New Celine/Jim Steinman song on forthcoming CD
Renegade Angel
to Steinman's Broadway bound "Dance Of The Vampires" musical, which will
premiere on April 11, 2002. The all-star album is expected to be released
through Sony Records prior to the show's arrival. Source read the article
below:
Kind regards
Daniel Meistrup
-- The Jim Steinman Temple website
Preview: Direct from Vienna
by Ken Mandelbaum
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From: www.broadway.com
'2001-2002 Musical Theatre Season Preview
DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES
Tanz der Vampire had its world premiere at Vienna's Raimund Theater in
October 1997; directed by Roman Polanski, it was based on his 1967 comic
horror film The Fearless Vampire Killers, which features Polanski and Sharon
Tate. The musical version had book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, author of
the best and most internationally successful Viennese pop musical,
Elisabeth, and the subsequent Mozart!; Kunze is also the German translator
of many of the major British and American musical successes of recent years.
The music was by Jim Steinman, best known as the songwriter of Meat Loaf's
successful albums; his theatre work has ranged from the 1974 New York
Shakespeare Festival musical (featuring Meat Loaf) More Than You Deserve to
the lyrics for Whistle Down the Wind. Steve Barton capped his career in
German musicals with the role of Count von Krolock. Tanz der Vampire was
also a success in Stuttgart, Germany, where it continues to play.
For the Broadway incarnation, the creative team has been somewhat altered.
John Caird (Les Miz, Nicholas Nickleby), whose recent musicals (as co-author
and director) were the flops Children of Eden and Jane Eyre, is directing
with Steinman. The book is now credited to Kunze and David Ives (for the
workshop, Caird and Steinman were also billed as co-librettists), while
Steinman is now credited with both music and lyrics. Daniel Ezralow is the
choreographer.
There have been a number of successful German-language musicals that have
enjoyed lengthy runs in Europe and elsewhere, playing to sold-out houses and
endless nightly ovations, that no one ever thought to bring to Broadway. But
Vampires is on its way, to open April 11 following five or six weeks of
previews. The venue will be the Minskoff Theatre, where 10 years earlier an
English-language version of the Polish hit Metro tanked.
Why is Vampires coming to New York? Probably because Michael Crawford
accepted the offer to play von Krolock, with a reported salary of $180,000 a
week. Crawford was briefly announced to star in The Witches of Eastwick, but
didn't. But he does seem to listen when a huge amount of money is offered:
He was also lavishly remunerated for the Las Vegas EFX. Without a name in
the lead, Vampires might have had little chance on Broadway; with Crawford,
the show would appear to be guaranteed a season of full houses at the
Minskoff. Still, it would have been nice to see Crawford return to Broadway
musicals playing a human, instead of another ghoul.
While the show has dialogue, it's very much in the rock/pop opera vein
(currently unfashionable among New York critics), the score featuring some
strong themes (Steinman has recycled his hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
for one of the big numbers), hard-driving arias and ensembles, a trace of
operetta, and more than a dollop of pure Eurotrash. The Vienna production
was spectacular, highlighted by a scene in which a stageful of vampires rose
from their coffins to attend a ball.
It's said that the show is being extensively revised for New York, with the
comedy played up. Expect a Sony Records all-star concept CD of the songs to
be released prior to the show's arrival, with Celine Dion among the singers.
(The previous recordings of this score were in German, with the Kunze
lyrics.)
If things go well for Frank Wildhorn's Dracula in La Jolla this fall, there'
s even the chance that Broadway could see two vampire musicals in the
spring.