Review: Vampyyrien tanssi
The tame horror romance of the Dance of the Vampires leaves empowering bite marks
It is certainly fair to say that Markku Nenonen, who works in the field of performing arts in a multidisciplinary manner, belongs to the nobility of Finnish musical theatre. This was already proven by Billy Elliot, which was seen as a production of the Helsinki City Theatre last autumn, and now the idea is further strengthened by Nenonen’s Dance of the Vampires, which premiered on 3 February at the Peacock Theatre, which serves as a temporary space during the renovation of HKT. The musical comedy is written by Michael Kunze and composed by Jim Steinman. In addition to directing, Nenonen is also responsible for breathtaking choreographies.
Tanz der Vampire (1997), based on the cult film The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) by legendary director Roman Polanski, tells the story of Professor Abronsius and his assistant, young Alfred, who go to a Transylvanian village in search of these bloodthirsty creatures. They arrive at an inn where the villagers pretend not to know about the vampires that are terrorizing their village. Alfred falls in love with Sarah, the daughter of the owner of the inn, but another one has also fallen in love with her, someone much more dangerous…
Count von Krolock, who lives in his huge vampire castle, is a man the villagers dare not talk about and who craves to stick his canines into the carotid artery of his beloved Sarah to make her their vampire bride. He invites Sarah to his castle for a ball and makes her fall in love with him. A pair of vampire researchers, Abronsuis and Alfred, follow the stolen maiden to the castle to save her and defeat the vampires. And the ending is surprising…
The dance of the vampires looks great, sounds great and it captivates with its captivating energy. Nenonen’s direction is a controlled, insightful and entertaining whole. The musical is a reminder of how empowering music and richly visualised works can be at their best. Dance of the Vampires is quite faithful to the modern imagery of horror romance shaped by popular culture. Thus, clichés are not avoided either, but it doesn’t matter at all; Safe recognizability works quite well in this musical. In other words, this is that dangerously romantic, sexually charged aesthetic in which blood flowing from the carotid artery towards the breasts on a woman’s white skin looks beautiful.
The story itself mixes elements of horror romance and freak circus in the spirit of The Phantom of the Opera and The Rocky Horror Show. The Dance of the Vampires is not content with the aestheticized drama of horror by romanticizing it, but it adds a freaky skewness, distorted reflections of a very strange world. The whole thing is also topped with plenty of (if partly a bit forced) comedy, and this is how the laughing nerves also get their share. The end result is a creepy, morbidly fascinating and entertainingly light-hearted theatre experience.
The first half of the musical makes you wait for that itself, i.e. gruesome horror and bloodthirsty vampires. The main devil himself, the majestic Count von Krolock, is portrayed in the first half as a feared devil hiding like the ghost of the opera, who rarely appears. Rather, the beginning focuses on the life of Professor Abronsius and Alfred at the inn, their attempts to infiltrate the world of vampires, and the romance that flares up between Alfred and Sarah. I believe that many of the viewers have come to see the musical out of a bottomless desire to be intimidated, so the second half of the first half makes me a little frustrated, but only slightly. Now those vampires!
The second half finally fulfills those expectations, thoroughly. It may come as a bit of a surprise to some that this musical, composed by Jim Steinman, is not very rock, at least not very hard rock. It contains musical-like grandiosity and pomposity without being heavy; Popular music, I would say, at least for the most part. In any case, soon after the start of the second half, we hear genuine hard rock, the fast-paced Carpe Noctem, which is at the same time a stunning visual experience with its choreographed days, interpreted by Count von Krolock’s androgynous, homosexually inclined son, Herbert, the inn’s maid Magda and vampires.
Personally, I was surprised – having never seen the musical before – by the central presence of Bonnie Tyler’s song Total Eclipse of the Heart in the musical. It appears in different variations throughout the musical, and this hit composed by Steinman fits the story well. Musical highlights also include the instrumental overture at the beginning, which Count von Krolock’s quasimodomain servant, Koukol, “plays” on a hard-hit, cobweb-covered organ. In addition, the finale of the first act, sung by Count von Krolock in front of the castle, tends to blow your mind with its ever-increasing power, as the great vampire count flashes a grotesque smile and then disappears behind the gates of his gigantic castle. Musical theatre at its most shocking! And so, Eeva Konttu’s ten-piece orchestra, consisting of keyboards, percussion, wind instruments and string instruments, among other things, sounds wonderful throughout.
On Saturday, the role of Count von Krolock was played by Jonas Saari, who recently graduated as an actor from the Theatre Academy (Mikko Vihma alternates in the role). As a handsome-looking vampire king, she’s downright disarming, so it’s not hard to see how she manages to trap Sarah in her fascinatingly dangerous spells. And it’s the danger that attracts women to men, isn’t it? Saari is able to make his count frightening, sexually attractive and, on the other hand, despite all his unnaturalness, also human, sympathetic in his own strange way. He is a self-aware, vampire charmer aware of his dangerous attraction, inside of whom lives deep melancholy and hidden loneliness. In the songs, Saari’s tenor voice is captivating and heartfelt to listen to.
Sarah, played by Anna Victoria Eriksson (Raili Raitala alternates in the role), is sensitive, beautiful and a little seductive. Eriksson convincingly exudes the drama of the overly romantic, innocent and far too beautiful maiden victim with her whole being.
The silly apprentice, Alfred, is played by Miiko Toiviainen, a student at the Theatre Academy (Petrus Kähkönen alternates in the role). Above all, Toiviainen’s work is expressive, and perhaps that is why it occurred to me that in addition to musical theatre, she could also skilfully do children’s theatre.
Professor Abronsius is interpreted by Tuukka Leppänen (The role is alternated by Antti Timonen) as comical to watch – after all, the professor is a real coward who puts his apprentice in the most frightening situations instead of himself. Herbert, played by Samuel Harjanne, who speculates on the border between masculinity and femininity, is a confusing revelation. Danger and madness are combined in Harjanne’s interpretation in a chilling way.
The Dance of the Vampires is also a celebration of costumes and disguise. Perhaps the most impressive revelation is Count von Krolock in his increasingly dramatic creations, with his leather trousers, sequins and Dracu-like cloaks. In addition, costume designer Elina Kolehmainen, together with Jutta Kainulainen, Henri Karjalainen, Anu Laaksonen, Milja Mensonen and Jaana Nykänen, who are responsible for camouflage and hairstyles, has conjured up a bunch of zombie-like vampires that look really scary. Count von Krolock’s mask, which emphasises the angularity of his face, is also sculpturally noble.
The set design designed by Jani Uljas and Jari Ijäs scores points above all for its inventive adaptability. The stage of Peacock certainly poses its own challenges for the set designer, but it is well utilized. And the sets are impressive in all their gothic gloom: sturdy stone castles, poetic gothic forms, romanticized shabbiness. The lighting designed by William Iles complements the set design, creating enchanting atmospheres.
Helsinki City Theatre’s Dance of the Vampires is primarily suitable for those who want to go to the theatre for an entertaining experience. It offers everything you need for a nice entertainment experience, which is great music, impressive to watch and a suitably light story… well, okay, and a little blood.