"Halloween Haunts Local Stage"



Friday October 27, 06
by David Cuthbert,

Link to news article:
www.nola.com

The Opening lyrics of "Dracula Spectacula" promise if yo feel cozy with bela lugosi then this is the show for you. It is my kind of show with talented yoiung people in a spoofy spooky pop- rock musical spiffy bavarian glam- goth costumes by Charlotte Lang and a Baroque castle set by Constantinos Kritikos with a goofy blood machine right out of Morgus' lab

Jena Ducros is perrty in Pink airhead Teacher Miss Ms. Nadia Naive who takes her class on a trip to Karlofia, Transylvania where the populace consists of sound of music types chugging Glubick in an operetta ...Read More
The Opening lyrics of "Dracula Spectacula" promise if yo feel cozy with bela lugosi then this is the show for you. It is my kind of show with talented yoiung people in a spoofy spooky pop- rock musical spiffy bavarian glam- goth costumes by Charlotte Lang and a Baroque castle set by Constantinos Kritikos with a goofy blood machine right out of Morgus' lab

Jena Ducros is perrty in Pink airhead Teacher Miss Ms. Nadia Naive who takes her class on a trip to Karlofia, Transylvania where the populace consists of sound of music types chugging Glubick in an operetta drinking song and where Dracky (as his doting mom calls him) does The Rhesus Negative Rock with his misshapen henchmen and ghoulfriends

Tyler Chetta as a teenage Dracula displays poise expressiveness slick comic timing and a delicious accent (although his singing can use a little more volume). Harold Jenkins makes a heroically handsome Nick Van Heisling strikes spunky poses and socks across his positive action man song. Flannery Broach does a sly parody of both Morticia and Elvira as Dracky's blood thirsty mother and Josef Stengl adds a grave satiric spin to Father O' Stake. Andrew Burmaster's groveling Flunky Genghis is hysterical while Barron Burmaster is a marvel in his dual roles of Landau the coachman and innkeeper Hans with Desne Jones as his apprehensive Gretel and Ben Dalferes as a chopsleyesque Hulk.

The Band is Great! John Buroughs on piano Drummer Gene Black Curtis Pierre's percussion and wacky sounds and violinist Sam Craft who adds Balkan atmosphere. Julie Condy's vocal direction stresses enuncination, Joseph Schnell's choreography looks good whether its soft shoe or disco and Mark Montalbano's fun house lighting is a real asset. Kevin Charpentier is the director who has drawn bright front and center performances that stick close to movie archetypes. The show is a real "WINNER"