#Vampyyrien tanssi revival

[wilwarien]

Kootut heitot - Puns translated

Majatalossa

Chagal: “Tuuli se vain on -- vastatuuli.” - It’s just the wind - head wind.”

Kauniin tyttären jos Luoja antaa

Chagal: *kantaa lautoja kylpyhuoneeseen* “Pientä pintaremonttia.” - *carries staves to the bathroom* I’m going to do some redecoration. (There’s a redecoration show in Finland called “Pientä Pintaremonttia”.)

Aamu/Järki

Abronsius: “Hienoa, rouva -- kun lisäätte vielä äänen puhallukseen, siitä tulee melkein vihellys.” - Excellent, Mrs Chagal -- once you add the noise to the blow, it’ll become a whistle.

Kutsu keskiyön juhlaan/Jos voisin lentää

Abronsius: “Hempskutarepale!” - not translatable, but basically means something like “Oh my God!”

Chagal: “Nyt kaikki vaatteet päälle ja nukkumaan!” - Put on all of your clothes and go to bed!

Kynsilaukka (reprise)

Abronsius: “Siitä voi tulla tikkuja!” - (when being threatened by Rebecca with a stake) You might get splinters from that!

Linnan edessä

Alfred: *tekonaurua* En ymmärtänyt. - *fake laugh* I don’t get it. (after Krolock’s angsty tirade and his little laugh at the end of it.)

Krypta

Abronsius: “Voi gaudeamus igitur!” - Oh gaudeamus igitur!

Abronsius: “Haluatko sinä että tuo Krolockien vaari kuulee kaiken?”  - Do you want Granddad von Krolock to hear everything? (He’s talking about Koukol.)

Abronsius: “Älä nyt vatuloi siinä vaan tule ja auta minut irti tästä kreivin katalasta ansasta.” - not easily translateable, as the verb “vatuloida” refers to the current Finnish politics. But basically this means something along the line: - Don’t just waste time there, get up here and help me out of this count’s wicked trap.

Abronsius: *hieroo polveaan* Ai että kun ehtikin puutua! - *rubs his knee* Oh dear, it got so numb already!

Chagal: *lyö nenänsä arkunkanteen* “Ai saatana.” - *hits his nose on the coffin lid* Oh fuck. (may sound lame, but the situation combined with how the line was delivered, it was golden.)

Kirjat, kirjat

Abronsius: “Verisiä valkolakkeja - vampyyrien vappurieha valokuvina” - Bloody graduation hats - the vampires’ May Day event in photographs

Alfred: Ei taas tätä laulua! - Not this song again!

Kun rakastut

Alfred: *astuu kylppäriin, huomaa Herbertin* “Väärä kylpyhuone!” - *steps in the bathroom and notices Herbert* Wrong bathroom!

Herbert: “Tanssi, poika, tanssi!” - Dance, boy, dance!

Abronsius: “Nahkavarjo lepotilaan niin kuin olisi jo! Takaisin sarkofagiin pötköttämään! Ja makaakin mahallasi!” - (to Herbert) Put your leather umbrella to rest at once! Go back to your sarcophagus! And make sure you lie on your belly!”

Hei hoi hei (reprise)

Alfred: "Hiljaiseksi meni!" - Well he got quiet! (after Abronsius line about preserving Krolock in spirits.)

Nyt voimme lentää

Alfred. “Näyttää pahalta mutta tuntuu hyvältä.” - Looks bad but feels good.

Finaali

Abronsius: No pitikö nyt tähän jäädä luennoimaan! - *while he’s getting bitten* Did I really have to stay and give a lecture right here?

[armyofdawn]

Tanz Problems

Help! Pulassa ollaan! Me and my friends are going to see the new Vampyyrien Tanssi at Helsinki, but we can’t decide which cast to choose.

