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Dracula, The Musical

Concept album

A Musical in 2 Acts: Book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker; Lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton; Music by Frank Wildhorn

Belasco Theatre, Broadway - Previews from 30 July, 2004. Opened 19th August 2004; closed 2nd January, 2005. (22 previews, 157 performances)

Synopsis

Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer from England, travels to Transylvania in order to fix a deal with Count Dracula, who wants to buy a home in London. However, the Count notices a picture of Jonathan's fiancée Mina Murray, which seems to have a strange effect on him. Harker's stay in the remote castle is turning more and more into a nightmare. Harker manages to escape - after being bitten by his host - to Budapest. Mina travels to him and marries him, while Mina's friend Lucy is marrying Arthur in London.

In the meantime, Dracula has reached London and starts searching for victims. He contacts Renfield and promises him eternal life in exchange for his service. His first victim is Lucy, who dies soon after he bites her. Even the renowned vampire expert Van Helsing cannot help her anymore. Lucy, however, turns into a vampire herself and - with the assistance of Dr. Van Helsing- is being killed by her former love interests, Quincey and Jack, in her tomb.

Mina feels a strange attraction to the Count. Torn between her fear and love she eventually invites him to come in. Dracula lets her taste his blood, intending to turn her into a vampire as well. Later on, he has to escape from London, because the vampire hunters are closing in on him. His enemies follow him. They take Mina with them, who is connected to the Count telepathically.

At the Count's Castle, the final showdown takes place. While the vampire hunters fight with an entire army of vampires, Mina now decides to follow her beloved Dracula into the darkness. But Dracula realizes that this should not be Mina's fate. He asks Mina to release him from his doomed existence. With tears running down her eyes, she fulfils her lover's last wish.

Story

ACT ONE

Jonathan Harker stands in front of the outline of a Gothic castle. He muses that it’s taken him two weeks to get there from London, and that whatever adventures lie ahead are more than a lawyer’s clerk usually experiences. Dracula, standing in the doorway, welcomes Jonathan and introduces himself as Count Dracula. Jonathan says he has the deeds to Dracula’s new property and describes the area. Jonathan comments that London is a big change from where Dracula’s currently living, but Dracula admits that while he’s a loner, he needs to experience new ways and meet new people. After taking Jonathan to his room, Dracula notices a photo of Jonathan’s fiancée, Mina Murray. Jonathan espouses on her charms, including her purity—which has Dracula interested. Wolves howl, and Dracula departs.

Alone in his room, Jonathan composes a letter to Mina, who herself remembers how they met. As the song ends, Dracula appears above Mina.

Jonathan’s in the library, reading. Dracula all but materializes, and picks up an envelope on the desk, speculating that it must be for Mina and promising to have it mailed immediately. Dracula first pays special attention to the address on the envelope; then to the cut on Jonathan’s neck, where he cut himself shaving. Jonathan tries to get Dracula to focus on the contract, but Dracula ignores him, instead advising him to only sleep in his own chamber.

Alone again, Jonathan moves down a corridor towards the sound of women’s voices, feeling trapped and uneasy. He opens the door at the end of the corridor. He only sees a bed, and is suddenly so exhausted he falls asleep on it. He then awakens suddenly to find three women lying with him, conversing in a strange language. They urge him to let them bite him. Jonathan begins to succumb, but the crucifix around his neck repels them. Realizing this, he throws it off, and just as they overpower him, Dracula appears. He scolds them for taking him when he’s told them Jonathan isn’t for them, but they plead to be fed. He throws them a child in a sack, and looks forward to finding new prey in London.

Dracula is in an insane asylum in London, telling Renfield, an inmate, that soon he will be free. Dr. Jack Seward enters and tells Renfield to stop eating bugs. Renfield responds that consuming blood is part of the Master’s plan. Renfield then lunges at Seward with a knife, cutting him as Jack tries to defend himself. An attendant tries to subdue him as he laps up Jack’s blood.

