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Nosferatu the Vampire A rock opera Reviews Sink
Your Teeth Into Nosferatu PEORIA - "Nosferatu: The Vampire,"
which opened Friday at the Like his Hollywood counterpart, he drinks blood, lives in a remote Eastern European castle and is bent on traveling to England, where he hopes to find fresh feeding grounds. But he doesn't wear a cape, and the usual vampire remedies - the cross, garlic and the stake - don't work against him. "Nosferatu" comes with some lively solo and chorus numbers reminiscent of Andrew Lloyd Webber that seemed to hook audiences opening night. Although the lyrics sometimes have a wooden ring and a bit too much is made of the saving power of women's chastity, "Nosferatu" is substantive musically and otherwise and makes for compelling and exciting viewing. Taylor is clearly on to something that could have wide appeal. And the Public Theatre Company production does Taylor's work ample justice. The performances - including some spectacular, mood-setting dance numbers by the Peoria Ballet Company - are artful and among the best in recent Peoria-area theater productions. A craftsmanlike approach seems to guide the eye of Public Theatre Company director Carol Davis, who exploits every dramatic possibility the material allows. "Nosferatu" is a non-professional production with Civic Center-quality ambitions. For instance, consider the show's spectacular lighting and technical effects (by Brad Mietzner) - especially impressive when you consider this production's relatively small budget. When the vampire's coffin is open, for example, it resembles a witch's cauldron, swirling with eerily lit red mist. On another occasion, Nosferatu Mysteriously disappears in a puff of light and smoke while standing atop a massive castle tower - just one element, by the way, of a fabulous and sprawling set (by Jim and Sue Lafary) that seamlessly combines the show's twin settings in Transylvania and England. The effects are often subtle: for instance, the way the weird green light surrounding Renfield, Nosferatu's crazy servant, flickers with growing intensity as if to underscore his growing insanity, or the spooky, distorted shadows the performers cast on the Madison's worn walls. In every sense, Public Theatre has made "Nosferatu" its own. Music Director John L. Davis, who also stars in the title role, has filled out the score's sketchy orchestrations, which in turn are beautifully played by a 10 piece orchestra conducted by Maria Cooper. Meanwhile, director Carol Davis proves herself a skillful storyteller by trimming extraneous elements heard on the original CD version, and making the piece end on a darker, more realistic note. Best of all, the action is kept tight and interesting with each scene fluidly blending into the next. Sometimes scenes in Transylvania and England are juxtaposed, making action in the former ominously underscoring events in the latter: Mina's nightmare about Jonathan, for example, in which he fends off the vampire wives in faraway Castle Nosferatu, is vivid because we watch the struggle actually happen on stage a short distance away. Ultimately, though, outstanding performances make "Nosferatu" work. Topping them is Allison Richter, who brings a thrilling, rich operatic voice to the role of Mina, Jonathan's fiancee and the spitting image of Nosferatu's long-lost love. She has an uncanny way of making this pop-oriented score take flight and transforming Mina into a flesh-and-blood character. Clearly, she's someone to keep an eye on. John L. Davis brings a powerful voice and a compelling, dark presence to Nosferatu - an ancient term for the vampire - and a sense of the complexity of this character who has done horrific things, yet isn't completely horrific. Robert Bennett's over-the-top performance as the babbling and sinister Renfield is a delight and seems to owe something to the Joker in "Batman." Thom Parker brings a professorial air and strong voice to Van Helsing, the vampire hunter. Likewise, Christopher Fuller as Jonathan, Heather Courson as Lucy and the 11-member chorus led by Christopher Boldt do more than acquit themselves: They enrich the show. When you consider that the Public Theatre Company cast was working with nothing but a compact disc recording and their own fecund imaginations - for this musical has yet to be officially staged at a major theater house - "Nosferatu" emerges as something of an achievement. It's an original and imaginative show, and one worth taking a chance on. |
Madison Theater, is a new musical with fresh
blood and a fresh take on the traditional Dracula story. Publicized as
the world premiere of an original work by English composer Bernard J. Taylor,
"Nosferatu" presents its vampire as a tragic figure instead of
the familiar villain, a disillusioned idealist who has given up on finding
truth and goodness in the world.