Dance of the Vampires

[Julian2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:22pm

Can someone tell me what happened with this show? As far I understand it was brilliant in Germany, but then edits made the show a travesty when it reached the states. What happened? And is ther any hope of ever seeing it as was intended to be in English, in lisecing or in a major regional production?

Updated On: 1/31/07 at 08:22 PM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:26pm

The show was given a bit of a camp makeover and a lot of people thought it came of as been to silly(compared to Dracula and Lestat it was a masterpiece).

I actually enjoyed the show,it was a lot of fun with some very impressive sets and lighting.

I doubt you will ever see the show again though im afraid

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:27pm

It failed miserably.

Nothing more to say than that.

The creative team was remembering the old showbiz adage "when it's not broke, fix it."

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:29pm

have some great DOTV stuff if u want to pm me

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 8:38pm

Just look at the difference:

VIENNA:



BROADWAY:

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 9:39pm

It was a VERY campy show in the states. It had a great cast and great production values, but the overall feel of the show constantly making fun of itself hit too close for comfort, if that makes any sense.

To me it was, as they say on VH1, "awesomely bad"

[chernjam]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 9:47pm

"Awesomely bad" is too high a compliment.

What an awful 20-car-pile-up-brought-to-life-onstage.

Some of the music was beautiful and powerful, and there was about 15 minutes towards the end of the first act where it seemed like a legitimate, gothic musical that was awesome. If they had stuck with that tone from beginning to end, it would have had a nicer life than it did.

But when one of the opening scenes has these girls walking around lost, the stupidly ridiculous "Garlic" scene and saying "It's 1800 and sixty something" in a valley girl way - and concluded with "vampires" taking over NY times square...

The best way to describe it - imagine your high school drama club putting onstage inside jokes that only they got.

It was honestly one of the few times I actually left a play or musical...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 9:52pm

It was the "Plan 9 From Outer Space" of musicals

So bad it was good

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/31/07 at 11:20pm

I loved it and am sorry I only got to see it twice.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 12:46am

Hey, I know this crazy lady from Florida who bought full price plane and theatre tickets twice for the sole purpose of seeing DOTV

My mother
Updated On: 2/1/07 at 12:46 AM

[Sant]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 3:41am

I don't know how much of this is true, but according to what I've heard Michael Crawford wanted his role to be re-written as he thought it was too close to the Phantom and he didn't want to repeat that character. So it was re-written and this turned it into something totally different from the original version.

[teddyp2]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 8:35am

John Rando and John Carrafa are hacks who actually were handed a hit show and turned it into a flop!

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 9:16am

A true chaotic collision, the culmination of all the worst things that can happen in a creative process re: musical-wise. Forget about this, see the German show !

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 9:23am

I'll always be grateful to this show for introducing me to Asa Somers, Max Von Essen and a few others.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 9:25am

I attribute DOTV's demise to the big sponge ding dong that Michael paraded around the stage in his fat Joker suit.

But...that's just me.

[LouieLovesTheater]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 10:27am

I'm in the camp that enjoyed it for the train-wreck it was. I mean, how often do you (honestly) hear people hysterically laughing out loud during moments that were supposed to be taken seriously.

Here's a story that kind of sums it up...

I went to the Minskoff to get a student rush seat. They were supposed to go on sale at 5 or so but they decided to sell them whenever they wanted so I was SOL. There was a line at the box office to buy tickets and I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted to see it or not. I heard this woman talking about the show in line to some people. She had just seen the matinee. I asked her what she thought of the show: "Oh god, it was just a disaster!"..."So," I asked "not really worth buying a top price ticket?"....and she replied..."Oh no honey, I'm in line right now to see it again...it's that bad."

Bought my ticket...and my life was forever changed. At least I saw it.

I remember talking to Solange Sandy after a performance of Sweet Charity in Minneapolis and telling her how much of a guilty pleasure DOTV was to me and that I ended up enjoying it. She laughs and said, "Bless your heart...that was a crazy ass show."

Bad or not (ok...bad), it was one for the record books.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 10:35am

"Garlic, garlic, the secret of staying young.
Garlic, garlic, it's why we're so well hung!"

