|
Financially, Dance of the Vampires got off to a good start, making a profit in its first full week of previews (October 21-27, 2002), but the onging critical response of audiences and reviewers varied widely, and the show closed on January 25, 2003 after 61 previews and 56 performances.
Fans of Vampires created a forum to share their love of the show. Visit DOTVfans.com for backstage photos, a five-minute video of the September 2002 press preview rehearsal, message boards, and more.
We will gather as many articles, reviews, and reports as we can find about Vampires and post links to them here. Click on any of the articles below to learn more about this mega-size Broadway musical.
René with fellow Vampires cast members (Photo by Raymond McLeod)
René backstage in costume as Professor Abronsius, with Ron Orbach (innkeeper Chagal) (Photo by Mandy Gonzalez)
- Digital Magic on Broadway, October 17 article about the "enormous capabilities and complexities of stage magic."
- Audience member's review of November 8 preview performance.
- A November 9 interview, with photos of René getting into make-up.
- Also on November 8, it was announced that opening night would be postponed until December 9 (instead of November 21 as was originally scheduled).
- In his NYPost.com December 10 review, Clive Barnes liked some aspects of the performance but disliked others.
- Ken Mandelbaum's December 10 Broadway.com article provides an interesting analysis of what he dislikes about the production.
- AP drama critic Michael Kuchwara's December 10 review mentions "The humor may be heavy-handed, but you can get some idea of what its trio of authors...wanted to accomplish--goofy, off-the-wall fun. Alas, those high spirits evaporate...."
- Ben Brantley's December 10 NY Times review can only be described as scathing: "The original movie, while hardly top-drawer Polanski, was at least true to its goofy intentions, which brought to mind a post-sexual-liberation answer to Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy....This show, on the other hand, wants to be campy, preachy, lewd and romantically rhapsodic all at once."
- The December 10 Variety.com review by Charles Isherwood provides further comments about the show's strengths and weaknesses.
- Linda Winer, in her December 10 Newsday.com review, says "Somewhere, buried in the Broadway death wish that is Dance of the Vampires, there beats the pulse of an amusing little goofball Transylvanian satire.".
- Click here for opening night quotes from cast and production staff members.
- Click here for opening night photos from the December 9 curtain calls and party (includes two photos of René).
- The author of the December 11 review at NYTheatre.com seems to "get" the show better than most of the critics. He says, "Admittedly, it isn't art, but it isn't intended to be, either. The creators have only two goals in mind — to entertain, and to wow the audience—both of which they successfully (if not always admirably) achieve."
- Two fans who saw the show on December 13 enjoyed the performance.
- United Press International's December 24 review is critical of the show in general, but singles out René for praise: "Handsomely white-bearded, Auberjonois gives his character some heft while never forgetting that the show is essentially a camp put-down of the Dracula legend."
- Sadly, news that the show would close January 25 was reported by the Associated Press on January 15. This closing review comes from UPI on January 24, which included the announcement that "there will be no original cast album or national tour of the show."
- Reviews and photos from the final weekends.
- An article in Playbill provided the vital statistics for the show's run.
- Click on our list of links to additional photos of René found at the DOTVfans.com website.
| Do you have an article, review, or report you'd like to add to this page? Please e-mail Marguerite and we'll add your report to our collection.
René taking his bow at one of the final performances, January 24 or 25 (Photo by Genevieve Rafter-Keddy)
|
Return to Reviews menu
|
