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Dance of the Vampires (musical)
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Dance of the Vampires is a musical adaptation of the 1967 Roman Polanski film (known as The Fearless Vampire Killers in the United States). Polanski also directed the musical’s original German-language production (titled Tanz der Vampire). The music was composed by Jim Steinman, orchestrated by Steve Margoshes, and Michael Kunze wrote the original German book and lyrics.
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Plot
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Note: This synopsis applies to European and Japanese productions only. The Broadway version was heavily rewritten. In addition, portions of this synopsis may reflect later changes to the European show, which will become clear when reading the song list below.
Act I
Sometime in the late 19th century, Professor Abronsius and Alfred, his bumbling young assistant, arrive in a small Jewish shtetl somewhere in the Carpathians, where they hope to prove the professor's theory that vampires exist. Nearly freezing to death in the nearby woods (He, Ho, He), the two are taken in by Chagal, an innkeeper who spends most of his free time lusting after Magda, his beautiful chambermaid, much to the disdain of his long-suffering wife, Rebecca (Knoblauch – "Garlic"). The professor, upon noticing the countless strings of garlic hung about the place and around people's necks, is overjoyed, confident of the nearness of his goal, and immediately starts probing Chagal for information. The villagers, evidently frightened, pretend to be completely oblivious, silencing the local fool, who still manages to blurt something about the castle and the count that lives there. After exploring the rooms upstairs in which they are staying (Bitte, meine Herren – "Please, Gentlemen"), Alfred discovers and is smitten by Chagal's beautiful seventeen-year-old daughter, Sarah. Chagal is very protective of his child, going as far as boarding up her room so she wouldn't bathe around the two guests (Eine schöne Tochter ist ein Segen – "A Beautiful Daughter is a Blessing"). That night, Alfred and Sarah sing of their mutual attraction, while Chagal tries to coerce his way into Magda's bed and Abronsius is swiftly knocked on the head by Chagal's wife (Nie geseh'n – "Never Seen"). Unbeknownst to Alfred, late at night Sarah is serenaded by a mysterious stranger, who promises her eternal life and power (Gott ist tot, – God is Dead").
The next morning, the Professor bears witness to a small business exchange between Chagal and Koukol, a hideous hunchback living somewhere in the woods (Alles ist hell – "Everything's Bright"). He inquires about the odd man (Wahrheit – "truth"), but Chagal refuses to discuss the matter. That same night, Sarah tricks Alfred into giving up his bath for her ("Du bist wirklich sehr nett – "You're Really Very Nice") and as she joyfully soaps her sponge, Count von Krolock, an aristocratic vampire, breaks into the bathroom from the roof above and invites her to a midnight ball at his castle ("Einladung zum Ball – "Invitation to the Ball"). He is about to bite the girl, but Alfred, who has been spying on Sarah's bathing ritual, screams for help. Chagal and Rebecca arrive, furious. Sarah's father spanks her and forbids her to ever go outside.
However, later that night, Koukol arrives at the inn and leaves a red bundle for Sarah on the doorstep. She sneaks outside and discovers it to be a pair of expensive red boots. Alfred comes outside as well and professes his love to her (Draußen ist Freiheit – "Outside is Freedom"). The two plan on running off together and Sarah asks Alfred to go back into the house to fetch her sponge. With Alfred gone, Sarah fantasizes about the fantastical, romantic vampire ball she could be missing and decides to accept the Count's invitation (Stärker als wir sind – "Stronger Than We Are"). She runs off into the woods. Alfred starts to panic, Chagal and Rebecca rush outside, but it's too late and Sarah's gone. Chagal wraps himself in garlic and runs into the woods after his daughter.
The next morning, Chagal's frozen body is found; Rebecca is devastated (Trauer um Chagal – "Mourning for Chagal"). Professor Abronsius discovers small puncture wounds all over the body, but the villagers, still in denial, incorrectly assume they came from wolf bites. The Professor hands Rebecca a wooden stake and explains she must puncture Chagal's heart in order to prevent him from becoming a vampire. Hysterical, Rebecca chases him and Alfred out of the room, covering her husband with a bed sheet and swearing that she would never let anyone violate his corpse.