Kreivi von Krolock: Jonas Saari Sarah: Anna Victoria Eriksson                            Alfred: Miiko Toiviainen Abronsius: Tuukka Leppänen                          Chagal: Kari Mattila Magda: Sanna Majuri Rebecca: Leenamari Unho

OR

Kreivi von Krolock: Mikko Vihma                    Sarah: Raili Raitala Alfred: Petrus Kähkönen      Abronsius: Antti Timonen Chagal: Risto Kaskilahti                Magda: Laura Alajääski                                          Rebecca: Leenamari Unho

I’d love to see the show twice but we are too broke to do that. So it has to be just one. What say you fellow tanzfans?

[wilwarien]

Vampyyrien tanssi Derniere and general thoughts on the production

So, it’s over. What am I going to do with my life now?

I’ll try to put down some thoughts, but as I’m still tired as hell, this is probably going to be a garbled ramble (I travelled to Helsinki just for one day and was home around 3:30 am).

HKT Tanssi was one wild ride. Not as thoughtful or dark as Seinäjoki was, but it had a lot of good things of its own, and it was different from the usual replica productions. Yet in the heart of its hearts, it’s still the good ol’ Tanz.

I was not able to make it to the second to last show, which was Tuesday, and I’m guessing it’s going to bother me I never got to see the other cast on stage. For one, I’ve heard a lot of good things about Tuukka Leppänen’s Professor and Anna Victoria Eriksson’s Sarah. Not to mention, Sanna Majuri’s Magda was insanely good. She actually seemed happy when Chagal died, and her treatment of him in the crypt was borderline contemptuous. She quickly made friends with Herbert, which is something I usually like in Tanz. Meanwhile, I didn’t get much from Alajääski’s Magda. At least in derniere, she didn’t seem to feel much at Chagal’s death, and yet to me it looked like she was almost offering herself for him to bite. Meanwhile, Kaskilahti’s Chagal was his usual annoying self, even though he had a couple of funny lines (telling Sarah to dive when realising she’s in the bath tub, and groaning “ai saatana” when he hits his nose on the lid of the coffin in the crypt. that would translate into something like “oh shit”). Also, Professor called Koukol “the granddad of Krolocks”, and when Magda and Chagal’s coffin appeared, both him and Alfred shrieked “Mother von Krolock!”

Overall, the cast gave an energetic, fun show. Vihma looks like he has really grown into Krolock’s role, and it’s a pity we don’t get to see what else he might do with the role. I had my doubts in the beginning, but I’ve grown to like his wry, wicked Krolock. An important part about the character (and the actor) for me is that I need to believe there’s an actual vampire on the stage, and that he might jump down to bite me any second. Vihma truly succeeded in that.

Raitala remains THE Sarah for me, and Kähkönen’s Alfred has grown on me as well -- I loved the way he delivered the character’s arc and growth. And there’s the fabulous Samuel Harjanne! As for Timonen’s professor, he too was a thing that eventually grew on me. When seeing the shows, I found myself looking forward to what he’s going to come up with this time.

I was rather surprised there were not many derniere jokes. I had rather expected them to go completely nuts, considering how much they’ve been coming up with jokes and puns during the production. There were a few things, like when Herbert is dancing with Alfred, he told him “Dance, boy, dance!” Altogether Herbert and Krolock seemed to have something more going on, considering how touchy feely they were in Vor Dem Schloss, and their little kiss in Tanzsaal (actually I think several vampire pairs in Tanzsaal were doing little kisses). Apparently there were a few shippers in the audience, too. Can’t say I expected that. And I heard someone was wearing two hats in Tanzsaal, though I didn’t see that myself. Maybe one of the most glaring jokes was Tuukka appearing in Finale wearing a dress and pigtails, and then staring and pointing at Antti Timonen (Tuukka was the other Professor).

