review: dracula @ the orpheum theatre

Bat-tement Tendu: Dracula @ The Orpheum Theatre
Review by Dorian Hatchett

Shirtless vampire air guitar is a scene in this New Orleans Ballet Theatre production of Dracula, and it's an entire vibe. I knew I was in for an interesting evening just looking at the audience. The juxtaposition of typical ballet patrons to every high glam goth in New Orleans entertained the wait for curtain. The show - choreographed by Oliver Halkowich - is a masterclass in mashing up classical themes and modern cultural tropes. I have never laughed out loud at the ballet before tonight. 

The dancers were exemplary story tellers. Aaron Wiggins as Renfield is mania personified. I could write an entire review about his frantic, often heartbreaking, rendition of a servant locked into madness and desperation. Josh Reynolds' Dracula is a cavalier rock star, backed by his casket girl company of writhing succubi. Jonathan Harker (Tristan Hanson) is clearly dealing not only with Mina's attraction to the count, but his own conflicted interests in the villainous Lothario.

The set is austere. Costumes and movements were so on the nose that to tell the tale of decadence and oblivion needed no further elaboration. A casket for Mina, a window frame for insight into Johnathon's mind, and backdrops of castle walls were everything we required. The music is chosen for its specificity, not for its time period. (How did I not notice before that Day-O is the quintessential song for supernatural misadventure hangover?) 

While the majority of scenes are intimate, there are scenes throughout where the principal characters find themselves among the townspeople, and the skill of the choreographer really shines here. The dancers utilize the entire stage, whether there is one focal point or a dozen. Crowd scenes are beautifully proportioned to contain a collection of conversations between characters, without feeling overwhelming. 

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