āVampire Ballā is a popular musical, created based on the film directed by Roman Polanski. Invented in the early nineties, the play continues to live and delight the viewer to this day. What is the secret to the success of the production, how was the story of the formation of the play, who was involved in its creation - about this in our article.
Theater News
In August 2016, all gourmets of theatrical art were pleased with the news that the musical āVampire Ballā was returning to the stage of the musical comedy theater in St. Petersburg. Tickets from the box office scattered in the very first days of sales. And all this because the performance has already earned the viewer's love - for three seasons, the performance with full houses went on the stage of the theater. In July 2014, the last performance was played. The theater management promised all fans of the musical that this is not a farewell, but only a small separation. And here again a sensation!
Fans of the musical performance in the new season had to meet with the world of magic and their favorite characters for a month and a half. The opening of the new theater season was planned in the cultural capital of Russia on August 22, 2016. The final musical in St. Petersburg was played on October 2, 2016. But the play did not end its existence. He is expanding the territory of his procession throughout the country. Since October 29, 2016 āVampire Ballā (musical) - in Moscow!
I must say that the musical production underwent some changes: before the new season, the team of directors selected actors - future performers of the main characters, and new faces appeared in the troupe of the theater.
Young vocal performers appeared on the stage together with already famous artists-stars of the genre Ivan Ozhogin, Elena Gazaeva, Alexander Sukhanov .
Fyodor Osipov, Elizaveta Belousova (pictured) - these are the new actors involved in the production of āThe Ball of Vampiresā. The music in the play belongs to Jim Steinman. The musical director of the musical remains the same. This is the well-known permanent Alexei Nefedov.
The premiere of the play in Russia took place in September 2011. Prior to this, the musical won the hearts of the European audience. In general, it all started with the idea of āāCornelius Balthus to realize the story told in 1967 in the film of the same name directed by Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski. Who is he?
The film, which was created by Roman Polanski (āVampire Ballā), today can be safely called a cult, but the recognition of the picture did not happen right away. There was a time when she was considered one of the unsuccessful work of a filmmaker.
Roman Polanski is a well-known filmmaker who, having Jewish roots, spent most of his childhood in Poland, and worked mainly in Great Britain, France and the United States of America.
The results of his many years of work were recognized by world film critics and were awarded with prestigious awards such as the Cannes Golden Palm Branch and Golden Bear in Berlin. The Golden Lion of the Venice Festival, as well as the Oscars and Golden Globes - Roman Polanski also has these awards in his piggy bank.
āVampire Ballā is the first color work of the master, whose idea was born in a ski resort and was conceived as a fairy tale about vampires. Critics often notice the similarity of the picture with the work of the directors of the Hammer studio or the films of Alexander Ptushko, Roger Corman. Roman Polanski does not deny these allegations and admits that he tried to create something similar in āThe Vampire Ballā, only with his vision of what is happening, in a special format - as a kind of sketch for a fairy tale story.
In the picture, Polanski adhered to the principle that even a utopia or an absolutely not real story should consist of small details that carry information, color, and local culture.
The plot of the "Ball of Vampires"
The āVampire Ballā is a film, as well as the āVampire Ballā is a musical, the summary of which is practically no different, tells the following. Professor of Konigsberg University Abronsius and his assistant student Alfred come to Transylvania in search of a mythical castle in which, according to rumors and legends, the vampire Count Von Krolok lives with his son Herbert. On the road, travelers get acquainted with the family of Yoni Chagall, whose beautiful daughter, Sarah, immediately falls in love with Alfred. Travelers do not receive clear answers to all questions from the local population about vampires, but they notice that people are hiding something and are frightened by something.
Soon, the daughter of Chagall Sarah disappears without a trace, in search of which the professor and his assistant go. Travelers do not have to roam the forest for long, a magnificent castle appears in front of their eyes. They meet the smart and highly educated palace owner Von Krolok, who invites them to stay at the castle for some time. At night, men go to the vampire ball, find Sarah and try to escape from the feast of evil. The professor and his assistant do not yet know that Sarah is doomed - she became a vampire and, taking her out of the castle, they only help evil spread around the world.
In no way does the audience embarrass the similar content of the painting āThe Ball of Vampiresā. The reviews of those who watched only indicate that the tape found a response in the hearts of the viewer. People perceive the film as something fabulous, good, albeit with elements of the forces of evil.
Interesting Facts
As planned by Roman Polanski, the shooting of the picture was to take place in Switzerland. Once in the country, the director noticed a very beautiful castle there. However, it was not possible to agree with the owners of the fortress - they were not allowed to work in their possessions. Roman Polanski had to urgently change his plans. It was decided to go to Italy and look for suitable natural landscapes there. By the way, pavilion shooting was carried out in the UK (in London).
