Czech Musicals
There are some wonderful and exciting shows coming out of Prague these days and so I thought I'd share a few of my favourites with you! This is quite basic at present but I do hope to add more to these pages when I have time!
Why not also visit the page for my favourite Czech performers!!
Key Points About Czech Musicals:
* Have a little s & m if possible/scantily clad dancers will do.
* Flaming torches for cast members to walk on with are a must!!! I think they have shares in them or something!
* Have a metaphorical figure like - Time, Destiny, Death, Envy, War...
* Czech shows always have around 3 cast members for each role and they take turns on different days of the week. So performers are often in 2 or 3 shows at a time...one Monday eve, one Tuesday eve etc. If you are lucky you can see several shows and see your favourite performer in all of them!!
* Projected images onto the backdrop or convenient pieces of draping are also good and effective for advancing the story or expressing further the words of the song
The link above will take you to Daniel Hulka's (Dracula) fansite where you will find lyrics to all the songs from the show and short sound clips too!
This musical is NOT the Bram Stoker novel. The story goes like this. Dracula is terrorising some villagers who run to a church for sanctuary but Dracula forces his way in and kills them all. Before dying the priest curses him. Back at the castle Dracula's preganant wife, Adriana awaits with only her jester for company. She hopes her husband will be home soon. Dracula does return but finds that Adriana has gone into labour; the child is dead and she dies in his arms. Dracula curses god and tries to commit suicide. He doesn't die though and becomes a vampire.
Some years later Dracula is still alive and with him is his servant and 3 nymphs - women he has turned into vampires. Then his young relative, Lorraine, arrives following her parent's death. He seduces her and she falls in love with him. Her brother is a priest and, hearing of the tales about Dracula, he goes to take her away. When she won't leave he tries to kill Dracula. Having failed, he kills himself instead. Lorraine is distraught and asks Dracula to make her a vampire too.
Now in the 20th century, Dracula has moved to London where he owns a casino and he had employed a professor to study him! Nick and his girlfriend Sandra head a biker gang who plan to rob the casino. While casing the joint Nick sees a picture of Adriana, who looks like Sandra. He steals a dress for her to wear at the casino the next night. Seeing Sandra in Adriana's dress, Dracula thinks his dead wife has returned and goes after her. Lorraine comes to realise that he never loved her at all. Sandra is intrigued by Dracula but Nick comes to take her away. Dracula becomes angry and goes after them but is attacked by the biker gang. The professor tries to help him and is killed. Dracula is sad at the loss of his friend and wants to die. Figures from his past reappear and Lorraine forgives him. Together they ask Sandra to open the curtains so that the sunlight will kill them.
This is a very traditional, symphonic score with lots of sweeping melodies. A beautiful piece.
This is a show based on the King Arthur stories. It focuses on the relationships between Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot and the Grail quest. The music has a pop/rock feel to it and the production is very modern and minimalist. There are some nice photos and a short promo video clip available on the website. One thing I never understood when I saw there show were the little cat models all around the stage that were moved from time to time. I asked my Czech friend - she didn't know why there were there either...weird...
This show charts the rise and fall of Galileo Galilee - in particular his theory of the earth moving round the sun and his problems with the Inquistion, lead by Inchofer. This is a great piece - inventive set, lovely costumes and very sexy. The site has a few nice images and bits of info. Tomas Trapl's site has a download of one of the songs from the show under "muzikaly" . A DVD of the show is available. Some nice little s & m touches when Giani first tries to seduce Galileo (and fails) then goes and tells Inchofer, in a very provocative and sexy way, that Galileo raped her!
Golem is loosely based on the Czech-Jewish myth of a creature, created by Rabbi Lowe, who helps the Jewish people, but one day is not given instructions and runs amok. In the musical the story centres around the Christian-Jewish hatred and Golem has special powers but, due to a mix up with the creation spell, he is able to feel and falls in love with the Jewish girl, Rebekka. The subplot is the romance between Rebekka and a Christian names Vojta. Another show from Karel Svoboda (and the last now, following his tragic death), this show is filled with sweeping melodies and lush orchestration. The set works well and there is excellent use of puppets in certain scenes. A first-rate musical!
