Did DRACULA actually start previews yet?

[thtrbear]

Posted: 12/17/10 at 4:30pm

It was supposed to start this past Tues. and I was wondering whether that got delayed. Many thanks anyone!

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 12/17/10 at 7:13pm

According to their twitter, previews started, I plan on going next week. If you are on Facebook or twitter check them out, they post promotions and are running a contest. They also give away free tickets every once in a while.

[Pammylicious]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 10:16am

can you post the link to the facebook group, I can't seem to find it. TIA

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 10:24am

Found this on Spidey's facebook page... it cracked me up:


Dracula On Stage LOOKS LIKE THE BAT JUST ATE THE SPIDER!

Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark (On Broadway): 4,760 Facebook fans
Dracula On Stage (Off Broadway): 4,762 Facebook fans

Keep up the good work, my children of the night! Let's take this show to Broadway! MUAHAHAHA!
Wednesday at 7:26pm · View Post




Oh. And here's the link:
http://www.facebook.com/draculaonstage

[Luv2goToShows]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 11:01am

I have to say their twitter and Facebook messages are entertaining, Pammy in case you need their twitter addy too:

http://twitter.com/DraculaOnStage

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 8:56pm

A neighbor saw it tonight and said the set was great but the show was dreadful. He states many people left before intermission . The rest were asleep.

He did not even buy a t shirt the ultimate insult. He did, however, give the cast a pity clap at the end. He also said there is nothing worse than seeing a vampire with a stake in his chest still breathing.

Updated On: 12/18/10 at 08:56 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 9:21pm

But, what does the show curtian look like?!

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 9:26pm

lol

Well, that's very discouraging. Did Hearn as Van Helsing strike anyone else as strange casting?

[salutz1031]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 10:45pm

Saw the Sat 12/18 matinee...set is beautiful, but many problems...Tim Jerome flubbed his line and asked Van Helsig , "Did u get the email?" the audience was roaring...George also flubbed a lot of his lines...Also, as a medical professional, the heart on a human being is not at his hip!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 1:03am

It looks like even the non musical ones are cursed.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 1:13am

I remember when they were supposed to open this production last year at this time, and I remember thinking the same thing I thought then. Why would anybody open Dracula at Christmas time? I'm not saying the show shouldn't be playing now, but just make the obvious choice and open the show around Halloween when the idea of seeing that character on stage makes a lot more sense for the tourist crowd. Build your word of mouth (if your production is good enough and you can) during that season so that you don't have quite as many people getting confused over why they would want to see it for Christmas.

[stevenycguy]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 2:39am

I very much enjoyed it - great set design, suspenseful (I was on the edge of my seat throughout the show) and a VERY violent conclusion. There were a few line flubs since this show just started previews (including one actor who said that he e-mailed the doctor to come visit, even though this play took place in 1914, a little before e-mail was invented!!) Was quite scared for the lady whenever a distraction happened to call the others out of the room and the fog started rolling in - I was quite engrossed in the storyline throughout the entire show. And of course it was quite entertaining to see how a vampire reacts to certain things (don't want to spoil it!) Overall, I'm quite glad I saw it. Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes.

[groucho797]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 10:23am

Saw the 12/18 PM show and left at halftime. Just didn't feel comfortable watching Hearn et al drop lines. Ironically, I played Van Helsing in this show in 1976 so I could remember nearly all of the lines. Our special effects were definitely better - dangling a bat at the window and shaking it haphazardly does not constitute "scary" in my book. I really wanted to like it, but I can't recommend it.

Did Thora Birch leave intentionally?

[dkellergrl]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 10:45am

No, I don't think that Ms. Birch left the show intentionally.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1025610&dt=43&boardid=1

[wonkit]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 10:49am

Saw Raul Julia and the wonderful Gorey designed production. Don't think I need to see this again.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 12:10pm

I fail to grasp the irony.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 8:26pm

Just left at intermission. One of the worst things I've seen this year (possibly ever). It moves SO slowly. The direction is the real problem here. stevenycguy said that he was on the edge of his seat the whole time. I don't understand how that's possible. I was leaning back in my seat doing all I could not to fall asleep. When you instruct all of the actors to speak reeeeeeallllllllyyyyyyy slooooooooowwwwwwllllllyyyy, that doesn't create a sense of terror or a chill. It creates a sense of boredom.

The entire cast was terrible (including George Hearn, whom I adore usually and wanted to love). All of the actors looked like they were acting students in their first year of school. I find it really unfortunate that the production was such a letdown. I've never seen a staged production of Dracula and was very excited to experience it. Unfortunately, something that should have been thrilling was instead just a snooze.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 8:55pm

Another satisfied customer heard from.

Posted: 12/23/10 at 8:53am

any more reviews?!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 9:01am

Well, I had fun. It was a bonafide, expensive community theater production, but I found it to be very entertaining.

Then again, I saw it for free.

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 9:07am

Sorry to have to agree with the negative comments.

Very bad indeed. Mostly boring, some moments prompting derisive laughter from the audience.

The set was good, however.

This theatre doesn't seem to have much luck in its bookings.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 9:29am

Saw the matinee yesterday ("free" helps). Yes, Hearn dropped a line once, and Mr. Altieri should learn how to not appear to be breathing after a stake is plunged you-know-where. While some of the acting was amateurish (the maid, especially), I thought most of it was appropriate for the stylized melodrama that DRACULA is. I think people are forgetting that the play is not AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, it's an old-fashioned "meller." Keeping that in mind might help up the enjoyment ante. There were numerous children in attendance, and all of them seemed to be into it, as I didn't hear any talking or whining. My congratulations to their parents on their kids' manners. (And I didn't see any of them clamoring to buy the "Bite Me" T-shirts for sale.)

[bjh2114]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 9:49am

Then again, I saw it for free.

As did I...

While some of the acting was amateurish (the maid, especially), I thought most of it was appropriate for the stylized melodrama that DRACULA is.

I honestly thought the maid was the best one. I thought the rest of the were pretty terrible, and not in a melodrama way. I just found the line delivery from everyone to be incredibly stilted.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 9:55am

I was actually surprised by how they were all on the same melodramatic page in terms of acting style. I mean, there were clearly a variety of camps, like Tim Jerome and George Hearn, who made it look like gold, and Kathy Luckinbill and the guy who played Butterworth on the lower end of the spectrum.

I thought Altieri made some interesting choices, but wasn't particularly sexy or, in general, understandable when talking.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 12/23/10 at 9:56am

It's such a slow show to begin with. I'm disappointed to see that it's the direction and casting that are killing it. And a bat flapping in the window? Did Spider-Man scare off the usual gag of flying the bat through the audience?

I'm still tempted to see it. It is my favorite play version of Dracula and it's so rare to see a professional production of it.