Though everyone who has been following me for some time knows I absolutely loved (and still do) the original Seinäjoki production, I must admit I’m going to miss HKT’s Tanssi. It truly took the show to its roots as a parody of vampire genre. It was also a breath of fresh air, doing things you don’t normally see done with this show. Not to mention, their social media shenanigans were just wild, and I loved the way they included fans and allowed these meets and greets after the show. Because of all this, I’m disappointed on the behalf of the cast and crew: they would have deserved bigger audiences and a longer run. But as we talked last night, it was probably due to insufficient advertising, a difficult stage and the wrong season. The campaign didn’t reach the young adults very well, and the expensive tickets were likely a deal breaker for many of them. Personally, I think the show should premiere in autumn, because vampires + spring + growing light doesn’t really work that well. Not to mention, autumn has Halloween and Christmas season, and I think vampires in glittery costumes, bombastic music and castles in shadowy woods are just made for that time of the year. And there’s Peacock Theatre, while not bad stage per say, maybe it’s just difficult to get people there instead of the actual main stage (where there would have been much more space and potential for bigger props). Anyway, now I’m afraid that other theatres will take this as a sign Vampyyrien tanssi is too risky to be performed, and the show won’t be revived at least any time soon in Finland. Well, there’s still Seinäjoki, which showed that this show can also be wildly popular when done at the right time and right place.

In the end, I must admit the Finnish productions have truly ruined me for the replicas. I don’t know what it is but both Seinäjoki and Helsinki brought something distinctively different to the show, and I shall remain hoping that in a couple of years, another Finnish theatre will try their hand at this strange, wonderful show.

[wilwarien]

hktfi This Krolock doesn’t have all his bats up in the tower either.

Photo by Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s instagram.

[wilwarien]

Serious musical, brought to you by serious people.

Photos by Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s instagram.

[wilwarien]

What even is this cast? (what are they smoking and where can I get some)

Photo by Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s instagram.

[wilwarien]

Miiko Toiviainen (aka HKT!Alfred’s angelic curls)

Photo by Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s instagram.

[wilwarien]

@henriikkakos 😄 I feel like in Alfred’s case he may have just forgotten the handkerchief in his nose after blowing.

Photo by Helsingin kaupuginteatteri’s instagram.

[wilwarien]

are you imagining Krolock wandering in the castle in sweatpants and with a coffee mug in hand because I surely am

Photo by Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s instagram.

[wilwarien]

Mikko Vihma in the middle of acts.

Photo by Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s instagram

[wilwarien]

The hand program of Vampyyrien tanssi can be found at above link. The text is in Finnish, but there are some very lovely shots. Go and take a look!

[wilwarien]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri (@hktfi)

Yeah, that’s Vihmalock yelling at the empty auditorium.

Video by @toimiiko

[wilwarien]

No, I’m not imagining Graf jogging through the graveyard or doing push ups in Rocky Training Montage style.

Photo by @henriikkakos

[wilwarien]

Vampyyrien tanssi in Helsingin kaupunginteatteri, Part 2

Onwards to the second part! Here I will be talking about the little details of the show and changes that make it a bit different show than what has been seen before. Obviously, I may not have noticed everything or remember all that I saw, but I'll try to be as comprehensive as I can. Beware, for here be spoilers.

The show starts with our dearly beloved Overture, which is "performed" by Koukol the Phantom of the Opera on his pipe organ. Loved that little jab at POTO!

I was kind of sad to see they did not include "Dorfstrottel". One of the villagers did deliver the line about the count's castle and was called "the village idiot" by Chagal, but otherwise he was not recognisable as the local weirdo.

In "Nie Geseh'n", the action at the background as Sarah and Alfred sing in the front was not as intense. That was a pity, because I do rather love the bit about Abronsius sneaking about in search of vampires. Also, where in Seinäjoki production Rebecca would also hear the vampires, in HKT she is oblivious to their voices. It may not affect things at large, but to me it was an important bit that gave depth to the character and to the story.

