Tanz der Vampire

Ok, so I HAD to create this topic!

Tanz der Vampire is my absolute favourite show, along with Phantom. They both share the top place and I really can't choose one.

I've seen the show 6 times in Germany so far: 2x in Stuttgart, 1x in Hamburg and 3x in Oberhausen.
I honestly think Oberhausen has the best overall cast so far, principals and ensemble, even though the cast has always been absolutely brilliant every time I've seen it.
But Jan Ammann seriously is THE BEST Krolock I've ever come across. Steve Barton was always the reference and I never though anyone could ever manage to play the role so wonderfully and move me like he did, even though I never saw him live. But then along came Jan. And this guy totally made the role his own and he immediately became my favourite, even before I saw him live. His portrayal of Krolock is just perfect to me: possibly the best male voice I ever heard, spot on acting and an awesome stage presence!

I just hope I can make it to Stuttgart this year to see the show again!

Other fans around?

Meeeeee! * jumps in here too *

Tanz Der Vampire was my introduction to german musicals, and foreign musicals in general. I was looking around for Steve Barton stuff, found this musical, and dove at it like a rabid wolf.

I love the musical and I love the movie too. (I also like, despite it being Roman Polanski, how he directed most of the versions on stage.) I'm so biased on the original Vienna recording that it's hard for me to feel for others playing the role of the Graf. I have liked, however, the Hungarian Graf (his name escapes me) and Thomas Borchert.

I wish I could see the musical since I heard the new Vienna revival is using sets and some actors from the Hungarian one. That staircase in Totale Finsternis is GORG. And so are the costumes. But the new ending is creeping me out. (The fact that the leads join the vampires onstage in rocker clothes and dance to the finale. Spare me?)

To me, if a Krolock cannot sing Die Unstillbare Gier correctly and not use it as a powerbalad, then they're no Krolock to me.

ML6 wrote:I wish I could see the musical since I heard the new Vienna revival is using sets and some actors from the Hungarian one. That staircase in Totale Finsternis is GORG. And so are the costumes. But the new ending is creeping me out. (The fact that the leads join the vampires onstage in rocker clothes and dance to the finale. Spare me?)

Do you mean the new Totale Finsternis Vienna staircase is GORGeous? Because I HATE it! I really can't warm to anything I've seen from the new Vienna revival - nor the costumes, nor the sets... and the new ending is just odd.
I think the original version, that despite some slight changes, is the one currently playing in Germany, is still the best!

By the way, I had already heard about the show back in 1998 (because of Steve Barton), but it wasn't until while I was on holiday in Vienna back in 2001 that I bought the original cast recording (along with Elisabeth and Mozart) and officially became a fan. I put the CDs on as soon as I arrived home and I was immediately amazed. I had never heard anything like it! The first chords from the overture alone left me in awe. Jim Steinman's score is something special (if you like the genre, of course...)!

Well, like I said, I've only heard from fan reviews and seen from pictures (and press videos) what the new one looks like. But, I thought the staircase was pretty. And that was the only thing I liked. Some of the costumes, yes... but I HATE the Graf's new costume. I miss the awesome purple and black. It was really hot.

Like I said, I am horribly bias when it comes to the Vienna one. I just like that version, and I base so many productions off it. Unlike Phantom, I can't sit there and go "oh, they're really good", because everything goes back to the original performers. (And also they were a lot like their movie counterparts.)

There was rumours a couple years ago of a movie adaptation. But I don't know if they fell through. (After the crap going in with Roman Polanski and all that.)

I'm glad to see other fans of Tanz in here.

I’m not sure I’d like to see a movie of the musical, because I generally don’t like movie musicals. I also remember reading it’s unlikely there will be a movie, because there’s issues with whoever holds the rights to “The fearless vampire killers”.

But I would loooooove to see Tanz making it on the West End! Though I doubt it’ll ever happen. Not just because of the Broadway disaster, but also because I somehow don’t see the British audience raving about a show about vampires... Such shows seem to be more successful in continental Europe I hope someone proves me wrong someday though. It’s just such a fantastic show - great mix of rock tunes and beautiful ballads, stunning choreography (honestly, the best I’ve seen in a show), witty plot and characters, but also the right amount of drama... I could go on forever! Maybe that’s exactly what the West End needs, to cheer up a bit?

Miss von Krolock wrote:I’m not sure I’d like to see a movie of the musical, because I generally don’t like movie musicals. I also remember reading it’s unlikely there will be a movie, because there’s issues with whoever holds the rights to “The fearless vampire killers”.

But I would loooooove to see Tanz making it on the West End! Though I doubt it’ll ever happen. Not just because of the Broadway disaster, but also because I somehow don’t see the British audience raving about a show about vampires... Such shows seem to be more successful in continental Europe I hope someone proves me wrong someday though. It’s just such a fantastic show - great mix of rock tunes and beautiful ballads, stunning choreography (honestly, the best I’ve seen in a show), witty plot and characters, but also the right amount of drama... I could go on forever! Maybe that’s exactly what the West End needs, to cheer up a bit?

