Nosferatu

Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
Crown City Theatre
Through November 13th

RECOMMENDED

In Nosferatu, adapter/director Bill Reilly’s musical stage adaptation of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 horror film classic, the bodies pile up swiftly, felled at the hands (or should I say teeth) of the title character, the remorselessly bloodthirsty Count Orlok (Michelle Holmes). Nor is the ending an upbeat one for the devoted lovers, Thomas and Ellen Hutter (Michael J. Marchak and Alina Bolshakova) whose happiness is rent asunder when the predatory ghoul pries his way into their heretofore blissful lives. But toss in lively choreography (Lisaun Whittingham), a graceful ballerina, whiteface makeup and period costuming (Tanya Apuya) and, like any good campy horror fable told well, this vampire show is a lot of fun to watch.

Murnau’s film — written by Henrik Galeen, with an original score (now lost) by Hans Erdmann — appropriated the basic plot and main characters of Dram Stoker’s Dracula. The name Dracula was changed to Nosferatu after the author’s estate refused Murnau’s producers the rights to adapt the novel. (The film company ultimately declared bankruptcy after Stoker’s widow sued for copyright infringement anyway.)  

The story begins in the fictional village of Wisborg Germany, in 1883, with the setting realized through film footage (30% lifted from the original film and the rest from Internet archives) projected onto a video above the stage. The live performances are mimed; as the plot progresses, events are relayed by an unseen narrator (Saige Spinney), whose dialogue appears in chyron on the screen, while a score consisting of juxtaposed excerpts from classical composers resounds in the background.

If you’re unfamiliar with the plot, it follows the journey that Thomas Hutter unwillingly takes, at the behest of his employer, to Transylvania and back again to meet with his company’s new client, Count Orlok. Ignoring the dire warnings of townsfolk, the conscientious young man makes his way to the maleficent Count’s castle, where’s he’s greeted with cunning courtesy, then assaulted and made deathly ill. The Count leaves Thomas there and journeys to Wisborg, trailing death in his wake, and bent most of all on obtaining the blood of Thomas’s beautiful and innocent wife.

Between the choreography and the camp and the classical music, Nosferatu would be entertaining at its least. But its further enhanced by Holmes as the mesmerizing Count — the quintessence of evil and elegance, elevated to the plane of archetype. The other notable highlight is the wonderfully graceful dancing by Bolshakova, a classically trained ballerina. Both elements stand out amongst the spirited work from the game ensemble, in an imaginative show.

Crown City Theatre, 11031 Camarillo St., North Hollywood, Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., through Nov. 13. crowncitytheatre.com or 818-605-5685. Running time: One hour and 50 minutes with one intermission.