"Einladung Zum Ball" was bit of a disappointment to me, though at first I did not entirely realise why it was so. For one, those wings. I disliked them in the pictures and resented them on stage. Moreover, they did not seem to work very fluidly, making Krolock look a bit like he was descending from heavens in his very own Batmobile. After the show when I talked with my sister (who came to see the show as well), she explained very well what is lacking in the scene. She said that Krolock was not concentrating on Sarah but rather the audience, he was not seducing her the way he should. Again to bring up Seinäjoki, I liked how he was solely focused on her, and vice versa she wasfocused on him. In HKT, she'd occasionally turn to look at audience, and in my opinion if you are not strictly focused on a guy in leather pants appearing in your bathroom while you're naked, he's doing it wrong.

"Die Roten Stiefel" was visually quite stunning. As I said in the previous post, the dancers of the show are very good and enjoyable to watch. A bit confusing thing was Krolock actually making an appearance on the stage when he sang his part. I wasn't sure if it meant he was really there, or if Sarah was just imagining him? Anyway, at the end of the choreography, Krolock joined the other Dream!vampires and carried Sarah double off the stage and into the darkness.

"Das Gebet" is a powerful piece, but again I found myself thinking of how it was done in Seinäjoki. I always loved how Rebecca and Magda came to directly sing at Sarah, her hesitation and Rebecca's horror when she realises her daughter is going to follow Krolock, and how Magda pleads her not to go. That was always a powerful, poignant moment and I truly missed it -- however, this is of course just my view.

"Vor Dem Schloss" is one of my favourite moments in the show. Vihma was great as this arrogant master of the castle who knows he’s Better Than You, and I loved his interaction with Herbert. Often Krolocks act like they're so done with Herbert's little show, but Vihma only looked like he was terribly proud of his little princeling. Through the entire show it seemed like bringing Sarah, Abronsius and Alfred to the castle was their shared evil plan, which they were working to complete. Vihma and Harjanne were truly a wicked little team, so to speak. :D Also, where Jyrilock used something like mind control/hypnosis to lure Alfred, it seemed to me that Vihma was doing some good old-fashioned seducing to make him fall. Altogether it seemed to me Vihma was going for a Krolock who uses sexuality to beguile victims (both male and female) into giving their blood.

In "Totale Finsternis", Krolock does not actually lead Sarah away, or disappear with her into darkness. After resisting her blood, he simply leaves her there alone, and she remains behind looking quite the image of sexual frustration.

Personally, I have always liked how "Carpe Noctem" is staged, and the inclusion of Black Vampire and White Vampire. I like how Alfred is seeing the reflections of himself, Krolock and Sarah, how he's a spectator in that scene. In HKT's production, there is no BV or WV, but Sarah double is. Rather, the moments where it might be BV or WV, there's rather Krolock himself or Alfred. Obviously, as the actors are not professional dancers, they can't do as much as their doubles could. Still, they did a good job and I thought "Carpe Noctem" had some of Vihma's best moments, and he was great as this puppet master of Alfred's nightmare. During the song, Sarah is not actually bitten at all, not by Krolock or Alfred. Rather, the one to get bitten in the end was Alfred himself! It was quite an interesting peak into Alfred's mind, what with Krolock parading in what looked like a torn shirt.

"When you don't get out of your clothes at night, you get more time for ballads in the morning."

In "Ewigkeit", Herbert and Magda arrive at the graveyard, and they are the ones to wake up the vampires hibernating in what looks like one big grave in the ground. These vampires seemed to be quite in control of themselves and not very stiff at all. They appeared beastly, but energetic beasts at that. Herbert and Magda actually stayed on stage all through the show, joining the song with the rest of the vampires. Krolock also came to the stage at the end of the song, which then proceeded into "Die Unstillbare Gier".

In “Tanzsaal”, Herbert is there to lead Sarah down the stairs. He and Daddy truly are in an evil league! :D But Herbert does not do this alone: Chagal also came to lead her down, which is really quite creepy and tragic, considering what happens to her next.

Though I would have liked Vihma to build up the bite somewhat more, he did a great job of showing his utmost contempt of Sarah just afterwards. Once he has bitten her, he simply lets her fall and then, after wiping his mouth clean, dumped his handkerchief on her. God, that was cold!

