Hi folks,
Well, as you see... we've got a brand new forum now for discussion of Dracula. With the Graz CD out, we should have a bit more to talk about. And as always, I'm keeping my ear to the ground for anything new that may happen with the show. I'll post any updates as I have them, if someone else doesn't beat me to it.

With this forum, we're also welcoming libradude to the moderator team.

Rules here are the same as the rest of the boards... let's not discuss trading of bootlegs, demos, or the unreleased concept CD, things like that.

And remember that you can also find discussion of the show at the Dark Musicals Forums and the DraculaMusical Group at YahooGroups.

Discuss away.

Peter

This is great!
After all It was about time for Dracula to have its own Discussion Thread :D
And I really hope the show to take of. I would just advise Frank to fix a few flaws specially in the script...
For example:

- Why does Dracula loves Mina so much? Just because of a photograph? Doesn't make much sence that a man that lived for hundreds of years falls in love with a girl in a photograph. Since the show is heavly based on the Copolla's film, I think a few lines in the conversation between Jonathan and Dracula would give the possibility of stablishing a background for Dracula and explain why does THAT girl means so much to him.

- Arthur could also be a bit more developed...I mean the love of his life gets dies, raises from the grave and is killed by Van Helsing and the team, and Arthur doesn't have any kind of reaction? I mean...

- Suicidle Dracula...this is the strangest twist in the plot...I mean I assume Dracula wants Mina to kill him because he is trapped and if he's going to be destroyed better be destroyed by the girl he loves, but I think another small fix in the lines in the "Finale" would make it clear and keep away the idea..."Look the blood thirst maniec just turned suicidle from day to night"

What do the rest of you think? :)

I've always been somewhat torn by the rather extreme changes that were made to the story for Frank's musical adaptation.

Jekyll & Hyde is a somewhat different situation because it's bassed off a much shorter novel than Bram Stoker's Dracula. Because of this, Jekyll is much more subjective in nature than Dracula and artistic choices had to be made to create a more dramatic storyline. Stoker's Dracula, on the other hand, had a pretty fleshed out storyline already and I don't know if so many changes were neccisary for Wildhorn's adaptation.

I agree that their relationship needs to have a better base if they're going to go this route with the storyline. It's a choice that really doesn't exist in Stoker's novel, so they need to find ways to make it seem more realistic. While I love the "Loving You Keeps Me Alive" sequence, it's difficult to tell at that point in the storyline and throughout the musical the exact point when Dracula's emotions turn from obsession and greed to love for Mina. Because, while that sequence seems authentic, it could very easily just be another one of Dracula's ways of seducing Mina. Several other scenes are like this too.

I noticed this a bit too, BUT I think this also really depends on the actor playing Arthur. While he doesn't say much verbally, he could be in complete shock. I feel a good actor would make his emotions more apparent.

I agree. If they're going to keep that twist, they need to develop Mina and Dracula's relationship more as I said earlier. It's one of the most blatant changes from Stoker's novel, and I don't know if I particularly like it. It seems very out of character that he would change his views on death that quickly (even because of Mina).

hey Peter,
good idea, the musical deserves it ;)

Ooh, awesome! Thanks for adding the forum, Juggler! ^_^

I agree with the above posts about how the story could be better-developed. I haven't gotten to hear the Graz album yet, but judging from what I've seen/heard of the Broadway and St. Gallen productions, there's definitely room for improvement when it comes to the writing. Hope the rumours about a Japanese production turn out to be true!

I just missed seeing the Broadway production with Tom Hewitt playing "Dracula". My friends and I wanted to see this production, however, it closed all too soon.

Sounds like they need to doing some re-writing on the production to make it better. I saw a production of "Dracula" last Halloween and I thought it needed some help. It was a play not a musical, so not sure if it was even close to what the Broadway production was about.

I would love to see it sometime. :)

I haven't heard anything about this, but it wouldn't surprise me-- especially with the success of Rudolf and the Takarazuka productions of Never Say Goodbye and The Scarlet Pimpernel in Japan.

Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, and Japan are all hot spots for Frank's shows right now.

2008-09 should be a BIG couple years for Wildhorn with:
Carmen in Prague (October '08)
Rudolf in Vienna (February '09)
Cyrano de Bergerac in Spain (March '09)
The Count of Monte Cristo in St. Gallen (March '09)
Alice (Wonderland) in Florida, USA (December '09)
Havana on Broadway, USA (Fall '10)

Jekyll & Hyde, Dracula, and Scarlet Pimpernel productions are almost guaranteed to be popping up around the world as well. Personally, I hope we also see new productions of Waiting For The Moon, Havana, and Camille Claudel.

Of course, ALL of these shows could be subject to date changes, but hopefully we can expect new productions elsewhere and a few new recordings! :)

Havana hasn't been produced at all tho.

True, I meant I'd like to see ANY production of it

aaahhh libradude is doing a Wildhorn tour next year :lol:
not the best season to do that ;)
I really sure will be in St. Gallen and Vienna :P

Yeah, I'd heard rumours that Frank was talking about a Japanese production of Dracula opening sometime in 2009... Not sure whether I read it here on WFN, or somewhere else... And I'm curious about whether he'd have it done by Takarazuka again, or by a coed theatre company.

Either way, I'd love to find out what the lyrics would be like and whether there would be any further plot changes. "Life After Life," in particular, seems like it would be tough to translate well unless they manage to get someone who's good at thinking outside the box. (I'd recommend whoever translated Les Misérables -- the translated lyrics for that show were very true to the spirit of the original, but also uniquely Japan-oriented, in a way.)

I read that in a Wildhorn interview to some Broadway network, but as far as it said the plan was that Yoka Wao would play...Dracula...
And this wasn't in a Takarazuka production. I would like Takarazuka to do a production of Dracula though, at least it would guarantee a DVD of the show! :D
But I think Toho Co. would do a fine job too, but that won't be happening at least until 2010...

The last mention of Dracula in Japan was indeed that interview... and it's all still very much up in the air. I don't have confirmation on the production happening, or Yoka Wao being in it. It may all come to pass, or the plans may change. I'd file this, along with Alice and Havana, as speculative... and play the wait and see game with them.

I really wish I had the excess money and time to see all these shows! Unfortunately, Alice and Havana (the two unverified U.S. shows) are my best bets. BUT if Drew Sarich gets casted in Rudolf, I may have to try to make arrangements to head to Vienna! Sadly, Jekyll & Hyde is the only one of Wildhorn's shows I've seen live. The others I have to relly on recordings and videos that come out of the productions-- like many other fans.

I remember hearing something about this too awhile back. It would be interesting to have Dracula played as a woman, but I wonder if they would take the Takarazuka approach and have Wao play a man or just make the character a woman. Of course the second approach is unlikely, but it would be interesting... a female Dracula in love with a female Mina.

then I offer my help for the organization of the Austria Trip ;) :rolleyes:

Can you imagine Drew Sarich singing "Only Love". Seriously, how awesome would that be.