Based on the Shakespeare play this is a great show with some lovely melodies and songs. Again a very creative and interesting set. The set is on a revolve and cleverly can be Ophelia's room, on a boat, inside the castle or on the battlements. Orphelia's role is somewhat enlarged in the show and she gets all the nicest songs. The site is down at present but when it comes back I imagine there'll be some good images. A brilliant DVD of the show is available.
Jack Rozparovac
This Jack the Ripper musical has a Faustian take on the legend, with Jack about to commit suicide till the Devil intervenes and offers him everything - all it will take is blood! The music to this show is OK on the whole though some of the melodies are a little too similar. In the same way, he scenes between Jack and the Devil, along with the dance-murder scenes are good but the scenes with the prostitutes all seem to blend into one and are not memorable.
Yet another amazing piece with some glorious songs. The main site for this show no longer exists but some great images can be found at the site above. This show is alos out on DVD now. The story follows Joan as she first hears her voices up until her death at the stake and concentrates on her relationships with her fiance, the king and the soldier La Hire. There are a lot of metaphorical references too, which work really well - a figure of Death, of War, of Envy...
The music for this show is very much pop-based but there are still some lovely tunes and songs. This is another one available on DVD and the website is pretty good with a few nice images.
The story begins with Caesar's defeat of Pompey and his arrival in Egypt then follows through to Cleopatra's death, focusing on her love for both Caesar and Mark Anthony. I do like the dancer who plays the asp and is present at various times throughout the show, ready for the ending and Cleopatra's death. Octavian is really evil in this, which isn't historically accurate but does work for the show.
This show is based VERY loosely on the Pied Piper of Hamlin story. Krysar (rat catcher) arrives at a town with a rat problem and agrees to help them. In the meantime he falls in love with Agnes, the mayor's daughter, and she with him. To get rid of the rats Krysar has a magic flute. His music kills the rats. Unfortunately a man is asleep in the barn when Krysar goes to do his work so the man dies too. At this Krysar is blamed by many for the death and has to leave. The town is divided into thos against Krysar and those for him. All the while the figure of Destiny has been keeping watch and he is pleased as all is going to plan. Krysar returns for Agnes and a fight breaks out, most of the town folk die. Agnes is attacked and Krysar calls for it to stop. Destiny appears and congratulates him. In return for his service Agnes may live but he has to give up his flute; his work is done.
There is a lot of folk influence in the music to this piece and it is lovely. Images and lyrics are available on the website.
Based on the Dumas novel, "The Count of Monte Cristo" and written by the "Dracula" team, this is another veyr symphonic and traditional musical with lavish set and costumes. In the show the figure of "Time" presides, moving events along. Again the official site is gone but there are some images at the link above. Lyrics and a few audio clips can also be found at Daniel Hulka's fansite.
This is the new show by the writers of "Excalibur". The musical style is very similar and the show is just as strangely done. That said it is very good and interesting and is one that will repay repeated viewing/listening. The music is good although most of the melodies are not instantly memorable and the use of metaphor is ever present. A very thought provoking piece. Some images cane be found at the official site.
This is a new show written by Daniel Landa, who wrote Krysar. It is hard to tell the story of the show since there is a twist a the end that is ruined if too much is revealed. It is a wonderful piece though with ideas of werewolves, magic and tarot. The music is very catchy and the set and staging are excellent. One of my faves definitely. There are plenty of nice images on the site and a video of one of the songs "Volam", sung by Landa and featuring some clips of the show!
Tri Musketyri
Another show based on a Dumas novel, by the "Kleopatra" team. Again a heavy pop influence on the music. This one is on DVD now too! The site has a lot of info but not many images from the show itself...more images of the cast playing hockey...bowling...playing football...obviously they have a lot of fun together! Oh and the show has some definite S & M in the presence of Richelieu's three scantily clad female dancers. A couple of Richelieu's songs can be heard on Tomas Trapl's site under - mp3 - muzikaly.