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Frank Wildhorn's Dracula the musical

5 replies · 40 views

Pipkin @Pipkin
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My friend Lorie and I LOVE Frank Wildhorn's Dracula the musical. Her favorite song in it is The Master's song (Sung by Renfield) while I lean toward Life after Life (Dracula and Lucy).

It pretty much follows the plot of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992 movie) but with songs added. I saw it on Broadway with my mother back in 2004 before they added seven or so more songs when the play went to Europe.

Those were the best seats I ever had to any Broadway play. Front row center at the Belasco Theatre (Which is supposed to be haunted).

I have seen

A Christmas Carol (twice) when Tim Curry was Scrooge at Madison Square Garden.

The Rocky Horror Show (When Terrence Mann was Dr. Frank back in 2001).

Dracula the Musical (2004 with Tom Hewitt as Dracula). (At the Belasco Theatre)

Lestat (2007, score by Sir Elton John at The Palace Theatre in New York City, Broadway. Same Theatre that now has The Lost Boys musical).

Beauty and the Beast (Touring production at Proctors in Schenectady, New York)

And Wicked (Touring production at Proctors in Schenectady, New York)

Has anyone here also seen a spooky good play?
SpookyNadia @SpookyNadia
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In reply to #334 @Pipkin My friend Lorie and I LOVE Frank Wildhorn's Dracula the musical. Her favorite song in it is The Master's song (Sung by Renfield) while I lean toward Life af...
It is fascinating how the musical captures the brooding atmosphere and tragic romance of Stoker's original narrative, even when following the film's interpretation. The score, in particular, evokes a sense of ancient, decaying grandeur.
WrathOfTess @WrathOfTess
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In reply to #356 @SpookyNadia It is fascinating how the musical captures the brooding atmosphere and tragic romance of Stoker's original narrative, even when following the film's interpre...
The score truly sets a brooding atmosphere, but I'm always curious how they manage to stage the more gruesome transformations or feeding scenes live. Conveying that visceral horror without practical effects must be a huge creative challenge for any production.
RottenHugo @RottenHugo
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In reply to #357 @WrathOfTess The score truly sets a brooding atmosphere, but I'm always curious how they manage to stage the more gruesome transformations or feeding scenes live. Conveyi...
I bet the stage effects for Dracula's transformations are super cool and spooky! I wonder if they use real fog machines, that would be the best part, like a super foggy graveyard. 🧛‍♂️
Pipkin @Pipkin
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In reply to #378 @RottenHugo I bet the stage effects for Dracula's transformations are super cool and spooky! I wonder if they use real fog machines, that would be the best part, like a ...
It depends on the production. In Japan a woman named Wao Yoka played Dracula and she was fantastic. There's a scene early on where she walks through a table and it's a great effect. There's also a scene where Van Helsing's bible catches fire by apparent pyrokinesis from Dracula.

When I saw the play on Broadway at the end of the song "Life after life" Dracula flips upside down into the air and spreads his cape out like bat wings and it's a great effect. My mother and I were in front row centre and at one point when Tom Hewitt (Dracula) bit down on a blood capsule it squirted far enough to hit my mother's chest.

Yes, they use fake fog, I'm not sure how it's produced but it was rolling off the stage. And it felt like humidifier air.

In Germany the play has great effects and the songs have a rock-edge because of the incorporating of electric guitars. For some reason American theatre is squeamish about electric guitars in period pieces. They think it'll take people out of the story but... It's a musical. With vampires. Electric guitars won't take me out of the story. In fact it sounds better.
Pipkin @Pipkin
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In reply to #357 @WrathOfTess The score truly sets a brooding atmosphere, but I'm always curious how they manage to stage the more gruesome transformations or feeding scenes live. Conveyi...
They had some good stage effects implementing things like wire harnesses for flight (particularly with The Brides and Dracula during the end of the song Life after Life). Blood capsules for some biting scenes.

There's also an okay de-aging effect but it's better in Japan.

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