DOTV
DOTV
#1re: dotv
Posted: 6/14/04 at 10:29pmnever saw it, but al dente's icon is a pic of mandy from that show and i'm in love with the pic. al's not half bad eother.
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#4re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 11:23am
ok here's my $.02:
Having seen the show nine times during its three month run (four during previews and the rest afterwards, including closing night) it was fun and entertaining and had a great score and an excellent cast. Yes, I am a big fan of Michael Crawford (as you can tell from my screen name and icon) and was deeply offended by all the personal attacks toward him in the reviews (barely any of the major papers even mentioned the other cast members, the plot or anyone else).
Looking back, there were a lot of things the producers of the show could have done to soften the hard blow from the critics (I don't think the negative reviews could have been avoided) The marketing of the show was poorly executed and I really think the show could have benefitted with an out-of-town tryout, or at least hit London first. Of course, selfishly I'm glad it opened and closed in NYC (or else I might have not seen it at all).
The things that upset me the most about what happened to the show was that 1. it was announced January 15th that the show would close January 25th and 2. that an official cast recording was never made.
It was a good show that fell victim to a lot of bad timing (the previews were delayed two days, and the opening night had to be pushed back due to the death of director John Rando's mother) and a lot of bad press. I will admit having seen the show in the second week of previews it wasn't that great, but it did improve as it got closer to opening night. The score was great, the sets and costumes greatly improved but there was far too much lighting in the show (ironic since it's a show about vampires).
I'm thinking that Dance of the Vampires will become a cult favorite which might be revived in 20 years or so.
ok enough my rambling. in short - it was a good show that was very different.
#5re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 11:28am
Imagine when 'Les Mis' was a huge hit in London if the producers would have said 'well let's keep the score but put a bunch of lame jokes in between the songs and do the songs for camp.'
Yeah, THAT would have done well.
That's what the Broadway production of DOTV did. I don't think the DOTV score was nearly as strong as 'Les Mis's (and I'm a massive Steinman fan, I just don't think his songs pushed forward as a score as much as they were just a collection of cool songs.) But I think had it been presented remotely seriously it could have found an audience and lasted a bit longer and been something far less embarrassing.
#7re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 7:32pm
I know I'm pretty much alone on this, but...
This was probably the worst show I have ever seen on Broadway. The score was pretty decent, but Crawford was boring, and the book was as flat as a pancake. All of the humor just fell flat on its face. I know that the show was based on Roman Polanski's comedy "The Vampire Killers (or is it Hunters?)", but the show would have worked better if they pulled the jokes out and made it a serious show. Also, even if only they tweaked the score a bit, and deleted several songs (like "Garlic", "When Love is Inside You", and "Death is Such an Odd Thing") it would have improved. The show didn't have an out-of-town tryout, and it showed.
However, it should have won Tony's for scenic and lighting design.
broadwaystar2b
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/28/04
#8re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 8:15pm
DOTV is a big joke in our family about how poor my mother would be if she was a producer: DOTV is one of her favorite shows of all time and she actually cried when it closed.
I, although not as strongly as me mum, loved it too. It had one of the best casts I've ever seen (Michael, Mandy, Max, Leah, Liz, Asa...etc.) and it really got a lot of bad rep which I didn't think it deserved. Sure it was campy, but so are two thrids of the shows currently on Broadway. The songs were gorgeous and the sets were absolutely amazing. May DOTV rest in peace.
#9re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 8:48pm
I loved DOTV, but I was not blind the the problems that it had. The fact that the script kept changing made it very difficult for the actors to get a real handle on what they were doing and the fact that the director was having personal difficulties and unable to be the strong hand that was needed left it floundering in direction. Too many people trying to put their own spin on what the direction of the show should be made it a bit of a muddle. But what I ask out of an evening's theatre is to be entertained and offer excellent performances and it certainly gave me that.
Having seen Tanz, which I also think is good and has a good deal of humor in it as well, I don't think it was such a big deal that it was camped up a bit. And after a while, all that moaning and groaning from the German Krolock got to me after a while. Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy it, but it was just a bit heavy handed for me. Like watching him crawl thru the graves and banging on the crypts during "Confessions" was just a bit over the top..IMHO. Steve was AWESOME in it, I just preferred Tanz Lite.
I also think Gallo's set was excellent and should have received much more notice.
I also saw the show from previews forward to the last show, and it improved soo much from those previews by the time it had to close. The cast had almost found exactly where they wanted to be, and I believe had it had a bit more time, would have regained an audience.
Speaking of audiences, why was it so hard for the American audience to hear familiar Steinman tunes without acting like idiots and laughing? The tunes were big hits in Germany as well, and they didn't fall all overthemselves laughing when they heard them. I know several people in Germany who saw the show and I just assumed that they didn't laugh because they weren't familiar with the songs. And they were really insulted that I seemed to think they were so backward as to not know Jim Steinman's music. So it wasn't that, so what was it? Besides the fact that we seem to have lost all pretense of being respectful to performers, and other audience members whether it be in a live theatre or a movie.
Dotti
#10re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 8:54pm
People laughed at DOTV because the show fostered that reaction. You can't have a show that is constantly laughing at itself and then spontaneously try to insert a 'dramatic' moment in the form of a well-known novelty pop song and then be surprised when people don't react to the drama, especially with performers twirling around in circles like idiots during 'Total Eclipse.'
DOTV's flaw was in TONE as much as anything else. They couldn't walk the lines between camp and drama, as proven by the audiences' inappropriate responses to the material. Plenty of shows mix drama and comedy with success. DOTV didn't know how to do it.
Had 'Total Eclipse' been a new song, instead of one on pop charts for the past 20 years, it might have gotten the appropriate reaction but to goof around for an hour then, by the way, throw in an 80's hit out of nowhere came off ridiculous. It wasn't the song's fault, it was the presentation's fault.
#11re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 10:07pmAlas....or maybe not, I really don't know...I did not have a chance to see DOTV. I was in New York when it was running (on a trip) but we had scheduled to see other shows at that time and we were only in the city 1 day. ANYWAY, the ONLY memory I have of it...ok there are two...1) the pictures of Michael on Broadway.com and 2) I took a picture of the marquee from across the street and as I reexamine it....those "vampire teeth"...well, it looks like someone took a picture of those plastic things people use at halloween...you know, they're connected at the back, etc...yeah...at the time I kept thinking...wow...it can't be that good. whatever.
#12re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 10:11pm
Actually I do think you have a point, but I don't think it was as jarring as all that. To cause people to belly laugh and practically roll on the floor.
I think a happy medium would have been perfect, not as "hand to forehead" as Tanz and not as campy as it turned out. But even with it's problems, I did enjoy it very much and think it deserved better than what it got.
Dotti
AnothaPartofMe
Broadway Star Joined: 5/22/04
#13re: dotv
Posted: 6/15/04 at 10:13pmany show bold enough to put Total Eclipse of the Heart and reenact the Michael Jackson "Thriller" sequence on a Broadway stage is a quality show in my booK!
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