I saw I never posted by review of the DVD here which is a shame. So lets correct that. ;)


I've divide the review in Actors, Costumes & Sets, DVD production, Show. So you can just read the parts you want (if you're lazy lol). Also...this show includes my favorite Wildhorn song ever, so prepare to hear lots of comments on Master of the Strings. lol So, of we go...

Actors:

Drew Sarich - Drew is pretty much the perfect Rudolf. He can sing wonderfully, he's a' hell of an actor and he's passionate about his work. He portrays a tormented Rudolf yes, but what I most like in his performance is his interaction with Wietske as Stephanie. The way he talks to his wife is pretty much the way I would imagine anyone in his place talking to the woman he married. Sure it was his choice to pick Stephanie but still he was forced to marry. I just didn't liked that much his acting during Master of the Strings. He just looked...confused...? He goes around all the song looking at the "nightmare" more defiant than scared...and he is supposed to be scared. Unless...well I imagine how hard it must be to see Uwe doing all those weird faces and don't burst in laughs. lol Another thing...I like the fact that he coughs a lot due to his disease but...during Master of the Strings he could avoid that...after all...who on Earth dreams that he's coughing? lol His interaction with Carin is also amazing. Same can't be said with Lisa Antoni...but then again she...

Lisa Antoni - Worst Mary so far. I knew it was hard to put her to judge when she was preceded by Bernardett and Szuzi Vagó in the role. But while I wasn't already waiting for a good vocal performance I expected her to at least act nice. She didn't. It all looks awfully mechanical, and she has the problem Thomas has as Krolock...she has 2 facial expressions and that's it. The only part of the show where she acted really nicely was before Wenn das Schicksal dich ereilt. She had great interaction with Uwe. And then they ruined the song together! Isn't that nice!
The most catastrophic scene to me was the one in the Augustinerkirche scene. The scene is one of the best ones in the entire show, Wietske completely feels the stage with her greatness and Lisa simply can't live to it. She simply doesn't have ANY reaction. It's like she's thinking "Ok, once Wietske finishes I have to say my lign right away...". I've seen rocks acting better.

Uwe Kröger - Even though Uwe still is a disaster in the role, at least his acting is great. The scene in the Büro with Moriz Szepz is simply amazing. There he WAS Taaffe. And during the entire show also. I love his acting performance as much as I enjoyed him in Rebecca. HOWEVER, every time he opens his mouth to sing it gets worse. He manages not to screw Die Strahlende Zukunft even though you can see he's making an effort to maintain the last note. Then comes Die Fäden in der Hand and he gets worse. Thanks to the magic of computer mastering the last note doesn't hurt your hears. His acting during the song however is pathetic. One thing is to be a nightmare, the other is acting like a lunatic. And that's what he does. I don't like his performance during the song at all. And to crown the badness of his voice...Wenn das Schicksal dich ereilt...well obviously Destiny as caught up with Uwe...he simply shouts the song, and that last note...EWWW. Even worse...they could have at least cut the picture to a complete image of the stage or something...but no, they focused the camera on Uwe to show us the ultimate proof he can't sing anymore. His expression is PAINFULL. He is stretching his non-existent-voice to the limit in a note that is not even hard to sing. Uwe...retire...really, have some shame...

Wietske Van Tongeren - Wow. I mean...WOW! Wiestke made a huge jump from the shy girl I recall in Rebecca and the powerful conservative Stephanie. It's a pity she doesn't have more songs, but the one she has is simply amazing. And also, she has the scene at the Augustinerkirche where she gives Lisa a lesson in "How to act". I'm really, really looking forward to see Wietske in more roles! She proved me she's not only a sweet human being but also a great actress!

Carin Filipcic - Again, another woman that apparently can do no wrong. As Larish she is just the best. Ok, the other Larish I know is Kata Janza and Kata sucks so...But Carin is just breath taking. Her rendition of Die Liebe Lenkt is just amazing and she's obviously having a great time during Ein Hübscher Krieg. She has also a great acting moment with Drew in the scene at her apartment when Rudolf goes there to leave Mary his note and the ring. Again, I can't get over the cutting of Fear and Desire from the show. I know Uwe would most likely ruin it, but Carin would certainly be great!

Claus Dam - Poor fellow. He got his song cut. And that IS a shame! The song is wonderful and now in the show you feel a huge gap. The scene when he finds out Rudolf’s silly Constitution needs Maintain the State there. On the other hand I pretty much like his portray of Franz Joseph. I think it comes close to what the real Emperor was like, more than the silly puppet figure he plays in Elisabeth. (Though it's probably the only character who manages to do that lol).