I love the choreography in Tanz. You are right, some of the best I've ever seen in a musical! Forget Hairspray! Forget Phantom, lol. Tanz is where it's at. Esp. in the eight minute dance fest that is Carpe Noctem - Fuehl Die Nacht! Holy crap. Amazing. Or Die Rotten Stifel/Starker Ales Wir Er Sind. OR, Tanz der Vampire - Finale? Those are some of the best. I could go on forever, too. But there is that awesome commerical of Tanz with Jessica Kessler and Kevin Tarte that is absolutely gorgeous and I'd love for the film to end up like that.

Yes, that commercial turned out quite well, but it's with Thomas Borchert though...

Really? I thought it was with Kevin! :O Silly me...

Oh, I've always adored Tanz. I've seen the original with Steve Barton and have refused to see the show with anyone but him. I listen to others and watch others on Youtube, but nobody moves me like he did.

Now DOTV.... That is something I'll never forgive a certain Phantom actor for, it is a hideous, ludicrous, disgusting parody of the original show.

Elisabetta611 wrote:Oh, I've always adored Tanz. I've seen the original with Steve Barton and have refused to see the show with anyone but him. I listen to others and watch others on Youtube, but nobody moves me like he did.

Now DOTV.... That is something I'll never forgive a certain Phantom actor for, it is a hideous, ludicrous, disgusting parody of the original show.

Tell me, was the 'craze' for him strong in Vienna? I mean, sometimes it's so odd for me to think that an American was so highly loved in the theatre for his voice where as people just knew him as Raoul (but he wasn't a household name). I think if I saw Steve Barton as the Graf, I wouldn't care for anybody else.

Such a shame he's gone...

ML6 wrote:

Elisabetta611 wrote:Oh, I've always adored Tanz. I've seen the original with Steve Barton and have refused to see the show with anyone but him. I listen to others and watch others on Youtube, but nobody moves me like he did.

Now DOTV.... That is something I'll never forgive a certain Phantom actor for, it is a hideous, ludicrous, disgusting parody of the original show.

Tell me, was the 'craze' for him strong in Vienna? I mean, sometimes it's so odd for me to think that an American was so highly loved in the theatre for his voice where as people just knew him as Raoul (but he wasn't a household name). I think if I saw Steve Barton as the Graf, I wouldn't care for anybody else.

Such a shame he's gone...

Pretty strong. He first appeared in Beauty & The Beast after Ethan Freeman left the show and I loved him in that. Then came Tanz.... Many Elisabeth fans (Me included) were hoping for the return of Uwe Kröger, but when I saw the show, I was so glad that he did not get the role. Tanz was a phenomenon with Steve around, the current Viennese revial just cannot compare!

Awww. That's so cute to hear. I'm so glad he had a strong fanbase in Vienna. <3 He deserved all the lovin' he could get.

And, are you serious? Kroeger was rumored to be in the role back in 1997?! Yeah, I prefer Steve's booming voice a lot more. And his laugh is creepy in "Sie Irren Professor!". Creeps me out, still. I have to turn down the volume on my CD when it happens.

ML6 wrote:Yeah, I prefer Steve's booming voice a lot more. And his laugh is creepy in "Sie Irren Professor!". Creeps me out, still. I have to turn down the volume on my CD when it happens.

Ha, I remember playing that CD for a friend and she jumped in her seat at that laugh. I gave her the recording for her birthday and her German-born farrier overheard it one day when she had it blasting from her truck when she went to pick up some horse meds. He liked it so much that he forgot to return it.

I can't believe I haven't contributed to this topic before now.

I admit I only ever heard about Tanz because back in the day I was a hardcore MC fan and well, yeah, less said about his involvement, the better.

But I love the original German-language show. I've not yet been fortunate enough to see the show live, but my favorites are Steve Barton for voice, and Kevin Tarte for plain old awesome acting (good voice, too!). I particularly love how Kevin gave Krolock a sort of posh, effortlessly awesomer-than-thou, quirky aristocratic spin.

Oh, and Herbert is my gay vampire crush. He's so adorable!

Favorite songs? Endless Appatite and of course, The Red Boots Ballet/Say a Prayer - the end of that just blows me away and I'm so glad they added it to the show. And of course, The Finale/Title track is always a winner!

Anyhow, I think the whole show is great fun and I hope that someday it'll get another chance here in the US (however unlikely that is, grr) and not get messed up this time.

~Madame~

Is there any reliable sites that have correct English translations for the show? It looks great but unfortunately I can't understand a word of German.

Callie Daae wrote:Is there any reliable sites that have correct English translations for the show? It looks great but unfortunately I can't understand a word of German.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/tanz_der_vampire/&ei=kld7S964J5DgsQOW2qW8Cw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBMQ7gEwAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DTanz%2Bder%2BVampire%2Bin%2Benglish%26hl%3Den

There is a REALLY awesome site called Old Hickory that actually has the English lyrics, too.