In the middle of the night, Magda sneaks downstairs to look at Chagal's corpse, expressing mixed feelings about his death (Tot zu sein ist komisch - "To be Dead is Strange"). Suddenly, Chagal sits up, now a vampire. Magda tries to fend him off with a crucifix, but being a Jewish vampire, he manages to overpower her and feed on her blood, killing her in the process. Alfred and the Professor sneak into the room as well, planning to stake Chagal, but they find Magda's body there instead. A chase ensues and the two finally corner Chagal, who begs for mercy and promises to show them the route to the vampire's castle where his daughter supposedly is held if he's spared.
Chagal leads the two heroes to a giant castle in the woods (Durch die Wildnis zum Schloß – "Through the Wilderness to the Castle"), where they are greeted by the mysterious Count von Krolock and his flamboyant son Herbert, who is instantly attracted to Alfred (Vor dem Schloß – "In Front of the Castle"). Von Krolock invites the two men into his domain and the two reluctantly accept his invitation.
Act II
Sarah is now at Count von Krolock's castle, wandering the dark empty halls and considering what her relationship with the Count truly is. The Count appears to welcome her and manages to resist biting her, planning to save her for the ball the next night (Totale Finsternis – "Total Eclipse"). At the same time, Alfred is asleep with the Professor in a guest bedroom in another part of the castle, suffering from terrifying nightmares, with one nightmare in which he loses Sarah to the bloodthirsty vampires (Carpe Noctem - "Seize the Night").
The next morning, Alfred wants to find Sarah and flee the castle (Ein perfekter Tag / Für Sarah – "A Perfect Day/For Sarah"), but Professor Abronsius is more concerned with staking Von Krolock and Herbert. Alfred and the Professor make their way to the crypt (In der Gruft – "In the Crypt"), where they locate the two vampires. The Professor becomes stuck on a banister as he attempts to get into the crypt and assigns Alfred to kill von Krolock and his son, but Alfred can't bring himself to drive a stake through their hearts. Before the Professor can think of something else, he hears a noise and the hapless duo flee the crypt just as Chagal arrives with Magda's coffin. Magda climbs out, now a vampire, and finally concedes to having a sexual relationship with Chagal.
Alfred and the Professor continue searching the castle and separate in the library (Bücher, Bücher – "Books, Books"). Alfred comes across a small bedroom where he finds Sarah in the bathroom, apparently unharmed. Alfred begs for her to leave, but Sarah refuses, saying she wants to stay for the midnight ball. She coaxes Alfred to leave the room (involving another encounter in the library, Noch mehr Bücher – "Even More Books") while she gets dressed, but when Alfred returns, Sarah is gone, and Herbert is in her place. Herbert tries flirting with the confused and terrified "hero" (Wenn Liebe in dir Ist – "When Love is Inside You"), which culminates with him lunging at Alfred's neck, but the Professor comes in the nick of time and hits the young vampire with an umbrella.
As Alfred and the Professor make it outside, the sun sets and they are confronted by von Krolock, who mocks the Professor's naive attempt to destroy him (Sie irren, Professor – "You're Wrong, Professor"). To their horror, the two watch a whole mob of vampires rise up from a nearby church yard and head towards the ballroom (Ewigkeit – "Eternity"). As the vampires leave their resting places, von Krolock reflects on his painful damnation as a member of the undead (Die unstillbare Gier – "The Insatiable Greed"), which Alfred overhears, but the Professor dismisses von Krolock as nothing more than a monster.
The vampires arrive in the castle and the ball begins (Tanzsaal – "The Dance Hall"). Alfred and Professor Abronisus sneak their way inside dressed as members of the undead. Count von Krolock appears at the top of the stairs to introduce his "guest," whom he forbids the other vampires to touch. Sarah enters the ballroom in an elegant red ballgown and approaches von Krolock. He is quick to embrace her with a bite, draining her blood. The Count then proceeds to dance with the weakened Sarah as the other vampires join them in a menuet. Alfred and the Professor plan to sneak Sarah out during the dance, but unfortunately for them, a mirror is unveiled, blowing their cover since they're the only ones reflected. Von Krolock commands his vampire flock to attack Alfred and his mentor, but the former manages to form a makeshift cross out of two candelabras, causing a diversion. The three humans make their escape as von Krolock, furious, sends Koukol chasing after the girl.
