as a serious, dramatic interpretation of the source material, critics complained of a complete lack of emotion in general, and of suspense and horror in particular. Also, while the plot of the musical hits all the major points of Stoker's novel, it does so in such an obtuse way that audience members unfamiliar with the story may find themselves unable to comprehend the action.
However the new, revised version, that opened in Graz, Austria, in the Summer of 2007 was very successful among critics and audiences. The version of the show licensed by Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International, often abbreviated MTI, is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. The League of American Theatres and Producers calls MTI "A leader in the theatrical licensing industry."-Description:...
is based on this production. A Cast Recording was released in 2008 and was a huge hit in the sale charts.
Recordings
Concept Album- Recorded in 2005. A concept recording created by GlobalVision Records and was released on Amazon MP3 and iTunes on June 6, 2011. It features James Barbour in the title role alongside Kate Shindle as Mina, Lauren Kennedy as Lucy, Rob Evan as Harker, Norm Lewis as Van Helsing, and Euan Morton as Reinfeld.
World Premiere Recording - Austrian Cast
- In 2008 was released the first Cast Recording of the show, produced by HitSquad Records with the Cast of the Summer Festival in Graz, Austria. The CD contains the new, revised, re-orchestrated version of the show, being now quite different from the Broadway flop. The CD features Thomas Borchert as Dracula, Uwe Kröger as Van Helsing, Jesper Tydén as Jonathan, Lyn Liechty as Mina and Caroline Vasicek as Lucy. The new german version was a hit, and the CD was for almost half a year in the top of sales at Soundofmusic-shop.de the biggest Musical-Related store in Continental Europe.
Demo/Promotional Recordings
- Demo Recording (2000) - featuring Douglas Sills as Dracula, Christiane Noll as Mina, Alice Ripley as Lucy, Rob Evan as Harker, Chuck Wagner as Van Helsing and William Youmans as Reinfeld.
- Guy LeMonnier Demo (2003) - featuring Guy LeMonnier as Dracula.
- Broadway Promo (2004) - featuring Tom Hewitt as Dracula, Melissa Errico as Mina, Lauren Kennedy as Lucy and Rob Evan as Harker.