But I think Mr Kunze got him to remove it all. Shame, it was the actual English lyrics too (I have no idea how he got ahold of them).

http://www.freewebs.com/vamptanzen/

This one is a pretty up-to-date fan and Steinman/Kunze mash up.

Is the Vienna production still playing? A friend of mine saw it before Christmas sometime, and raves about it! But he was already a Tanz fan, so...

Yup, the Vienna revival is still playing and going strong as it seems to be hard to get tickets. It's scheduled to play at least until the end of this year I think.

Wow, that's massive! Cool to hear.

So, what's your favorite song people?


I think one of the comedy numbers, Ewigkeit/Eternity is my favorite. I love the staging, the dancing, and most of all how the music envokes the Vampires crawling out of their coffins. It's so cool.

My second favorite has to be Die Rotten Steifel/Staerker Als Wir Er Sind - The Red Boots/Braver Than We Ever Are - because the dancing and the fact that the whole cast comes together at the end of that song and rises to a climatic finish is so cool. Perhaps one of the only good things to come from the English production.

Anyway, tell me tell me!

Why do you say "Ewigkeit" is a comedy number? I don't see it as comedy at all...
And I looooove this scene! Great staging and watching it live, especially from the front stalls, always made me scared the vampires would actually jump at the audience and bite them!

"Rote Stiefel/Stärker als wir sind" is also one of my favourite parts! Such amazing choreography and powerful song! BUT please don't say it's the only good thing to come out of the English Production because the scene was introduced in the original Stuttgart production, so it's not like it's exclusive to Broadway... You know that right?

I also love Totale Finsternis for the pure seductive atmosphere between Sarah and Krolock, and Tanzsaal, the big highlight!! And basically any song Krolock sings
And the Overture is pure awesomeness! The best ever along with the Phantom one to me.

Ohhh I love this show sooooo much!!

I watched the proshot Hamburg production with Kevin Tarte and English subtitles a few days ago and was immediately hooked. I've been listening to the songs daily - in German and Hungarian, and I don't speak either one.

I think my favorite song is Die Unstillbare Gier.

Miss von Krolock wrote:Why do you say "Ewigkeit" is a comedy number? I don't see it as comedy at all...
And I looooove this scene! Great staging and watching it live, especially from the front stalls, always made me scared the vampires would actually jump at the audience and bite them!

The whole musical and the film is seen as a black humor/satire towards vampire films. So, I get that feeling from the scene. I'm not the only person, but the original English lyrics (not the one's in the failed show) show that, and so do the translated ones. German is not my maiden tounge, so the German lyrics might show a different feel. I don't know, I'm just basing it off Steiman's original script.

Miss Von Krolock wrote:"Rote Stiefel/Stärker als wir sind" is also one of my favourite parts! Such amazing choreography and powerful song! BUT please don't say it's the only good thing to come out of the English Production because the scene was introduced in the original Stuttgart production, so it's not like it's exclusive to Broadway... You know that right?

And I always thought that it was introduced in Broadway first. Oh, my bad.

operafantomet wrote:Is the Vienna production still playing? A friend of mine saw it before Christmas sometime, and raves about it! But he was already a Tanz fan, so...

Unless I am mistaken, sometime recently they completely redesigned Tanz so that its more like the Hungarian production. I've seen some photos and vids around the web and it's just... I prefer the original designs. The new ones look like they're trying too hard to emulate trendy gothwear, lots of red and black. The sets are nowhere near as spectacular as the uber-Gothic castle from the original. I think to some extent they're trying to go 'young 'n sexy' with Krolock, too, because his hair is now all black and he doesn't have so much of that aging makeup anymore. Meh...

ETA: I think the redesign is only being used in Vienna. Stuttgart seems to be using the original designs still.

~Madame~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UApy57aGE-Y

Just found this longish proshot trailer/promo clip for the Ronacher production of Tanz. If you're familiar with the original you can see how some of the designs have been changed. I don't really like the new Act I costume for Krolock - too bulky. He seems to change into the more familiar tailcoat suit in Act II, but where is the graveyard set for Endless Appatite? Also, the costumes for the Finale number are kinda... too grungy/biker for me.

Hmph.

~Madame~

Does anyone know why Tanz der Vampire hasn't been brought to the U.S.?

It was brought to the US, in a way. Seeing as you're a fan of Michael Crawford, perhaps you've heard of a short-lived show he starred in on Broadway called Dance of the Vampires. That was Tanz, albeit completely redesigned and butchered reimagined in such a way that made it less campy goth horror and more slapstick vampire parody. This was mostly due to Crawford's insistance that everything be changed so that people wouldn't think of him as being typecast against the Phantom standard. The show ran for a month of previews and roughly a month of actual performances, not nearly long enough to recoup the approximately $10 million investment. Since then, the original composer (Jim Steinman) and I believe the director (Michael Kunze) have refused to permit Tanz to go to any English-speaking country. Meantime, it continues to flourish in Germany, Austria, and other Continental European countries.

ETA: Sorry if I sound a bit snooty. I am a big fan of Tanz, but I have not seen it live and no thanks to the American production, I will likely not be able to see it in the foreseeable future.

~Madame~