Koukol chases Alfred, Sarah and the Professor through the woods, but is attacked by wolves and killed. The three heroes stop on a small hillside to rest. Alfred once more professes his love to Sarah and the two lovers embrace (Draußen ist Freiheit – Reprise – "Outside is Freedom (Reprise)"). However, Sarah is already turned and bites Alfred mid-song, turning him into a vampire as well and both of them flee into the woods. Professor Abronsius, too consumed by his note-taking, does not see what is happening behind him until it is too late. In the epilogue, all vampires rejoice in their eternal dance (Der Tanz der Vampire – "Dance of the Vampires").
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Productions and casts
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Austria
Tanz der Vampire originally played from October 4, 1997, to January 15, 2000, at the Raimund Theater in Vienna, Austria. Steve Barton received the 1998 IMAGE Award for Best Actor for his originating performance as Count von Krolock. A complete cast recording and a highlights cast recording of the Vienna production was released on a double CD in 1998. For the tenth anniversary of the musical, Tanz der Vampire returned to the Raimund Theater for the week of February 3–11, 2007 in a scaled-down concert version.
From September 16, 2009, to June 25, 2011, Tanz der Vampire returned to Vienna at the Ronacher.[1] The Ronacher production does not replicate the original. It features new sets, costumes, and lighting.[2] Sets and costumes for the 2009 production were developed by Kentaur, based on the designs he developed previously for the Budapest production (see below).[3]
Austria casts
Germany
The show had its German premiere in Stuttgart, Germany at the Apollo Theater and ran from March 31, 2000, to August 31, 2003. It also played in Hamburg at the Neue Flora Theater from December 7, 2003, to January 22, 2006, in Berlin at the Theater des Westens from December 10, 2006, to March 30, 2008, and in Oberhausen at the Metronom Theater am Centro from November 7, 2008, to January 31, 2010.[5] As a result of public voting, Tanz der Vampire returned to Stuttgart at the Palladium Theater from February 25, 2010, to October 16, 2011.[6] The show returned to the Theater des Westens in Berlin from November 14, 2011, to August 25, 2013. On April 24, 2016, Tanz der Vampire began a touring production across Germany that concluded on March 17, 2019.[7][8]
Germany casts
United States
Tanz der Vampire attracted the attention of English-speaking producers who sought to adapt it for audiences in English-speaking countries. Composer Jim Steinman, an experienced figure in New York's theatrical landscape, had previously collaborated with Joseph Papp of the New York Shakespeare Festival in the early 1970s and contributed to various musical works, including The Dream Engine, Neverland, The Confidence Man, and the lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind.[10] Initially, consideration was given to staging the production, retitled Dance of the Vampires, in London's West End.[11] However, under the guidance of Steinman and his manager, David Sonenberg, the decision was made to bring the musical to Broadway for the 1998 season. Steinman undertook the task of translating and adapting the German libretto and lyrics, with Roman Polanski returning as director and Andrew Braunsberg, the original Viennese producer and Polanski's manager, serving as executive producer. Challenges in securing Polanski's return to the United States led to a postponement of the production's opening to Halloween 2000. By March 2000, the inability to resolve these issues prompted the search for a new director.[12]
In October 2000, a tentative opening was scheduled for fall 2001, with Steinman assuming the role of director despite lacking prior experience in stage direction.[12] To address concerns about his inexperience, Steinman noted in interviews that he had significantly influenced the original Vienna production, often implementing ideas independently of Polanski.[13] By early 2001, preparations advanced with a reading for potential producers and investors, announced through Steinman's fan website. John Caird was appointed co-director, and playwright David Ives was engaged to revise the libretto, shifting the tone toward comedy to align with perceived Broadway preferences, moving away from the original Austrian production's style.[14] Producers David Sonenberg, Elizabeth Williams, and Anita Waxman, the latter two known for their work on the successful revival of The Music Man, joined the production team.