During "Draussen Ist Freiheit Reprise", Abronsius is not on the stage at all. Rather, he appears after Sarah and Alfred have gone, and as you probably know by now, is eventually bitten by Herbert and Magda. While it was unexpected ending, I had mixed feelings about it as well. I always liked the idea that even though Sarah and Alfred are taking the vampire curse into the outside world, Abronsius was also taking with him all the data he had gathered and thus making it possible to fight the vampires. In my ideal version, Abronsius returns to the village and goes off to slay vampires with Rebecca!

Abronsius dancing in "Der Tanz der Vampire" is wild. The guy is clearly having the time of his life, which is both good and bad. Good, because it's fun to watch, but bad because I'm not sure one should try to steal the show in a piece like the finale of the show. Still, it was fun how he acted when Krolock came to his side, and how he was trying to emulate the Count. I’m pretty sure they’re going to be frenemies forever. Anyway, the cast and ensemble don't actually change into any goth costumes straight out of some nightclub. I'm not sure what to think of that, because on the one hand, the goth club costumes are more from when the show first premiered in Vienna, and yet on the other I always liked how it looked like. Be it as may, it was kind of nice that the entire cast and ensemble came to join the last song.

That's about it for now. I'm kind of tired from the weekend and today's work, so it could be I forgot something, but I'm going to see the show at least once more -- maybe I'll pick up more stuff then!

[wilwarien]

Vampyyrien tanssi in Helsingin kaupunginteatteri, Part 1

So! Now that I finally have a device with a decent keyboard before me, I'm going to write down some of my thoughts considering the new production of Vampyyrien tanssi. I will post my review in two parts: the first one will be generally about the production, and in the second I will be talking about the details of the show. Hopefully, that way people who aren't able to see the show can get some idea of what it is like, and what is unique to this particular version. Neither posts will be spoiler free, so if you are planning to see the show, proceed at own risk. Also, this is a long and rambling account, for I Have Thoughts.

Tanz der Vampire is a fun show. Impressive scenes that just treat the eyes, catchy songs, excitement for what's going to happen next, lots of moments for subtle (or not so subtle) humour. The text is clever and contains many references that, when you spot them, can be a source of plenty of personal satisfaction. Characters are interesting and distinct, but on the other hand space is given to the actors to bring their own interpretation into the roles. Altogether it's an enjoyable show, and it never fails to take me away into its own world beyond the everyday life -- a true escapist experience, so to speak.

As you know, Tanz is a very special and important show to me -- how else would I still be here, posting about the show four years after I first saw Vampyyrien tanssi in Seinäjoki? You also know I loved that production to bits and am still not over it. So, when I went to see the new production in Helsingin kaupunginteatteri, I had my doubts, and I certainly did not expect to like it much. Fortunately, during the first act I understood I'd enjoy myself much more if I did not try to compare this production to Seinäjoki (at least not too much). But now, few days after I've seen the show, I must admit it's not bad at all. You can see the influence of the Seinäjoki production, but on the other hand this revival isn't trying to be the same or slavishly follow the original Finnish version. Like I said, Tanz is a fun musical, and Helsingin kaupunginteatteri is fully embracing that, bringing alive a show that definitely doesn't take itself too seriously. Lots of puns were made between the songs, original to this production, and apparently the cast are still coming up with new jokes ("pelihullu kylämanni - kylähullu pelimanni"). Sadly, the jokes are lost on the foreign crowd, as they're not so easily translated. I think the comedy was more pronounced than in Seinäjoki production, though sadly this cost the show some of its subtlety. Moreover, some changes had been made to the libretto. This could be just me being too familiar with the libretto as it was in Seinäjoki, but mostly the changes seemed unnecessary or even awkward.

