[On Stage] The Immortal Temptation That Devoured Fear

Musical 'Dracula' Third Korean Performance Since 2014 Premiere 'Enhanced Plausibility'
Early Scene of Count's Mansion Captivates... Seductive Appearance Tempts Audience
Stage Features Quadruple Rotating Turntable Structure... Constant Rotation Maximizes Tension

Musical 'Dracula' performance scene. Lee Chung-joo as Jonathan Harker and the vampire slayer
Photo by Odi Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Slicked-back hair, black tuxedo and cape. The archetype of Count Dracula as we know it today was finalized in the 1931 film "Dracula" directed by American filmmaker Tod Browning (1880?1962). Director Browning referenced several earlier Dracula stage plays. As the film "Dracula" became a huge hit, the image of actor Bela Lugosi (1882?1956), who played Dracula, solidified as the standard portrayal of Dracula.

The beginning of the film "Dracula" is intriguing. The background music playing in the opening scene showing the film title is Pyotr Tchaikovsky's (1840?1893) "Swan Lake." When Browning first made the film, "Swan Lake" was not used as background music. The production company Universal inserted "Swan Lake" as background music years later. Why "Swan Lake" of all pieces?

In the ballet "Swan Lake," Prince Siegfried falls in love with Princess Odette, who is under a devil's curse. However, he mistakes Odile, the devil's daughter, for Odette and pledges eternal love to Odile.

In "Swan Lake," the lead ballerina plays a dual role as Odette and Odile. When portraying Odette, she wears a white tutu; when portraying Odile, she wears a black tutu. Odette must be pure and innocent, while Odile must be sensual. One ballerina seduces the prince with this duality. Similarly, in "Dracula," the heroines Mina and her friend Lucy are enchanted by Count Dracula, who embodies the duality of a nobleman and an evil vampire.

Musical 'Dracula' performance scene. Ryu Jeong-han (right) as Dracula and Lindsay (Im Min-ji) as Mina
Photo by Odi Company

The 2010 film "Black Swan" vividly depicts the anguish of the lead ballerina who must perform two contrasting roles in "Swan Lake." In "Black Swan," the protagonist Nina (Natalie Portman) receives praise from the ballet director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) for her performance as Odette but is not well regarded when performing as Odile.

In the "Swan Lake" audition scene, Thomas urges Nina to show the black swan within her. "Don't control it. Tempt us. Not just the prince, but the entire stage, the audience, and the whole world. Like a spider weaving its web."

If Director Thomas were to see the musical "Dracula," currently running at Charlotte Theater (until June 7), he might be satisfied. The musical "Dracula" is sensual.

The early scene at Count Dracula's mansion is spectacular. Mina's lover Jonathan Harker lies unconscious on the bed. Three vampire slayers emerge from the sides and back of the stage, writhing as they approach Harker. The three vampire slayers target Harker's blood. They climb onto the bed, indulging in Harker while singing a number titled "Forever Young." "Red lips on my tongue / Your milky skin (excerpt) An unimaginable thrilling dream / I'll captivate you / A night of endless pleasure / Licking your whole body (excerpt)."

As the lyrics suggest, this scene strongly evokes sexual acts. Harker is toyed with by the three vampire slayers like a butterfly caught in a spider's web. As the play progresses, Lucy and Mina, bitten by Dracula, also display sensual scenes on the bed to feed on blood. This is the musical "Dracula"'s most powerful way of seducing the audience.

Musical 'Dracula' performance scene. Kim Junsu as Dracula
Photo by Odi Company

Originally, Dracula is a character imbued with strong sexual codes. The scene where Dracula bites a woman's neck is a prime example. The original novel of the same name, written by Irish novelist Bram Stoker (1847?1912), was published in the UK in 1897. It was the late Victorian era, during Queen Victoria's reign, who pursued strict moralism. Some analyses suggest that the novel's popularity was fueled by a backlash against this strict morality.

Another attraction of the musical "Dracula" that seduces the audience is the stage built with a quadruple rotating turntable structure. The stage rotates frequently, breathlessly showing 13 backgrounds filled with an inexplicable tension, including Dracula's castle, Mina's living room and bedroom, a cemetery, and an underground crypt. Especially in scenes where tension peaks, the entire stage moves dazzlingly like assembling a cube puzzle. The audience cannot help but be immersed. A representative scene is when Professor Van Helsing, who sets out to defeat Dracula, confronts and clashes with Dracula in Mina's bedroom.

The musical "Dracula" premiered in 2001 in San Diego, California, USA. In 2004, it moved to Broadway in New York. It has also been presented in Sweden, Austria, the UK, Canada, Japan, and other countries. In South Korea, it premiered in 2014 and was revived in 2016. This is the third performance.

Musical 'Dracula' performance scene. Ryu Jeong-han (left) as Dracula and Linzy (Im Min-ji) as Mina
[Photo by Odi Company]

The original novel is extensive, exceeding 400 pages. As is often the case with stage performances, it is difficult to transfer the entire volume of the original novel onto the stage. Therefore, some parts of the original novel are inevitably omitted or condensed in stage performances.

The musical "Dracula" is no exception. For example, in the opening scene set in a mental hospital, a patient named Renfield appears. In Browning's film, there is a scene where Renfield visits Dracula's mansion and is bitten. However, in the musical, the biting scene is omitted, and Renfield appears already bitten.

Due to such omissions and condensations, "Dracula" was criticized for weak story coherence at its premiere. The production team extensively revised the script for the revival. For this third performance, they used the 2016 revival script as the basic framework but made detailed corrections and enhancements. The production team explained that they added a portrait of Elisabeth, Dracula's wife, and reinforced related lines to further specify the story of Dracula and Mina.