Book & Lyrics by Don Black
and Christopher Hampton
based on the novel by Bram Stoker
May 30- June 22, 2024
Show Webpage
Production Photos
THE CAST
Count Dracula – Cole Gutmann
Mina Murray – Brittany Kohl
Lucy Westenra – Vanessa Simpson
Dr. Abraham Van Helsing – Kent Coffel
R.M. Renfield – Rafael DaCosta
Dr. Jack Seward – J.D. Pounds
Joanathan Harker – Ian McCreary
Arthur Holmwood – Alex Vito Fuegner
Quincey Morris –Christopher Strawhun
Weird Sisters –Ann Hier Brown, Chelsie Johnston, Sarah Lueken
THE NEW LINE BAND
Conductor/Keyboard – Dr. Jenna Lee Moore
Violin – Mallory Golden
Brass/Bass – John Gerdes
Percussion – Clancy Newell
Cello – Paul Rueschhoff
Guitar – Buddy Shumaker
Reeds – Mary Wiley
THE ARTISTIC STAFF
Directors – Scott Miller, Tony L. Marr Jr.
Music Director – Dr. Jenna Lee Moore
Stage Manager – Tawaine Noah
Technical Director – Matt Stuckel
Sound Designer – Ryan Day
Scenic Designer – Dr. Rob Lippert
Lighting Designer – Matt Stuckel
Costume Designer – Zachary Thompson
Props Master – Chris Moore
Scenic Crew – Richard Brown, Patrick Donnigan Emily Fluchel, Mallory Golden, Bill Stuckel
Scenic Artists – Mallory Golden, Matt Stuckel
Volunteer Coordinator – Alison Helmer
Graphic Designer – Matt Reedy
Photographer – Jill Ritter Lindberg
REVIEWS
“A marvelously entertaining show. . . the production is highly entertaining and a gorgeously sensual gothic tale suitable for most audiences.” – Tina Farmer, The Riverfront Times
“New Line’s production of Dracula is an entertaining guilty pleasure thanks to the significant chemistry among the principal actors, the vocal performances of the cast, and the macabre choreography, set and lighting design. . . New Line Theatre’s musical production of Dracula would especially appeal to fans of the horror genre. It is more mysterious than scary with the central plot focusing on Dracula’s obsession with Mina and her inability to resist the handsome monster. It’s the performances, charisma, and chemistry that make this production sing.” – James Lindhorst, KDHX
“While there are no fangs or blood in New Line Theatre’s production of Dracula that doesn’t mean the show has no bite. It has. Finishing the company’s 32nd season, this alluring redux of Bram Stoker’s literary classic emerges from the shadows to give audiences an emotionally charged musical with plenty of chilling moments. . . New Line Theatre’s emotional reimagining works because it prioritizes the humanity of Dracula and his lost souls over splattered bodies and gory clichés. Light on special effects but heavy on heartache, Dracula is the perfect amalgam of tightly-paced drama and Gothic horror. As a result, this tale of a vampire’s lust and loss captivates audiences with an evocative production filled with top-notch performances and excellent singing.” – Rob Levy, BroadwayWorld
“The children of the night are making some lusty music in the musical Dracula, a different take on the gothic horror classic whose folklore has become a pop culture staple. Lush voices soar in a foreboding dark shadow setting, with New Line Theatre putting their own stamp on a stripped down, impressionistic version of Frank Wildhorn’s much-maligned 2004 Broadway musical that has since been heavily revised and became a hit overseas. . . this very dramatic musical version combines alluring romance with an unsettling thriller narrative.” – Lynn Venhaus, PopLifeSTL
DIRECTOR'S NOTES
A few years ago, I was writing a collection of “weird fiction,” and I was studying the horror genre like I never had before. One of the biggest revelations for me was an idea I had never contemplated: Horror is always about a violation of the body; terror is fear of the unknown. My writing project, Night of the Living Show Tunes, turned out to be fun for me partly because I had to learn so much more about this genre.
But most of the stage musicals that deal with Dracula or other vampires tend to be comic – intentionally or not. So when I was introduced to Frank Wildhorn’s pop opera, I was highly skeptical. But as I listened to the score and moved through the story inside Wildhorn’s emotionally epic music, I realized why this was different and really interesting – and why it works as a musical.
This version of Dracula is not exactly a horror story. It’s not about scaring you. It’s a romantic thriller. There’s still plenty of violation – including violation of the heart. They say there’s a thin line between love and hate. The same is true of horror and romance. Think about it.
Wildhorn and his cowriters wisely followed Sondheim’s lead. In Dracula, the characters’ planning, discussing, investigating, is always in the form of spoken dialogue. The moments of emotion are what Wildhorn sets to music because he knows, particularly as a writer more in the pop tradition than the stage tradition, that emotions are what music does best.
When asked for a piece of advice, Wildhorn once said, “Write from the heart. No one really cares how clever you are. We want to be touched. We want to be moved.” So not surprisingly, this isn’t a gross-out Dracula; this is a deeply emotional, tragic love story. This time, Dracula and Mina are (sort of) star-crossed lovers, and the story’s “heroes” are the lovers’ adversaries. Without changing much at all from the novel, Wildhorn’s musical offers us the story we all know, but from a perspective we’ve never considered.
Enjoy the ride!