Later, a ship bearing Dracula’s coffin is caught in a storm. The ship is swept into Whitby Bay, where Mina’s staying with her friend, Lucy. The ship’s captain is dead, and Dracula is gone, leaving behind his coffin. Lucy and Mina walk along the shore, commenting on the shipwreck. Lucy has started sleepwalking again, but since her father tended to sleepwalk, she assures Mina to think nothing of it. Lucy then describes the three men who had proposed to her in one day; one of them is Jack. They’re going to have tea with her, where she’ll have to decide, but she doesn’t know how to choose.

That night, Dracula bites Lucy as she sleepwalks. Mina sees everything. Dracula tells her that he meant to contact only her, but his message caught Lucy by mistake. If Mina accepts Dracula’s request, he’ll let Lucy go. Lightning flashes, and Dracula disappears—Lucy is totally fine. She tells Mina about a dream she just had. Mina decides that they must leave for London the next day; she got a telegram stating that Jonathan is sick and in a convent hospital in Budapest, and she wants to go to him. Lucy agrees.

On the train to Budapest, Mina feels doubt about her future with Jonathan, and hears Dracula urge her to stay with him. A little later, Mina and Jonathan—who’s still sick, but feels better—get married, while Lucy marries one of her suitors in London. When Lucy catches sight of Dracula, she faints.

Arthur, Lucy’s new husband, and Quincey, who she turned down, wait in Arthur’s house for Professor Van Helsing, who Jack says will arrive soon. Van Helsing, an expert in obscure European diseases, had found bite marks on Lucy’s throat. He enters, telling the men that he suspects a vampire and that they must hunt him down. That night, Lucy calls to Dracula; she’s drawn to him, feeling like his slave. Dracula appears, and Lucy—eyes glowing red, dressing-gown flying off—falls into his arms.

The next morning, Lucy is alone and peaceful-looking as she sleeps. Arthur notices the bite marks have vanished. She tries to kiss Arthur, but Van Helsing, noticing the absent garlic and crucifixes, orders him to move away. Van Helsing stops her from biting Arthur’s neck by reading a prayer to her and placing a prayer book on her chest.

At Lucy’s burial, Van Helsing comments that there will be victims after Lucy. The other mourners are sad that Lucy died so young. Van Helsing meets Mina and Jonathan, and assures Jonathan that since he was only bitten once, he should be fine in a few months. He adds that he knows how to kill the vampire, and will meet with everyone again in two weeks. As the mourners leave, Dracula emerges from the group and tells Lucy’s grave that she’s not really dead; Lucy then comes out of the vault and joins in Dracula’s desire to find new prey. Lucy floats away, while Dracula turns into a bat and hangs upside down. Mina awakens and finds Dracula hovering over her.
ACT TWO

Two weeks later, Van Helsing, Arthur, Quincey, Jack, and Mina, and Jonathan are at Lucy’s empty vault. Van Helsing thinks that Lucy has been stealing children, but when they went to her vault, they discovered her body was missing. Van Helsing orders them silent. Hidden, they hear a young child humming, and see Lucy leading a six-year-old into the vault. Arthur yells for her to stop as she prepares to bite. Lucy is not pleased. She starts to go over them, but Van Helsing holds up a crucifix, and everyone orders her to release the child, which she does. Arthur drives a stake through Lucy’s heart, and Quincey cuts off her head.

Mina wanders the London streets that night, musing on the events of the day. Unknown to her, Dracula walks in step with her. He asks why she’s keeping him waiting; Mina points out that he killed Lucy. Dracula retorts that Mina killed Lucy, but he can’t explain anything about what she had been until Mina invites him in. He vanishes, leaving Mina to struggle with her conflicting emotions. When she gets to Arthur’s house, he sums up what they’ve learned about the vampire—including that he’s been in contact with Renfield. Mina asks to go with them to see Renfield, and Van Helsing consents, figuring that Mina may get more information out of Renfield; he might see her as a “kindred spirit.”

Jack, Van Helsing, and Mina visit Renfield. He recognizes Mina, but won’t say why. He does, however, say that she’s next, and that he’s been communicating with Dracula mentally for the past two years. When Mina asks if what Dracula’s promised him is worth his soul, Renfield warns her to leave London today. Realizing what he’s done, he begs Jack to get him out of the asylum. Jack doesn’t take him seriously, and the three of them leave Renfield. Dracula appears at his window, says he’s disappointed in Renfield, and breaks his neck.

