Review: BalletMet's DRACULA Haunts Halloween Stage with Dark Drama

Halloween isn't always just about candy and kids in costumes -- it also often calls to mind the supernatural fantasies that haunt our nightmares. Last weekend, BalletMet delved into the spine-chilling story of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," just in time for the ghoulish holiday.

From the smoke-filled entrance of the show's title character, played by BalletMet dancer David Ward, to the action-packed final scene, the choreography of former BalletMet artistic director David Nixon brings the 1987 gothic horror novel "Dracula" to life -- well, as close to "life" as vampires can get -- on the Capitol Theatre stage.

Through beautifully constructed sets designed by Dan Gray, audience members are transported through time and space to eerie locations that enhance the production's dark plot. The fast-paced scene changes make following the storyline a bit difficult, especially for those who are not very familiar with Stoker's original novel, but the program's show notes, while a little vague, at least help break down such a complicated story.

Audiences first meet Dracula in the show's opening scene, which current BalletMet artistic director Edwaard Liang cheekily teased to in his opening monologue. Stepping naked from a coffin that lies center stage, the supernatural twists and turns only just begin when the epynomous leading monster disappears behind the stage curtain.

Emerging once more to terrorize Jonathan Harker (Martin Roosaare), a young attorney journeying into a new land, Dracula, now draped in a red crushed velvet cape that dramatically billows as he and Harker gracefully battle each other across the stage, asserts himself as a creature of the night to be feared by lowly humans.

As Harker is detained by Dracula's vampire brides -- a vicious lot of their own -- Dracula becomes fixated by a vision of Harker's beloved Mina (Adrienne Benz), who glides softly across the stage, her white gown in stark contrast to the darkness that cloaks Dracula's lair. Resolving to find Mina, Dracula sets off to England, and with another swish of the curtain, the audience willingly follows.

Once again, the split-second migration from one area of the world to a vastly different one is effective and breathtaking, with the help of imaginative staging and scenic design. Now situated in a chandelier-bedecked, lavish sitting room, viewers are introduced to Lucy Westenra (Jessica Brown), a petite blonde who soon falls as prey to Dracula's villainous venom.

As the plot thickens and more and more characters are added to the teeming action that unfolds onstage, the audience is bombarded with scenes of sensual romance and intense drama. While the production incorporates many stage tricks and elaborate props, the potency of the story told through the dancers' movement is not overpowered by these additions. In fact, the use of smoke, fire and magical disappearing acts works to mimic the ghostly phenomena one expects to experience on Halloween.

A definite fan-favorite, "Dracula" is a tantalizing joyride that adds just the right amount of fright to the Halloween season.

"Dracula" is set to be performed from Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 and Nov. 5 - 7 at the Capitol Theatre, located in the Vern Riffe Center.

Tickets are available through the Ticketmaster website.

The Vern Riffe Center is located at 77 S. High St.

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