Dracula, the Musical (Wildhorn)
| Dracula | |
|---|---|
| The Musical | |
Original Logo
|
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| Music | Frank Wildhorn |
| Lyrics |
Don Black Christopher Hampton |
| Book | Don Black Christopher Hampton |
| Basis | Novel Dracula by Bram Stoker |
| Productions | 2001 San Diego 2004 Broadway 2005 Theater St. Gallen 2006 Mercer, NJ 2007 Graz, Austria 2009 Klagenfurt, Austria 2010 Montreal, Canada 2010 Novi Sad, Serbia 2011 Palatine, Illinois 2011 Tokyo & Osaka, Japan 2012 Westcliff-on-Sea,Essex,UK. 2013 Midland, Michigan 2013 Barga, Italy 2013 Pforzheim, Germany 2014 Kristianstad, Sweden 2014 Seoul, South Korea 2014 Shanghai 2016 Seoul, South Korea 2016 Leipzig, Germany |
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, playing to 115% capacity, earning the highest paid capacity for any world premiere production in the playhouse's history. It then premiered on Broadway in 2004, starring Tom Hewitt as the frightening vampire Count and Melissa Errico as the woman he loves, Mina Harker.
A brief nude scene in which Dracula seduces Lucy Westenra (played by Kelli O'Hara) received much publicity, as did the show's numerous and spectacular special effects. Despite that, the show ran for only 154 performances, and received mainly negative reviews. The show was heavily revised and later had engagements in Europe, where it proved to be a hit.
Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer from England, travels to Transylvania in order to fix a deal with the elderly Count Dracula, who wants to buy a home in London (Prologue). Harker enjoys a lavish supper set by his host and asks the Count if he knows anyone in England. Dracula responds that he knows Harker, and that other contacts have been made in advance to ensure his arrival in England is well received. The Count voices his desire to begin a new life in his new country ("Solitary Man"). Dracula shows Harker to his bedroom, where he notices a picture of Harker's fiancée Mina Murray, which seems to have a strange effect on him. Once Dracula leaves, Harker composes a letter to Mina, who herself remembers how they met ("Whitby Bay"). Mina, in England, suddenly hears Dracula's voice in her head; the Count forebodingly informs her of his imminent journey to England and his desire to be with her. Early one morning Dracula surprises Harker while shaving, causing Harker to cut himself. Dracula advances towards his guest's bleeding throat but retreats once he catches a glimpse of a crucifix around Harker's neck. Harker tries to get Dracula to focus on the contract, but Dracula ignores him, instead advising him to only sleep in his own chamber. Harker's stay in the castle slowly begins turning into a nightmare and he frantically searches for a way out ("Jonathan's Bedroom"). Dracula's Brides appear in one of the rooms the unfortunate English man wanders into and begin to seduce him. Harker removes the crucifix from his neck and the Brides prepare to drink his blood ("Forever Young"). Dracula suddenly appears and berates the women for disobeying his orders to leave Harker for himself. When the Brides ask if they are to have nothing Dracula gives them an infant to consume. When the infant's distraught mother enters, begging for the return of her child, Dracula kills her and proceeds to drink Harker's blood to restore his youth ("Fresh Blood"). Fully rejuvenated, Dracula flies into the air, while Harker escapes to Budapest.
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