Dracula: the Musical

Dracula: the Musical is a Swedish musical based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker produced in 2010. It was originally a theatre production meant for ten performances but due to the massive popularity extra performances were added and the musical was turned into a film, given a limited release on DVD. The film was put together by editing several performances of the musical and a filming session for closeups. The musical was written by Lisa Linder and directed by Martin Geijer. Music was composed by Christer Johansson and Jacob Mülrad.

The musical had a premise very similar to Bram Stoker's Dracula but had many subplots and themes unique to itself. The musical also followed the book closely, the most notable detail being the inclusion of Lucy Westenra's mother, a character absent from most adaptations.

Act 1

In the year 1446 Vlad Dracul is a young warrior who sworn loyalty to the cross and is out to defend his homeland of Transylvania from the invading Turks. He fights the Turks for several days and wins but his beloved wife is misinformed of his death and she commits suicide.

The story shifts to 1970s England. A young reporter arrives at a retirement home. At the home he finds an elderly and blind Mina Harker. She is reluctant to talk the reporter until he reveals that he is the grandnephew of Abraham van Helsing and that his name is Erik. Erik tells Old Mina that van Helsing was put in an asylum and that one time when he meet him as a child he ranted something about a mission in Transylvania involving Mina and her late husband. Old Mina agrees to tell him everything.

In the year 1897 solicitor Jonathan Harker, the fiancée of Mina, has arrived in Transylvania to give legal support to a Count Dracula for a real estate transaction overseen by Harker's employer. Jonathan arrives at the castle and is greeted by Count Dracula himself. Jonathan mentions his fiancée Mina and shows Dracula a picture of her that he keeps in a necklace. Dracula is stunned by the picture. Old Mina tells Erik about her friend Lucy Westenra and her three suitors; Arthur Holmwood, Quincey Morris and John Seward.

Lucy accepts her fate and tells Arthur that she will marry him in an humorous scene. Arthur is never told that Mrs. Westenra more or less forced Lucy to marry him and he thinks throughout the play that Lucy loved him. Mina sees a storm coming on the ocean.

Mina goes to Budapest and meets Jonathan who is still recovering from the ordeal at the castle. He tells her about what he saw in the castle and Mina realises that the man she meet was Dracula. Thinking Dracula is out for her, she marries Jonathan to make herself untouchable, despite being more interested in Dracula at the moment (Wedding in the Abbey). The first act ends with Dracula screaming in agony; Mina is in fact his wife reborn.

Act 2

In Amsterdam Abraham van Helsing holds a lecture about blood and diseases (Our Civilisation). Not knowing how to treat Lucy, John sends after his old mentor van Helsing to help him treat Lucy. Van Helsing has John doing a blood transfusion, which revives the unconscious Lucy. Van Helsing fills her room with garlic and tells John to guard outside her room. John does so, but unknown to van Helsing he is addicted to hospital drugs and John soon falls asleep due to the drugs. Soon Dracula enters the house through a window and feeds on Lucy.

At the wake van Helsing tells the others about his theory that Lucy has bitten by a vampire, Dracula. John dismisses this idea saying that there is one proof in modern science for vampires, to which van Helsing replies with a rock song (The Man Who Once Was) and fully convinces them that vampires are real. He tells them that Lucy is now a vampire and they must drive a stake through her heart and cut off her head to set her soul free.

Meanwhile, Dracula visits Mina after being invited to the building by Renfield. Dracula makes Mina remember her past life as his wife, and Mina realises that he killed Lucy but in despair confesses her love for him(The Princess and The River). Meanwhile, the men finds Renfield dying and realises that Dracula is in the building. Dracula has Mina drink his blood (The Princess and The River continued). The men rushes in and van Helsing drives Dracula back with his cross. Quincey tries to shoot Dracula, which distracts van Helsing and allows Dracula to escape.

The final song number ("The Final Battle") begins and the men challenge Dracula, who dares them to battle him. The song continues and it is shown that Dracula told Mina that if she killed him she would turn into a vampire and he would live within her because she had tasted his blood, but if Jonathan kills him they will never be together again. Mina finishes off Dracula.

Cast

Songs

Act I
  • St. George's Eve - Jonathan, The Hostess and Cast
  • The Journey to the Castle - Jonathan and Cast
  • The Children of the Night - Dracula and Jonathan
  • Letters to Mina (Read Between The Lines) - Jonathan
  • You May Choose Whoever You Want - Mrs. Westenra and Lucy
  • Carpe Noctem - The Vampire Sisters
  • In Service of The Count - The Gypsy Chieftain, Gun-Gypsy and Cast
  • The Ship On The Thames - Cast
  • Shackled at the Helm - The Girl
  • Wedding in the Abbey - The Abbess, Mina and Jonathan
Act II
  • Our Civilisation - Abraham van Helsing and Cast
  • My Master, Use Me! - Renfield
  • Funeral - Cast
  • The Man Who Once Was - Abraham van Helsing
  • Lucy's Song - Lucy
  • Obsessis A Daemonio - Abraham van Helsing, Jonathan, John, Quincey and Arthur
  • The Princess and The River - Dracula and Mina
  • Mina's Longing - Mina and Cast
  • The Final Battle - Dracula, Mina and Jonathan

External links

Promotional music video of The Man Who Once Was (Swedish):

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