Work on the picture is generally associated with many interesting points, funny and unusual situations. For example, in order to recreate the necessary atmosphere of a ball with vampires, it took a huge number of coffins. Their production was entrusted to Italian artisans, because it was in Italy that the picture was shot. Work on the film threatened to disrupt the local tourism business, as stacks of coffins frightened incoming tourists who thought that the area had a dangerous epidemic that was killing people. Owners of local taverns had to try to calm tourists - only special signs and messages explaining what was happening could stabilize the situation.
In the United States, a fairly modified picture, āVampire Ballā, was released. The duration of the tape was reduced, the name was changed, and these innovations were not agreed with Roman Polanski, who subsequently did not recognize this version as his film (an explanation of these facts is slightly lower).
Additional color of the picture was created thanks to the original screensaver of the film company Metro-Goldwin-Mayer, in which the lion turned into a vampire.
Viewer reaction
Talented artists on the set were united by the painting āVampire Ballā. The actors who starred in the film were already known to the world. Prof. Abronzius, for example, was played by Jack McGowran, the image of Alfredās assistant in the movie was created by Roman Polanski himself, Ferdy Mayne appeared in the form of Count Von Krolok, the beautiful Sarah Chagall was played by Sharon Tate - the actress, who later became the wife of the film director. By the way, the period of filming for Polanski was the happiest and most memorable in his life.
Until the beginning of the 90s, the directorās picture was not considered successful. Polanskiās intention to film a serious and exciting tale of vampires, filled with details and elements of culture, failed. The film was perceived as a kind of farce. In the American box office he was shown under the name "Fearless Vampire Killers." The tape āVampire Ballā was subjected to unceremonious interference. The actors did not speak in their own voices - their dialogues were duplicated; various scenes with a total duration of about 20 minutes were cut out of timekeeping. The audience perceived the picture as a "parody" of a special genre of cinema - stories about vampires. For a long time, this was perceived by the Vampire Ball society. However, the time has come, and everything has changed.
In the nineties, based on the film, the musical āDance of the Vampiresā was created, which successfully swept through the theatrical stages of Europe. From this moment on, Polanski's tape was looked at in a new way. She began to play in the minds of the viewer with other colors.
Idea to make a musical
Once a friend of Roman Polanski, producer Andrew Brownsberg invited the director to stage a musical based on his film. To bring the idea to life, it was necessary to do a great job - completely redraw the āVampire Ballā. The text was to be turned into a special drama. It was necessary to write poems, come up with scenes that would convey the atmosphere of the film. We needed unusual music, characteristic, creating a mood. The composers were faced with the task of composing arias and musical parts for many characters.
To work on the musical involved masters of their craft - composer Jimm Steinman and Michael Kunze - librettist. Thanks to their abilities, the main characters of the play seemed to come to life. The effect of their music is such that, from the first notes, the viewer penetrates the heroes of the production, feels the dangerous and so attractive Earl Von Krolock, empathizes with the beautiful Sarah, who is tired of a boring life and who wants to plunge into the abyss of temptation and change something in fate.
The musical accompaniment of the theatrical production combines classical and rock, and this explosive mixture cannot but catch the eye of the viewer. Not surprisingly, the musical became popular in no time. Theater lovers around the world have appreciated the work of a huge team of professionals. Work on the āVampire Ballā was carried out for four years, as a result of which more than 200 unique wigs, costumes, and make-up were created.
The musical turned out to be very rich and fast - during the three-hour performance, the scenery on the stage changes 75 times. It is also interesting that vampire jaws were made for forty artists of the play using special technology.
What the theater audience saw
In 1997, the premiere of the musical "Ball of Vampires." The duration of the performance was three hours, and at first the organizers of the show were worried, as if the spectator would not get bored in the hall of the Raimund Theater in Austria. However, the fears of the team were not confirmed. The performance turned out to be so exciting that the audience enthusiastically demanded that the artists enter the stage again and again.
Since then, the performance has plowed the best theatrical stages in the world. A huge number of fan clubs have been created on the Internet, within which fans share information, exchange thoughts and impressions from watching the musical, and seek travel companions for traveling in order to see all possible versions of the performance in different parts of the world.
Of course, like any work, the musical has both fans and opponents. Someone is negative about the topic of vampires, which affects the play. However, the vast majority of viewers are delighted with the action taking place in the musical production of āVampire Ballā. The reviews of numerous Internet users are proof of this. A lot of those who watched the production 15ā20 times and did not lose interest in it. Only through the love of the audience does the performance continue to live.
The first performer of the role of Count Von Krolock - Steve Barton - is still popular and loved by the audience. In Germany, the charming villain is played by Kevin Tarte and Yann Ammann, in Hungary - Geza Edhazi, in Austria - Drew Serich.
In 2009, the performance underwent some changes, and the modern version of the production is known as Vienna. What has changed? It is believed that the innovations made the performance even more vivid: through the forces of the Hungarian artist Kentaura, Gothic scenery, costumes of artists, and make-up were created.
But not only because of this, āVampire Ballā began to play with magic colors. The music has also changed. Michael Reid wrote fresh arrangements for musical material, the world famous choreographer Dennis Callahan added elegance to movements and improved dance numbers.
