DRACULA Review

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:07am

I promised I would post a few of my reviews on this board from the past B-way season. I wont honker you down with all of them, for most of the ships have sailed. Here are a few though - thought you might enjoy and welcome me back for the rest of the season. (And while sometimes I agree and sometimes I disagree with the ever important Brantley, I like to think my reviews at least give a clear cut image of what you will get going into a show) PS - Sutton & LITTLE WOMEN is an endearing show that shouldnt be missed - now onto the other reviews...


DRACULA: The Musical REVIEW


IT BITES!

Let the puns begin! The book is bloody boring, the direction of the show bites worse than anytime a vampire strikes on stage, and the music at times can be truly mind-numbing. After all of that, not even the small redeeming qualities of a glossy production design and a few first rate actors trying their best, can this production amount to anything more than truly anestheticly dreadful. “Dracula: The Musical” unquestionably is one of, if not the worst musical to hit the Broadway stage, if not any other stage, in a long, long time.

Don Black and Christopher Hampton should be ashamed of what they have done to Stoker’s story. Here, instead of having a tale that is compelling and griping, we have a book so uneven and unrecognizable that more questions are left unanswered by the end of act two than one had going into it. And there were indeed plenty going into it! With the inclusion of so many horrid and distasteful one-liners by most everyone in the cast, the laughter during this supposed serious dialogue is most definitely warranted. It will be the only laughing one will do during this two hour and fifteen minute slaughtering, for the story of any musical should not take this much work and concentration only to be left in the dark.

And dark was the direction by Des McAnuff. This Tony winner for “How to Succeed…” and “The Who’s Tommy” will not be seeing a statuette come his way next June for this production. Let us hope that he has more success with his second Broadway offering this season, “700 Sundays,” the one person show with Mr. Billy Crystal. One note: stay away from flying! Instead of incorporating flying intricately into the story McAnuff finds it fascinating to have the three vampires flying throughout most of act one and makes poor Tom Hewitt, in the title role, contort gravity from beginning to end. At least he was smart enough not to have Hewitt fly in during the curtain call. That honor should now and only ever belong to queen gymnast Cathy Rigby.

With all the soaring being done on stage, it was a shame that not even Frank Wildhorn’s music could ascend above lethargic. In what seemed like leftovers from his last flop, “Dance of the Vampires,” this show only garnered one melodious tune in, “Over Whitby Bay.” Clearly, any song of substance in this debauchery was written for the leading lady Mina, played by Melissa Errico. Unfortunately, she was the only star who did not have the vocal chords to nail her numbers.

While Tom Hewitt did have the vocal stamina to spew out his songs, he never got the opportunity to sink his teeth into anything meaty, other than Melissa Erico and Kelli O’Hara’s perky bosom’s. The same goes for the best actor and vocalist in the company, Darren Ritchie playing Jonathan Harker.

And although the production qualities were grand and grotesque at the same time, the over production of constant set changes, flying vampires, distracting props, and uncomfortable looking costumes made this production all the harder to watch. Even the very brief and much talked about nudity was sensationalistic and unnecessary.

Unnecessary is in-fact the entire production of “Dracula”! In what could have been a sensational new musical for the Broadway stage, has turned out to be a huge disaster. Even with many months of reworking and redesigning, I am not sure a musical of this nature would even last that long or gain the all important popular buzz anyway. Whatever Frank Wildhorn’s fascination with the dark world of vampires, doom, and death is, it needs to stop. For the most part it should have stopped after “Jekyll & Hyde” for America, New York, and Broadway is not interested in revisiting, “The Civil War,” or Dancing with the Vampires, and most certainly will not be flocking to the Belasco Theatre to see the blood sucking-less “Dracula”!

[pab]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:14am

"I wont honker you down with all of them, for MOST OF THE SHIPS HAVE SAILED."

No Sh*t.

What's really the point in posting all of this stuff now? First the Tonys review and now this. Oy.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:15am

They are great reviews, but the reason your LW review was so well-recieved is because it was very eloquent and TIMELY.

[musicgal04]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:21am

Umm, Wildhorn didn't do DOTV.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:45am

Remember,reviews are opinions,not necessarily "a clearcut image of what you're going to get".You do need to work on your facts(what musicgal said),and of course your timeliness(Dracula did close Jan.2nd,so of course no one will be flocking to to the Belasco,unless they want to see Julius Caesar).Also found your general tone to be a little catty.
Otherwise- B plus for effort,and sure,I'll welcome you back.All opinions welcome.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 2:07am

hey...i liked "dracula" kelly ohara,melissa errico,tom hewitt and darren ritchie were excellent in it..on the other hand "little women" was a little boring in my point of view...even tho i like sutton foster a lot.ur review is just an opinion...but unfortunatly not many people went to support dracula and its closed now! review some show that is on! lol

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 2:15am

mmmmm.... darren ritchie.

[Mimi Imfurst]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 11:44am

Crapula: The Musical.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 11:57am

Ghost light, I agree, even though I didn't like "Dracula". Updated On: 1/24/05 at 11:57 AM

[Phantom Chicken]

Posted: 1/24/05 at 1:14pm

puts y'all on my sh*t list....