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Bloody good fun
The myriad answers to these questions have forever served as some of the best premises on which to base powerful drama. The very universality of lost-love tales accounts for their presence in all forms of art. In sonnets and sculptures, paintings and plays, tragic love stories always evoke the strongest responses. Though Bram Stoker's Dracula is often mistaken for horror, at its heart it is truly a love story. You may have read the novel or seen one of the movies, but have you ever seen it danced? If you have, it was probably last year during Colorado Ballet's inaugural performance. Since 49 percent of attendees for the 2001 Dracula were first time ballet-goers, however, it was quite possibly your first experience with ballet. The fact that Colorado Ballet decided to bring Drac' back for another season speaks volumes about the incredible accessibility of Dracula, a ballet for the masses designed by drawing theatrical elements from plays and film. It is not bound by conventional ballet constraints. So while you may have had bad experiences with ballet in the past, or possibly found it too alien even to sample, you will enjoy Dracula. Take my word for it. Presented in three relatively short acts broken up by agreeable intermissions, Dracula does not even come close to taxing the sitcom-addled attention spans most of us possess. For those of you unfamiliar with Dracula's plot line, the story opens with a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker (Koichi Kubo), traveling to Transylvania to finalize the purchase of some English properties by the mysterious Count Dracula (Igor Vassin). Though the local peasants, who know that the aura of death surrounds the Count, attempt to dissuade Harker, he proceeds onward to meet him. After settling in, Harker is visited by a sensual trio of supernatural women-Dracula's vampire servants. Dracula saves Harker's life by driving the creatures off, but when he sees a picture of Harker's wife, Mina (Sharon Wehner), he is struck by her resemblance to his own long-lost love. Determined to find this reincarnation of his departed lover, Dracula imprisons Harker and plans to travel to England to find Mina. After a miraculous escape, Harker returns to England, where Mina attempts to nurse him back to health. Harker remains troubled, however. It's as if he can sense Dracula's impending arrival on English soil and the peril it brings to Mina and himself. Meanwhile, Mina's best friend, Lucy (Maria Mosina/Chandra Gercke), a beautiful, flighty and flamboyant woman with both English and American suitors, is seduced by Dracula and transformed into a vampire. Dracula then sets his sights on his true goal, Mina. After confronting and mesmerizing her, Dracula feeds her his own ancient and powerful blood thereby sealing the bond between them and, provisionally, turning her into his immortal bride. He spirits her away to his lair, and Harker, Dr. Van Helsing (Andrew Thompson) and Lucy's former suitors give chase. They eventually corner Dracula and Mina, and through their combined efforts they are able to drive a stake through Dracula's heart destroying him and simultaneously returning Mina to her mortal state. Colorado Ballet's Dracula combines a darkly vibrant score by Philip Feeney with beautifully characterized choreography by Michael Pink and technically proficient dancing from the entire troupe. The shades of black and white, which reflect the good vs. evil conflict of the story, pervade both the stunning, highly mutable set pieces and costumes. In a brilliant costuming choice, the most notable departure from the black and white theme is Dracula's own long, deeply red coat. Whether engaged in frenetic struggle with Harker or Mina or striding regally off stage at the end of a scene, Dracula's coat becomes an extension of his body. The graceful arcs of the fabric accentuate the remarkable movements of the limbs beneath it. Through the language of dance, Dracula retells a classic story in a new medium. Broaden your horizons this Halloween season-go sink your teeth into it. Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com Centerstage events for the week of 10/17/02
Boulder County Fame - The Broadway musical. Jesters Dinner Theatre, 224 Main St., Longmont, 303-682-9980, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 9. Live Soap III: Viva Big Rock! - A weekly soap opera. West End Tavern, 926 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-271-3536, Tuesdays through Nov. 19. The Phantom Tollbooth - An adaptation of a novel by Norton Juster. Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder, 303-444-1885, through Oct. 26.
Denver Metro But Seriously - A comedy improv troupe. LIDA Project Theater, 2180 Stout St., Denver, 303-456-1180, Saturdays. Dracula -A humorous adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic horror novel. Heritage Square Music Hall, 18301 W. Colfax Ave., Golden, 303-279-7800, through Nov. 3. Hedwig and the Angry Inch - The off-Broadway rock musical. The Wave, 2101 Champa St., Denver, 303-282-0466, Thursdays-Saturdays through Nov. 2. Little Women and the City - A comedy sketch. Bovine Metropolis Theater, 1527 Champa St., Denver, 303-758-4722, Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 28. The Lonesome West - A play set in the west of Ireland. Space Theatre, Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex, 14th and Curtis St., Denver, 303-893-4100. The Odyssey: A Walking Tour - An explanation of Greek mythology. Buntport Theater, 717 Lipan St., Denver, 720-946-1388, through Oct. 20. Thank You for Changing My Pathetic Life -A parody of business seminars. Bovine Metropolis Theater, 1527 Champa St., Denver, 303-758-4722, Wednesdays through Nov. 2. Twelfth Night - An all-women production of the Shakespeare classic. Phoenix Theatre, 1124 Santa Fe Dr., Denver, 303-777-3292, through Oct. 26. Two Rooms - A Beirut hostage drama. Annex Theatre, 1900 W. Littleton Blvd., Littleton, 303-347-1900, Thursdays-Saturdays through Oct. 19. Varney the Vampire - Tim Kelly's Halloween spoof. Festival Playhouse, 5665 Old Wadsworth, Old Town Arvada, 303-422-4090, through Oct. 27. To have an event considered for the theater calendar, send information including address, dates, times, price and phone number to: Theater Calendar, 690 S. Lashley Lane, Boulder, 80305; fax to 303-494-2585; e-mail to editorial@boulderweekly.com.
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When it comes down to it, love is all there is. It is the prime mover of existence. Yet in the course of our little lives, we are lucky beyond measure to find true love even once. So, imagine what you would do if you beat the odds and found the love of your life-and then lost them. What would you be willing to do? How far would you be willing to go to find that person? To the ends of the Earth? To the end of time?