At Arthur’s house, Van Helsing is under so much stress that he loses himself in his memories and gives himself some morphine. Arthur comes in with their suspected vampire’s London address. Van Helsing wants Jonathan to stay behind with Mina, but Mina suggests that she goes with them. Van Helsing disagrees, and the men exit. Mina hears Dracula’s voice, saying they must speak in person—but she has to invite him in. Mina wishes she could fly away from all this…but she knows she’d just fly to him. Jonathan enters and asks Mina how she is; she says she feels strange, so Jonathan suggests she go to bed. Mina can’t sleep until they get back, so she suggests playing cards as a distraction. As Jonathan looks for cards, Dracula emerges from behind a curtain. With a raise of his hand, he knocks Jonathan unconscious. Dracula announces that he’s going to make Mina his. They kiss, and he bites her neck. Just as he gives her his blood, Jack, Quincey, Van Helsing, and Arthur bust in. Van Helsing holds up a crucifix, but Dracula ridicules him and turns the crucifix into fire. Dracula vanishes, reappears outside, and starts crawling up the building. When the men go outside, though, he’s gone. He still insists that it’s over, but Van Helsing refuses to accept that .

As the sun comes up, Arthur and Quincey stand watch. Jack and Van Helsing arrive and tell the other two that Renfield is dead. Their plan to kill Dracula by putting communion wafers and holy water in his resting place should work, but Van Helsing is concerned Dracula may have backups. Mina and Jonathan enter. Mina’s in rough shape—she’s been scarred from the wafer Van Helsing used to cure her—but she offers to let the men hypnotize her, hoping they could access her link to Dracula’s thoughts. Van Helsing consents, and Mina answers his questions with Dracula’s accent. When Mina snaps out of her hypnotized state, she insists that they take her with them when they leave to find Dracula again, especially since she still might turn into a vampire. She makes them promise to kill her if that happens; Jonathan has a difficult time with that. The men plan to confront Dracula, who they’ve learned from Mina is on a ship. While they travel, Jonathan wrestles with his promise. Van Helsing hypnotizes Mina again. Unfortunately, Dracula uses Mina’s state to directly contact her. After she retires, Van Helsing tells everyone else that the only way to save Mina is to kill Dracula, so he and Mina will go to the castle while the rest of the company kill the vampire.

Floating, Dracula contemplates his eternal life. Later, the men reach his coffin in the hull of a ship. Quincey tries to stab him with a stake, but Dracula kills him and disappears when Jonathan and Jack attack. Meanwhile, Mina tells Van Helsing that Quincey is dead, and they enter the castle. While Van Helsing battles the vampire women who attacked Jonathan, Mina is happy that finally she’ll get answers. Dracula appears and tells Mina to go to him…but he’s starting to reconsider giving her eternal life, and wonders if he should die. Dracula realizes that Mina’s affected him differently from anyone else because she’s meant to kill him. Mina argues with him, but eventually consents. Dracula dies and crumbles into dust.

Musical Numbers

  1. Prologue - Jonathan’s Arrival
  2. Solitary Man - A Quiet Life
  3. Over Whitby Bay
  4. Forever Young
  5. Fresh Blood
  6. The Master's Song
  7. How Do You Choose?
  8. The Mist
  9. Modern World
  10. A Perfect Life
  11. Loving You Keeps Me Alive
  12. Whitby Bay Reprise
  13. The Weddings
  14. Prayer for the Dead (Nosferatu)
  15. Life After Life (Lucy’s Funeral)
  16. Undead One
  1. Please Don’t Make Me Love You
  2. The Heart is Slow to Learn
  3. The Master's Song (Reprise)
  4. Summers Come, Summers Go
  5. If I Had Wings
  6. Mina’s Seduction
  7. There's Always a Tomorrow
  8. It’s Over
  9. Deep in the Darkest Night
  10. You Have My Word
  11. Before the Summer Ends
  12. Train Sequence
  13. The Longer I Live
  14. All is Dark/Life After Life (reprise)
  15. At Last
  16. Finale: There's Always a Tomorrow

Cast

Scenes and Settings

England and across Europe, aboard the Orient Express a century ago

Instrumentation