Theater Review: Dracula

l-r: Michel Altieri (as Dracula) and George Hearn (as Van Helsing) in DRACULA

at Little Shubert (422 W 42nd St). Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

This Production of 'Dracula' Lacks Life
By Lauren Yarger
With all of the vampire frenzy lately over the “Twilight” series and other incarnations of the bloodsucking undead like “True Blood” on HBO, I guess it’s no surprise that now would be a good time to resurrect the stage play based on Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula,” playing off-Broadway for a limited run at the Little Shubert.

The play, adapted by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston has had previous success, starting in 1927 with Bela Lugosi in the role of the 500-year-old Transylvanian Count who must suck the blood from humans to exist and to transform himself into creatures of the night like wolves and bats. Broadway best remembers the 1977 production starring a sensational Frank Langella as the sexy vampire. He won the Tony as did the play for best revival and he went on to star in the 1979 film version opposite Sir Laurence Olivier as vampire expert/stalker Abraham Von Helsing.

This current rendition, directed by Paul Alexander and starring Italian stage star Michel Altieri, who makes his American stage debut as Dracula, seems dead, ironically, and tends toward humorous rather than chilling. Altieri, very slim, and brushing back very long black hair locks (Paul Huntley, hair design) brings to mind Fabio romance-novel covers. Or, when the light strikes his full lips in a wide grin standing out against a pale face, he looks like the Joker from Batman. He never convincingly exudes the haunted, sexual masculinity that draws Lucy Seward (Emily Bridges) against her will from the attentions of her devoted fiancé, Jonathan Harker (Jake Silbermann), causes Lucy’s maid Miss Wells (Katharine Luckinbull) to betray her mistress or enslaves the mind of spider and fly-eating Renfield (John Buffalo Mailer) to make him a vampire in training.

To say that there is any sexual tension between Dracula and Lucy here would be like saying vampires crave sunlight. It would be false. Truthfully, if this hair-tossing, cape swirling Dracula appeared in my bed chamber, I’d wake the rest of the house with my laughter. Lucy and Jonathan throw more sparks, and truthfully, Silbermann, who gives one of two believable performances in the production, would have made a better Dracula. The second believable and solid performance comes from Timothy Jerome as Lucy’s father, Dr. Seward.

There also isn’t any tension between the vampire and his nemesis, Van Helsing, played here by the hapless George Hearn who seems to be grasping for lines at times and who on several occasions called Lucy “Mina.” Mina is Lucy’s companion (also played by Luckinbull) who succumbed to Dracula’s charms and deadly bloodsucking to become the Woman in White who preys upon small children in this remote section of England. Hearn, usually a treat, was more fun in his other bloody role: Sweeney Todd.

Funny, though I don’t think he’s supposed to be, is Mailer’s Renfield, who vacillates between playing a courteous southern gentleman and trying to act like a mad man. He spends most of his time escaping from orderly Butterworth (Rob O’Hare) and climbing down the walls of Dr. Seward’s manse like a spider to answer his master’s call. Dare I say at least one New York spiderman’s special effects worked well (Flying by Foy).

Overall, the production has an amateur feel, from the level of performances to obviously fake books in Dana Kenn’s rotating set to overkill on the fog every time Dracula appears (Rick Sorelet and Mike Rossmy, flight choreography and special effects), though I did like their fluttering bat and a scrim effect that has Dracula suddenly appear in a portrait. Canned music in between scenes and the obvious sound effect of wolves howling are annoying (Chris DelVecchio, design). Wila Kim’s costumes are uninspired and Dracula’s cape looks like it has the image of a bat outlined inside – almost like something you’d see in a Halloween shop.

Also generating a few chuckles is the group’s apparent slow wittedness (blame the book along with the staging which has them walking around awkwardly for no reason). What are those two puncture marks on Lucy’s neck? Could they be related to those found on Mina? Hey guys, wouldn’t it make sense to have someone – or everyone—stay with Lucy at night when she is plagued by nightmares and appears to lose a lot of blood just like Mina did or even take Lucy away to somewhere safe (though this really never happens because if it did, there wouldn’t be a play)?

No one ever notices the truly massive amounts of fog portending Dracula’s arrival on the scene. Alexander simply has cast members turn their backs every time Dracula enters so they can be surprised when they turn and see the count in the room. “I have a light footfall,” Dracula tells them (many times – again redundancy), which makes it kind of comical when his footsteps are clearly audible as he walks to his mark.

The group is astonished to find that there’s a secret panel behind those fake books. They also are hunting around the set for Dracula’s resting place, but fail to notice a rather large coffin sitting stage center. The trapped Dracula gleefully informs them they have their facts all wrong about the stake-driving thing and that they might not be able to save Lucy if she dies at night. Gee, you’d think that the wolfbane, crucifix, wooden stake-carrying Von Helsing might have known about that being up on vampire lore and all.

Well, here’s another piece of trivia for Dracula to think about. I’m not a vampire expert, but I do know that the undead aren’t supposed to have reflections (he does tell us this, though I couldn’t see the mirror from my seat, so I don’t know whether he was visible) or shadows. This Dracula casts large shadows on the walls of the sets and on the house right wall all through the performance, however (Brian Nason, lighting). Maybe it’s just the shadow of Langella’s excellent performance haunting the current staging.

Dracula, which was scheduled to run through March 13 at the Little Shubert Theatre, 422 west 42ns St., apparently has closed, though I haven't received an official notice. Tickets suddenly could be purchased only through Jan. 9.

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• Crucifix, holy water and elements of the Lord’s supper used to combat the vampire.