The revised production, described by Steinman as a grand, Wagnerian musical infused with humor reminiscent of Mel Brooks and the gothic sensibilities of Anne Rice,[15] aimed to appeal to audiences skeptical of traditional musicals.[citation needed] However, the reimagined script, blending bawdy humor with eroticism, received mixed feedback from potential investors, who admired the score but found the libretto in need of refinement. Creative tensions arose between Steinman and the producing team,[16] compounded by challenges in securing sufficient investment for the planned fall 2001 opening. These difficulties led to the dismissal of producers Williams and Waxman, with Sonenberg assuming primary producing responsibilities, a move perceived by some as consolidating Steinman's control over the project.[17]
To bolster investor confidence, the production sought a prominent lead for the role of Count von Krolock. After exploring options such as David Bowie, John Travolta, Richard Gere, and Plácido Domingo,[16] Michael Crawford, renowned for his portrayal of the title character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, was cast.[18] Crawford's involvement was secured after negotiations granting him creative control over his character and the right of first refusal for future productions in London and Los Angeles.[14][19] Initial reports of a substantial salary were later moderated, with Crawford agreeing to a reduced weekly compensation of $30,000,[20] dismissing earlier figures as exaggerated.[19] His casting was seen as a significant draw, though he insisted on reshaping the role of von Krolock to emphasize comedy, distancing it from comparisons to his prior role in The Phantom of the Opera. Crawford also contributed to costume designs and adopted a distinctive accent to facilitate his performance.[14]
The production faced significant disruptions following the September 11 attacks, which caused logistical challenges, including travel restrictions affecting key creative team members based in London, such as co-director Caird. Unable to meet the planned opening before the Tony Awards deadline, and with Sonenberg struggling to secure his portion of the investment,[14] the production was postponed to October 24, 2002. Additional producers, including USA Ostar Theatricals, Bob Boyett, and Lawrence Horowitz, were brought on board, alongside set designer David Gallo, whose work aligned with Steinman's aesthetic vision. However, Steinman and Caird were replaced as directors by John Rando, known for Urinetown, with John Carrafa joining as choreographer. A cast was assembled around Crawford, including Mandy Gonzalez as Sarah, Max von Essen as Alfred, René Auberjonois as Professor Abronsius, Ron Orbach as Chagal, and Leah Hocking as Magda.
Despite the talented ensemble, rehearsals revealed significant challenges. Rando struggled to manage the large-scale production,[14] and Carrafa's choreography lacked precision, contributing to low company morale. Crawford's insistence on comedic revisions and his resistance to feedback created further tensions,[21] as did the absence of a cohesive creative vision, exacerbated by Rando's temporary withdrawal following his mother's death.[14] Steinman's disengagement, followed by his dismissal by Sonenberg,[22] and the subsequent removal of Sonenberg as producer, further destabilized the production. Previews began at the Minskoff Theatre on October 18, 2002, with a version heavily altered to emphasize camp humor, diverging significantly from the original Viennese production. Initial ticket sales were strong, driven by Crawford's reputation, but critical reception was mixed.
Efforts to refine the production during previews included cutting dialogue to expand the score, redesigning costumes, and incorporating a modernized ending suggested by original author Michael Kunze.[14][23] However, ongoing changes to the script and Crawford's ad-libbing created inconsistencies, frustrating cast members.[14] The production officially opened on December 9, 2002, after 61 previews, with music and lyrics credited to Steinman and the book credited to Steinman, Kunze, and Ives. Critical reviews were overwhelmingly negative, particularly targeting Crawford's performance and the production's lack of coherence.[24] Steinman publicly distanced himself from the final product, emphasizing his preference for the Viennese version and later describing the Broadway production as a failure on his blog.
Dance of the Vampires closed on January 25, 2003, after 56 performances, incurring losses estimated at $12 million, marking it as one of Broadway's most significant financial failures at the time.[25]
Original Broadway cast
- Count Giovanni Von Krolock – Michael Crawford
- Sarah – Mandy Gonzalez
- Professor Abronsius – René Auberjonois
- Alfred – Max von Essen
- Chagal – Ron Orbach
- Magda – Leah Hocking
- Rebecca – Liz McCartney
- Herbert – Asa Somers
- Boris – Mark Price
- Zsa-Zsa – Erin Leigh Peck
- Nadja – E. Alyssa Claar
Other international productions
The musical has thus far been played at the following international venues:
- Estonia: Tallinn: 2000 at the Tallinna Linnahall
- Poland: Warsaw: October 8, 2005 – October 24, 2006 at the Roma Teatr Muzyczny
- Japan:
- Tokyo: July 7 – August 27, 2006; July 5 – August 26, 2009; November 27 – December 24, 2011; November 3–30, 2015; all at the Imperial Theater
- Fukuoka: September 2–27, 2009 at the Hakata-za Theater
- Osaka: January 7–12, 2012; January 2–11, 2016; all at the Umeda Arts Theater
- Nagoya: January 15–17, 2016 at Chunichi Theater
- Hungary: Budapest: June 30, 2007; PS Produkció at the Magyar Theater
- Belgium: Antwerp: September 9, 2010 – October 24, 2010 at the Stadsshouwburg Theater[26]
- Slovakia: Nitra: May 5–7, 2011 at the Altes Theater Nitra
- Russia:
- Saint Petersburg: September 3, 2011 – July 31, 2014;[27] August 22 – October 2, 2016;[28] May 25, 2018 – July 21, 2019; all at the State Theater of Musical Comedy
- Moscow: October 29, 2016 – July 1, 2017 at the MDM Theater
- Finland:
- France: Paris: October 16, 2014 – June 28, 2015 at the Theater Mogador[30]
- Czech Republic: Prague: February 12, 2017 – June 10, 2018 at the GoJa Music Hall
- Switzerland: St. Gallen: February 19, 2017 at the Theater St. Gallen
- Denmark: Copenhagen: January 23 – April 9, 2020 at the Det Ny Teater
Other casts
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Characters
(Note: Many changes in characterization were made for the Broadway version. This refers to the original European version.)