[Asha]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 10:37am

This Saturday starts "Tanz der Vampire" again for one week only in Vienna. It's called - "Tanz der Vampire in Concert" cause this year it's the 10th anniversary.

It features some of it's original cast members, new performers, Marjan Shaki who played Sarah in Stuttgart and Thomas Borchert who is Krolock in Berlin at the moment. Roman Polanski will be there too.

I'm very excited

[firescape]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 11:57am

PB ENT!! That cracked me up!! I couldn't believe it! I am at work and people thought I had gone bonkers. I was literally on the floor. Thank you! Thank you for that!

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 12:59pm

I've talked about this many times, and so have a lot of other people. To me, fundamentally, there are two reasons why it failed.

1) Roman Polanski directed the original gothic version in Vienna and Stuttgart, later Hamburg and now Berlin. We all know that Polanski fled the States on rape charges in the 1970s. He was never going to get back into the U.S., nor would anyone live up to his vision. The source "Tanz Der Vampire" is based on is a Roman Polanski movie.

It was always going to be a controversy if Roman's name was on it. You only have to look at the Oscars 2003, half of the audience gave standing ovations, the rest seemed mighty pissed

2) "Tanz Der Vampire" couldn't have come at a worse time. First of all, you have this gothic musical / almost opera from Vienna with lines, when translated, i.e. "So many victims washing on the shores / An ocean of pure tears / So many pleas for mercy, howls of pain / Intoxicating fears!"

No offense, but after 9/11 I don't think anyone would want to see a gothic piece with those sorts of lines. Shows like "The Producers", "Hairspray" etc. brought back a sort of musical comedy that had vanished with the 40s and 50s. "Tanz" just did *not* fit in. You also have to remember that the original German show had other lines such as "God is dead" (which was changed to "God has left the building" in DOTV)

After 9/11, there was no way in HELL "Tanz" was going to go over in the way that it was. Instead of abandoning the show, which would have been for the best (as I'm sure Steinman would have gotten on with "Batman" and "Neverland", and Crawford would have made a proper return with "The Woman In White") they decided to go with the fad. The problem is, "Tanz Der Vampire" doesn't allow a successful means of conforming to this.

For starters, how on EARTH do you take the larger-than-life, OTT histrionics of Jim Steinman and weave them into a musical comedy? It just seems stupid trying

Of course, there are rumours of a "Tanz" motion picture directed by Polanski - a way of redeeming the franchise from the Broadway failure, I presume - and a possible U.K. production based on the 1997 English script by Kunze (which obviously has a lot of Steinman lyrics as well)

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 1:32pm

I'm going to see the show at Theater Des Westens in Berlin in April. I've already got my tickets and I'm very excited!

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 1:39pm

thing that made the show for me, were the fantastic sets!

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 3:12pm

firescape~ anything to put a smile on a face...or a jolly fall of the chair.

Mr. Matt...one request...PLEASE TAKE ME! What I wouldn't give to see this done right and in Berlin. You know me. I will be a lady in every sense of the word!

Updated On: 2/1/07 at 03:12 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 5:16pm

PB - If I had the funds, I would gladly take you along. I've been waiting almost 8 years for the opportunity to see this show and at the current exchange rate, it better be AWESOME. The tickets cost more than any of the shows currently on Broadway.

[exedore]

Posted: 2/1/07 at 6:31pm

"Of course, there are rumours of a "Tanz" motion picture directed by Polanski - a way of redeeming the franchise from the Broadway failure, I presume - and a possible U.K. production based on the 1997 English script by Kunze (which obviously has a lot of Steinman lyrics as well)"

I sure as hell hope not. The 1997 version of the show is excellent, but the 2000 Stuttgart revision does a much better job of tightening up little bits here and there. For example, the revision replaces the action killer Roten Stiefel (red boots) with a better version (brought over to the US) plus Stärker als wir Sind, a beautiful with absolutely horrible lyrics by Steinman (Kunze's German is a beautiful, layered, and moving piece).

Should they make the film, I would hope that a new translation from the German is used (rather than the English demo lyrics) and that Kunze finds a collaborator who really gets how to write solid theatrical lyrics that gets the depth of his piece.

Honestly, though, I don't have much hope for the first wish...got the Japanese cast recording in a couple days ago and it was 1997 all over again.