Dracula, the Musical (Wildhorn)

Citations missing|date=July 2008Infobox Musical
name= Dracula
subtitle=the Musical


caption= Original Logo
music= Frank Wildhorn
lyrics= Don Black
Christopher Hampton
book= Don Black
Christopher Hampton
basis= Novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
productions= 2004 San Diego
2004 Broadway
awards=

"Dracula, The Musical" (2004) is a musical based on the original Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. It had a score composed by Frank Wildhorn, a composer best known for works such as "Jekyll & Hyde". It was originally premièred at the La Jolla Playhouse, and then moved to Broadway where it played at the Belasco Theater. There 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.http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9505E4DF1F3FF933A1575BC0A9629C8B63] 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 went to Europe. [ [http://www.frankwildhorn.com/projects/dracula/productions.shtml Dracula: Productions ] ]

This is by no means the only musical version of "Dracula"; since the material is in the public domain, it can be adapted by anyone seeking to do so. As of July 9, 2008, there were two different musical versions and a panto scheduled for the London stage alone. [ [http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php Whatsonstage.com accessed 9 July 2008] ]

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 London. 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 being 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 with them, who is connected to the Count telepathically.

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 eyes, she fulfils her lover's last wish. [ [http://www.freewebs.com/draculascript/ Dracula, the Musical :: The (Many) Scripts ] ]

Songs in the Broadway Production

;Act I
* Prologue
* A Quiet Life
* Over Whitby Bay
* Forever Young
* Fresh Blood
* The Master's Song
* How Do You Choose?
* The Mist
* Modern World
* A Perfect Life
* The Weddings
* Prayer for the Dead
* Life After Life;Act II
* The Heart is Slow to Learn
* The Master's Song (Reprise)
* If I Could Fly
* There's Always a Tomorrow
* Deep in the Darkest Night
* Before the Summer Ends
* The Longer I Live
* All is Dark/Life After Life (reprise)
* Finale: There's Always a Tomorrow

Critical Response

Musical Theater critics have historically disliked Wildhorn musicals, [ [http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=40907 Tom Hewitt, Q&A Interview: Broadway.com Buzz ] ] and Dracula is no exception. Reviews were universally negative, referring to the lyrics as simply unoriginal, [ [http://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/theater/reviews/9668/ Dracula - Let's Put On A Show - New York Magazine Theater Review ] ] and to the music as monotonous and derivative of both Andrew Lloyd Weber and Wildhorn's previous productions. [ [http://www.curtainup.com/draculathemusical.html Dracula The Musical, a CurtainUp review ] ] 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. [ [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/DraculaMusical.html Talkin' Broadway Review: Dracula ] ] 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.

Recordings

English Recordings

;Concept Album:Recorded in 2005. A concept recording created by GlobalVision Records that has yet to be released publicly. However, trading has made it somewhat easily accessible. 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.

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.

Sources

External links

* [http://frankwildhorn.com/projects/dracula/ Dracula - The Musical by Frank Wildhorn]
*ibdb title| id=378387| title=Dracula, the Musical