Shows D

DRACULA, THE MUSICAL Based on the original 1897 Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. Score - Frank Wildhorn, Lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. STORY Act I Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer from England, travels to Transylvania to fix a deal with the elderly Count Dracula, who wants to buy a home in London (Prologue). Harker enjoys a lavish supper set by his host and asks the Count if he knows anyone in England. Dracula responds that he knows Harker and that other contacts have been made in advance to ensure his arrival in England is well received. The Count voices his desire to begin a new life in his new country (“Solitary Man”). Dracula shows Harker to his bedroom, where he notices a picture of Harker’s fiancée Mina Murray, which seems to have a strange effect on him. Once Dracula leaves, Harker composes a letter to Mina, who herself remembers how they met (“Whitby Bay”). Mina, in England, suddenly hears Dracula’s voice in her head; the Count forebodingly informs her of his imminent journey to England and his desire to be with her. Early one morning, Dracula surprises Harker while shaving, causing Harker to cut himself. Dracula advances towards his guest’s bleeding throat but retreats once he catches a glimpse of a crucifix around Harker’s neck. Harker tries to get Dracula to focus on the contract, but Dracula ignores him, instead advising him to only sleep in his chamber. Harker’s stay in the castle slowly begins turning into a nightmare, and he frantically searches for a way out (“Jonathan’s Bedroom”). Dracula’s Brides appear in one of the rooms the unfortunate English man wanders into and begin to seduce him. Harker removes the crucifix from his neck, and the Brides prepare to drink his blood (“Forever Young”). Dracula suddenly appears and scolds the women for disobeying his orders to leave Harker for himself. When the Brides ask if they are to have nothing Dracula gives them an infant to consume. When the infant’s distraught mother enters, begging for the return of her child, Dracula kills her and proceeds to drink Harker’s blood to restore his youth (“Fresh Blood”). Fully rejuvenated, Dracula flies into the air, while Harker escapes to Budapest. Back in London, Dracula contacts his servant Renfield, who is incarcerated in the insane asylum of Dr. Jack Seward and promises him eternal life in exchange for his services. Renfield envisions Dracula’s approach to Whitby Bay via the ship Demeter, and sees the Count kill the captain and the crew (“The Master’s Song”). After reading about the disaster, Mina discusses the news with her friend Lucy Westenra, and about Lucy’s trouble with sleepwalking, which the latter had inherited from her late father. The conversation quickly turns to Lucy’s dilemma of having three marriage proposals offered to her in one day. All three suitors come to dinner at her house that night: Quincey Morris, the “brave” cowboy from Texas; Dr. Jack Seward, the “bright” owner of the mental institution in Purfleet; and Arthur Holmwood, Lucy’s “boring” childhood sweetheart. In the end, Lucy chooses Holmwood (“How Do You Choose?”). That night, Lucy sleepwalks and finds Dracula. When the vampire begins to drink her blood Mina, who had followed Lucy, appears. The Count explains, inside Mina’s mind, that she is the one he wanted, but Lucy answered his call instead. When Mina begs Dracula to release her friend, the Count vows he will, but only if Mina will come with him; a proposal that Mina blatantly refuses. Angered and shocked that Mina can resist him, Dracula vanishes. Lucy awakens and describes her encounter with Dracula to Mina (“The Mist”). Mina explains to Lucy that she has received a telegram from Harker in Budapest and that she must go to marry him

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