When watching the show, it's obvious the crew has viewed a lot of bootlegs. There are bits and pieces that have clearly been inspired and influenced scenes. For example, in "Einladung Zum Ball" Krolock has similar batwings as in Tokyo production. However, though there are these little touches from other productions, it doesn't make the show feel like it's a mishmash, or a replica of another version. Rather, HKT!Tanz manages to maintain a spirit of its own, different from previous productions. And to be honest, some of the acting and interpretation choices of Seinäjoki production would not have worked in the revival. It's clear the crew is trying to do something different with the show, to bring about an unique interpretation of the piece. Mostly, I think they succeed in this. However, at times I felt they are trying a bit too hard to be original and distinct. It's not wrong to want to come up with something new -- in fact, I encourage it -- but you should not be trying too hard when you already have a very solid story in your hands. The stage at Peacock-theatre is not a very easy one, and I believe many of the problems of the staging would not exist if the show was shown in some other stage. In any case, some scenes (especially "Nie Geseh'n") ended up cluttered and somewhat confusing. One did not get as strong sense of space -- in some instances, lot was left to the imagination of the viewer, which I generally don't like in pieces like Tanz. This shows especially in "Tanzsaal". Personally, I like it when that scene has grandeur, like a proper ballroom in a vampire count's castle should, but in HKT!Tanz I did not get that feeling of being in a spacious, beautiful hall meant for great balls. Also, I was irrationally sad to see they did not use a four-poster bed in "Carpe Noctem". I always liked the bit with vampires crawling out of the bed and climbing the posters (and who could forget Jouko Enkelnotko's Herbert rocking that pole?). On the other hand, there were some very, very good moments. I liked the way "Knoblauch" was staged, and how the round wall was opened to reveal the scene inside the inn. Altogether the inn had some of the nicest staging in my opinion. Also, another moment I liked very much was in "Totale Finsternis". In the scene, there is a painting of some aristocratic group, sitting with their perfectly ordinary and tidy silhouettes towards the audience. Then in the middle of the song, the people in the painting actually step out of the painting, revealing their other side, which is completely corrupted. 

But where the staging sometimes fails to deliver, mostly the show is very nice to look at. It's delightfully dark and there are lots of details in the costumes, especially in those of the vampires. In the more crowded scenes one doesn't know where to look at, because there is so much to see. Each vampire has a distinct look that at times reminded me somewhat of Kentaur's style in the Vienna revival and the Russian production (Also Vampire!Wolverine! What's up with that?). My favourites were perhaps Graf's attire in "Tanzsaal", and Alfred and Professor's costumes -- blue works really well with Alfred's lovely blond locks -- while the worst mishap of the costume department (in my opinion) was Sarah double's attire at the end of "Die Roten Stiefel". In that scene, the vampires remove her dress layer By layer, until in the end she's dressed in skin-tight body. Honestly, that thing made me think of Sarah the Circus Artist. Maybe her ultimate dream of freedom is of joining a circus? Music-wise, I don't have any complaints: the orchestra and the singers did all very good job. Of the voices of the actors, Raili Raitala remains close to my heart, but I also liked Samuel Harjanne's (Herbert von Krolock) singing very much. Of the dancing company I only have praise. Their performance was effortless and I couldn't see any mistakes, and overall it was very enjoyable to watch them dance. Especially Sarah's double had this very fluid and light quality to her movement.

