Dracula hits the stage with Dracula: The Musical
It sucks… so good
Concerts, movies, and haunts are as close as I like to get to theater. I have seen plays and experienced musicals before, but it’s not something I seek out by any means. But Dracula: The Musical piqued my interest.
If you don’t know your Dracula lore, Count Dracula is on the hunt for new blood, drawing the innocent and unknowing Jonathan Harker (AJ Castro) and young Mina Murray (Samantha Rose) into his dark and seductive world.
Of course, every good vampire needs a worthy adversary, and that’s where Doctor Van Helsing comes in. He’s determined to stop Dracula and his pursuit of Mina. It’s a story filled with blood, seduction, obsession, and a twisted kind of romance.
I’ve parked next to The Nocturne Theatre in Glendale many times, curious about what was happening inside, and tonight was the night I would get to find out.
The Nocturne Theatre has a story of its own. Originally opened in 1964 as the Glendale Centre Theatre, today the 380-seat theater-in-the-round has found new life with Meyer2Meyer Entertainment and a lineup of musicals, rock operas, and shows that embrace the weird, dark, and unexpected.
Stepping into the lobby was more like entering a sexy lounge filled with vintage furnishings and low lighting; maybe everything just feels sexier when vampires are among us.
Ready to quench my thirst for blood, it seemed enjoying a specialty cocktail was appropriate, with drinks like Lucy’s Kiss and The Immortal—even The Last Bite mocktail sounded delicious. In the end, I went with a tequila-based drink that included a mix of elderflower liqueur, orange juice, and a syringe filled with sangria called Fresh Blood. It was an excellent choice.
Dracula is set in Europe during the late Victorian era, a time when more was more and wealth and exploration flourished. Walking into a theater in the round was surprising. Right away, I wondered: How would they transform the set, take me to the castle, the ship, the bedroom?
A bed, a bench, part of a ship—pieces made their way in and out, bringing us into those moments, but the aerial rig was the most impressive set piece.
The set was flooded with red light. With every bite and every drop of blood, the red lighting intensified until it felt as though the stage itself was bleeding.
I always find aerial performances exciting, graceful, and sexy, and they worked so seamlessly into the story, from enveloping darkness to the vampire orgy scene. I learned after the show that aerial choreography is worked into many of their productions.
My Halloween heart screamed when the bats appeared. Just one of the great costumes of the night, the bat faces, with adorable snubbed noses, were frighteningly cute.
The Prince of Darkness himself was played by Justin Meyer, who transformed many times throughout the night. He had the voice, the look, and the strength to own the role. He never felt like a villain, which makes this romantic story so unique and worthy of being retold.
Renfield, played by Andrew Diego, was definitely an audience favorite from his first crawl onto the set. Creepily contorting in his straitjacket, he was a likable vampire servant. He stole the show, breaking the fourth wall in the best way and adding a reason to laugh.
The musical took me back to the ’90s, when I had to see Bram Stoker’s Dracula on the big screen—dark, romantic, and a little scary.
Somehow, the ending at The Nocturne felt even more romantic than I remembered… don’t tell Wynonna.
Did Dracula put me under a musical trance? I definitely enjoyed this show and am excited for their production of Frankenstein: Resurrection in September. So, if I’m not a musical convert, maybe I’m a Nocturne Theatre convert.
Dracula: The Musical runs through Aug. 23.