- Graf von Krolock, the powerful and seductive vampire lord.
- Professor Abronsius, an absent-minded vampire hunter.
- Alfred, Abronsius' young and well-meaning assistant.
- Sarah, the innkeeper's beautiful young daughter.
- Chagal, a Jewish innkeeper and Sarah's over-protective father.
- Rebecca, Chagal's long-suffering wife.
- Magda, the pretty maid-of-all trades at Chagal's inn.
- Herbert von Krolock, the Count's homosexual son.
- Koukol, the Count's hunchbacked servant.
Songs
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The musical score written by Steinman leans heavily on material from his earlier projects, mainly from his less-known shows like The Dream Engine and The Confidence Man (co-written with Ray Errol Fox), although it also features music from his widely known records like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (remade as "Totale Finsternis"), the melody, but not the lyric, from a Bat Out of Hell II song called "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" (remade as "Die unstillbare Gier") and "Original Sin", originally written for the Pandora's Box album of the same name and later sung by Meat Loaf in Welcome to the Neighborhood (parts of which were remade as "Gott ist Tot" and "Einladung zum Ball"). The song "Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young" from the soundtrack to the film Streets of Fire was also used (remade as "Der Tanz der Vampire").
Asked at one point to explain the reuse of "Total Eclipse", Steinman explained, "That was an accident almost. I'm surprised it stayed in. [For the original production] in Vienna, I had only a month and a half to write this whole show and we needed a big love duet... But with Total Eclipse of the Heart, I was trying to come up with a love song and I remembered I actually wrote that to be a vampire love song. Its original title was Vampires in Love because I was working on a musical of Nosferatu, the other great vampire story. If anyone listens to the lyrics, they're really like vampire lines. It's all about the darkness, the power of darkness and love's place in dark. And so I figured 'Who's ever going to know; it's Vienna!' And then it was just hard to take it out."[13]
Asked about the impact of previously heard songs, especially Total Eclipse, on the show's popularity in Europe, Steinman replied, "Well, the reaction, at least in Europe, was great. They recognized it, but then it seems – if it's done well – to take on a different personality."
Original Austrian version (1997)
This song list also reflects the Japanese production in 2006.
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Later European versions
While some song titles changed in later variations, aside from the addition of one number to replace Die roten Stiefel, the substance of the score is largely the same. (For example, the new title of Nie geseh'n merely reflects the first line of the song replacing its original title, not a new number being written. English translations of the new German phrases are provided as above, the exception being Wuscha Buscha, which is a nonsense phrase repeated in the peasant scenes in question.) The list below reflects changes made to all productions after the Stuttgart and Berlin runs. A few scenes have also been revised with shorter songs and less underscoring in order to pick up the pace of the show.
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Original Broadway version (2002-03)
During previews, "The Invitation" consisted of sections "A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely", "The Devil May Care (But I Don't)" and "Sometimes We Need the Boogeyman". Also, "Something to Kill (Our Time)" was performed between "For Sarah" and "Death Is Such an Odd Thing (Reprise)".
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See also
- Vereinigte Bühnen Wien (Vienna & St. Petersburg Production Company)
- Stage Entertainment (German & Moscow Production Company)
- Vampires Rock A UK musical based on Tanz der Vampire.[31]
References
External links
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