Ensemble - As usual in VBW, great ensemble. Now I HAVE to say this. Rory Six...GOD DAMN the guy looks like Hommonay Zsolt! I swear when I saw him during Mein Süsser Held I though...wait a minute...what's Hommonay doing there!? But then it wasn't him. Now honestly...couldn't they have given the role of Taaffe to Rory? Oh well...

Costumes & Sets:

The sets are nice. Sometimes they could have used a bit more of them but well...I like the idea of filling the stage with those panels of light that allow the projections too. Taaffes Büro is really nice and I like the stairs...they are beautifully done.
Now I which I could say the same about the costumes. Apart from the Imperial uniforms the costumes are ALL horrible! I would love to have the black uniform Rudolf is wearing in the Apokalypse Café before Mut zu tat. On the other hand, Lisa's dresses, and specially hats, are AWFULL. Wietskes costumes also don't do much for her figure, specially the one during Du bleibst bei mir! Taaffe's costume is ok, although the Ball/Nightmare one is dreadful...especially because it's the Phantoms costume without the mask.

DVD production:

Honestly, for the price they ask for it, the DVD should be better! After the first release with the technical problem, they issued a second release...STILL with technical problems. HitSquad says it's a problem of the filming and that they can't do anything. Well...that's a LIE. Because those image problems were not in the 1st release.
Also the filming of the show is pretty uneven. While you get great shots during Du willst nicht hören, Mut zu tat, Du bleibst bei mir, you have a terrible capture of bigger scenes like Fäden in der Hand, Die Weg in die Zukunft, Der Ball...it's a shame.

Show:

This isn't Franks best show. I wasn't expecting it to be. BUT it's not at all a bad show! Is it historically accurate? Not really...but then again I whole hearty agree with the motto "You don't go see Lion King to learn more about lions". If I wanted a History lesson (and mind you I LOVE History) I would read a book and not watch a musical.
So, as a show this one is really entertaining. The Vienna version however has even more flaws than the Budapest one, thanks to the huge cuts. I enjoyed the new scenes, it's true, and I would love to see them in the Budapest version. I also don't miss Pfeifer at all. On the other hand there are characters that were awfully toned down. Larisch is one of them, and you notice the gaps there. For example...all the former relationship with Taaffe was cut. HOWEVER, during the show they still look at each other with compromised eyes, not to mention there are constant allusions to the "Graf" Larisch was suppose to ditch to be with Rudolf...uhh what's the point of mentioning it over and over? To insinuate a relationship with Taaffe? Then they should have left things untouched in that area. To insinuate a relationship with Rudolf? What for?
Another: "Sometimes you're just like your mother" says FJ...ok.. mentioning Elisabeth (the woman) in the show...now...what if people didn't watched Elisabeth (the show)? How are audiences supposed to know how Elisabeth was like? For someone who isn't inside Austrian history (and I bet not even all Austrians are inside the way Elisabeth really was...) that would just leave you "...ok...I watched the Sissi movies...he's saying Rudolf is a fairy-tale princess ever-happy?"
There are also scenes that aren't really useful...for example, all the talks about horses during the Ball...I mean...really? We know they are high society we don't need to hear them speak about horses and such.
As for the direction, again, Mr.Levaux failed. I think after butchering Fiddler on the Roof he should have realized Musicals aren't his thing. But the thing I hate the most is the way they staged Master of the Strings. I WANTED the puppets. The song with those lyrics doesn't make utter sense with Tangos. I love the tango don't get me wrong but you can't have the 2 things. I like the idea of everything in black and red, but I wanted the puppets. And also, Rudolf's lack of interaction during the song is sad.
The suicide sequence also seems to come out of nowhere. I mean...Du bist meine Welt isn't AT ALL a song that indicates they feel depressed and wish to die. I mean...it's like "We'll be happy together my love. Now lets climb onto this bed and just shoot ourselves...ok?" Suggestion: either drastically change the lyrics or put a new song before that allows the audience to see how Rudolf and Mary are both feeling and then you can have the sugar in Du bist meine Welt. In the current state it just doesn't make sense.
But overall, it's a nice show. I wished Nan Knighton has continued to write the libretto though...I'm pretty sure she would have made a far better job with it but alas...


Overall the show gets 8/10 'cause with all the criticism I wasn't expecting the Vienna version to be so cool! It still is inferior to the Budapest version and if I was to compare them it was the Budapest who deserved the 8 and the Vienna would get a 6 at best. But without that, and watching the show as something I had never saw before, it gets the 8.