Then the actors. Overall, the cast gave solid performances, but not stellar. Because I'm me, I could not help but think the acting was not as on point as in Seinäjoki, where we had many incredibly strong character interpretations, which worked astonishingly well -- after all, if you have many very distinct actor performances, it can  become a bit too intense for the audience. To begin with Mikko Vihma's Graf von Krolock, there were things I liked and some that left me wanting. For one, I did not feel as though he made enough effort to build up the tension for when Graf finally bites Sarah. In this, ToFi is very important, and I did not really feel he truly hungered for her blood. When he resisted biting her there, he seemed rather resigned than a vampire struggling not to give into his thirst. I would also have liked to see more despair from him in "Die Unstillbare Gier". I think Vihma could really do a wicked Krolock, but was holding back for some reason. At any rate, he does have a rather regal presence on the stage, and some of my favourite moments were those where he interacted with Herbert. I really loved Raili Raitala's spirited Sarah in Seinäjoki production, and I was in fact expecting something similar -- I do like my Sarahs with some fire in them. However, her performance was much milder and sweeter even, and rather than be puzzled by Alfred, she seemed more torn between what Krolock is promising to offer and this young student. I still liked her, and perhaps Raitala just wanted to do something a bit different after already doing the role before. At the end of the musical, when Krolock has shown his true colours, her resignation and bitter regret was very tangible. Petrus Kähkönen's Alfred was enjoyable to watch. Again to compare with Seinäjoki, Kähkönen was a bit more mature Alfred, more confident and less eager to put up with Professor's nonsense. At times, he was really very done with whatever antics Abronsius was pulling off. Really, I felt Kähkönen's Alfred lacked a lot of that innocent light and hopefulness that we saw in the original Finnish production. Antti Timonen as Abronsius. God, where to even begin? As you know, I adored Esa Ahonen's calm, sharp Professor, and I was fully prepared to be disappointed with HKT's version. However, I was surprised not only to see Timonen's interpretation works very well in the context of this production, but also that I kinda liked him. He was definitely a kind of professor to have his head in the clouds at least half the time, but he did also have some of that sharpness. Timonen's Abronsius is really quite a character, but he never takes the comedy too far. Herbert was another thing I was slightly worried about before seeing the show. However, in the hands of Samuel Harjanne, the character is quite safe. He was fierce and fabulous, and I was happy to see the production embracing the potential of the friendship between him and Magda. Altogether Harjanne seemed to enjoy the role very much, and that in my opinion had a good impact on his performance. The good thing about Rebecca (Leenamari Unho) is that the production did not go the "ugly hag" route. I must admit I again had high expectations, remembering Leena Rousti's powerful performance -- and, sadly, my expectations were not reclaimed. Though Unho was not bad, she did not really stand out either, and I did not find myself sympathising with her as much as I had with Rousti's Rebecca. At the end of the first act, Unho's Rebecca just fades away, and is not thought of since. Same might have happened with Laura Alajääski's Magda had she not appearances in the second act, and in my view, she benefited from being paired with Harjanne's Herbert. As for Koukol (Juha Jokela), he was not a very memorable or distinct character -- then again, a mostly silent role does not give much room for making an impression. Though I loved Antti Railio's heavy metal Koukol, it's probably true such an approach would not have worked in HKT's production. Risto Kaskilahti's Chagal was my least favourite. True, it's a difficult role to do well, but Kaskilahti's approach was way, way over the top. Mostly, he came across as obnoxious and I violently directed my attention on everything else when he was talking or singing. He did have a couple of funny jokes, but those did not redeem his performance in my eyes.

As with the dancers, I can only praise the ensemble. They seemed like they were having the time of their lives, which was great -- it’s usually a good thing when the crew is enjoying themselves. This translated in to a good, energetic vibe, especially in the second act.

To bring this first part to a close, I do like the new production. It's a fun, enjoyable show, and you would have to be entirely without a sense of humour not to feel entertained by it. It's a solid entity, with its different parts adding up together, and creating a piece that is both fun and dark. It’s a very energetic production, and I got the impression the cast and ensemble were all having a great time on the stage. Despite the occasional problems with staging, it is visually beautiful and sounds amazing. For the average theatre-goer most of my critique might not even occur, and I admit it's sometimes much because I loved the Seinäjoki production so much. But even then, I did like what I saw and I'm going to see the show at least once more in March with the other cast. Though hopefully, I'll visit this version of Transylvania more than just once more!

[wilwarien]

Herbert is actually leading Sarah down the stairs. Am I now to assume he put that dress on her as well? Quite different from Jouko Enkelnotko’s angle -- he played the scene with the idea Sarah was wearing his mother’s dress, and he was quite displeased with that.

Photo from Helsingin kaupunginteatteri’s website.