Musical version for Russia
In 2011, the premiere of the performance āVampire Ballā took place on the Russian stage. The musical comedy theater of the city of St. Petersburg invited everyone to plunge into the atmosphere of magic and appreciate the plot of musical interpretation, based on the content of Roman Polanski's feature film āThe Vampire Ballā. The main scene in the play is the battle of the forces of good and evil at a ritual ball. In this battle, two scientists converge against a vampire pack - they fight for life and for love.
The Vienna version of the play was specially adapted for the Russian audience - poems and libretto were translated into their native language, through castings a team of performers of the main characters of the musical was recruited.
In total, over three years, the actors played about 280 performances, more than 220 thousand people witnessed the action, which is described by the āVampire Ballā. Reviews from the audience - enthusiastic and laudatory - confirm the success of the musical. However, the production gained not only the love of the viewer, but also the recognition of critics. The overall assessment of the performance was marked by high theater awards: āGolden Maskā, āGolden Spotlightsā, as well as various awards, such as the Prize of the Government of St. Petersburg, as well as the award āMusical Heart of the Theaterā.
The first stage of the march in Russia of the play āBall of Vampiresā (St. Petersburg Musical Comedy Theater) ended on July 31, 2014.
That evening, all the actors involved in the play took to the stage: three compositions of vocalists appeared before the eyes of the audience. In the final of the musical, all the participants and creators of the production were represented, including the orchestra, backing vocalists, dressers, make-up artists, lighting artists, and choreographer.
But that was not the end of the story. At the request of the audience in the 2016-2017 season. The performance returned to the stage of the Musical Comedy Theater of St. Petersburg.
Cast
I must say that the success of the musical āVampire Ballā in the audience is largely due to the talent of the actors involved in the production. It is not in vain that vocalists who want to participate in the performance undergo a most severe selection before entering the troupe. The criteria by which participants are compared are very diverse. And this is not only vocal data. Everything is important: the ability to move, the ability to stand out from the crowd, as well as work in a team, work for the result.
The actors who participated in the play not only gained enormous experience in their profession, but also largely determined their future fate. Today they are popular and in high demand.
Ivan Ozhogin - Count Von Krolok - originally from Ulyanovsk. He has vast experience participating in similar musical performances. Actor's career began in 2002, immediately after the end of GITIS. Ozhoginās track record is filled with roles in the musicals Nord-Ost, Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast. For three years - from 2011 to 2014 - he played the main role in the play "Vampire Ball" (St. Petersburg Musical Comedy Theater).
Today, the actor works not only in Russia but also abroad: gives solo concerts; performs in conjunction with symphony orchestras. In addition, Ivan Ozhogin is the soloist of the Cossack choir, led by Pyotr Khudyakov, as well as the soloist of the St. Nicholas Ugreshsky Monastery.
The second wave of the play āVampire Ballā in Russia replenished the troupe of the theater with new names. After tough selection for the role of attractive Count Von Krolok in 2016, Fedor Osipov was approved.
The actor is from Voronezh. There he received a musical education in vocal class and from 2005 to 2011 he worked as a soloist in the State Opera and Ballet Theater of the city of Voronezh.
In December 2011, he was invited to the Musical Comedy Theater in St. Petersburg, where he made his debut as Andrei Tumansky in the operetta The Servant.
Then there was work in the performances of The Merry Widow, The Count of Luxembourg, The Baboon Riot, The Bat, etc. Today he is known as the lead actor in the play Vampire Ball.
Main characters
In the first part of the production of āThe Ball of Vampiresā, the role of the beautiful Sarah was performed by actress Elena Gazaeva. The artist is from Vladikavkaz. In 2006, she received an acting education at North Ossetian State University. Producers from Moscow noticed her after the girl became the laureate of several music competitions, and invited the artist to the capital to participate in the musicals Bremen Town Musicians, Lukomorye, Master and Margarita.
For participation in the play āBall of Vampiresā in the role of Sarah in the Musical Comedy Theater of St. Petersburg, Gazaeva was nominated for the Golden Mask and Musical Heart Theater awards. In July 2014, Elena Gazaeva was awarded the title of Honored Artist of North Ossetia. Today she works in the musical Jekyll & Hyde.
In 2016, after numerous castings, actress Elizaveta Belousova was approved for the role of Sarah in the musical āBall of Vampiresā. Reviews about the work of the young actress in the play are positive.
A girl was born in Voronezh, however, she works in the Music and Drama Theater at the Petersburg Concert. In addition to participating in the play āVampire Ballā, the artist is also involved in the musical āJekyll & Hydeā.
The role of a bizarre professor in the musical is played by the Honored Actor of Russia Andrei Matveev (pictured); the image of Alfred in love was created with the participation of Igor Krol; Sarah's father - Chagall - played by Oleg Krasovitsky.
The secret of the performanceās success, audience love hasnāt let go of so many years, probably lies in the stunning music, the mesmerizing scenery and the huge talent of the people involved.