Research Trivia: Dance of the Vampires
- Allie McCormack
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
In Night Shift, Tyr takes Beth on an unforgettable "grand gesture" date to New York City. As part of their magical evening together, he surprises her with tickets to see Dance of the Vampires on Broadway—and yes, the irony of a 650+ year old vampire taking his clouded leopard shifter girlfriend to see a campy musical about vampires is absolutely intentional.
Beth's reaction in the book says it all: "Dance of the Vampires? Really? You're taking me to see a musical about vampires?" She dissolves into delighted giggles at the sheer absurdity of it.
But what is Dance of the Vampires, and why did it become such a perfect choice for Tyr and Beth's date? Let me tell you about one of Broadway's most fascinating disasters—and the European cult classic that inspired it.
"Dance of the Vampires"
Dance of the Vampires is actually a story of triumph and disaster—depending on which version you're talking about! The musical has a fascinating dual identity that makes it perfect bonus content for your vampire romance.
The original "Tanz der Vampire" was a perfect blend of gothic horror with slapstick, drama, comedy, romance and a hefty dose of Rock 'n' Roll ballads. It doesn't play with all the vampire stereotypes, it revels in them, creating an entertaining spectacle that's bitingly entertaining and bloodily amusing.
The Story
The plot follows Professor Abronsius and his handsome young assistant Alfred, who are vampire hunters. Count Von Krolock wants to seduce the virginal Sarah—if he succeeds at midnight on Halloween, vampires will take over the world! Meanwhile, Alfred is also in love with Sarah, and the Count's gay son Herbert is in love with Alfred.
The Story Elements That Create Comedy
The Garlic Obsession: One of the most prominent comedic elements is the villagers' obsession with garlic. Professor Abronsius, upon noticing the countless strings of garlic hung about the place and around people's necks, is overjoyed, confident of the nearness of his goal. The inn positively bristles with garlic – a strong indication that there are vampires in the vicinity, which the villagers vehemently deny.
Bumbling Characters: The comedy comes largely from the contrast between the characters' incompetence and the serious vampire threat. Professor Abronsius is described as an absent-minded vampire hunter, while Alfred is his bumbling young assistant. Alfred is described as clumsy and timid.
The Love Triangle Absurdity: Count Von Krolock's gay son Herbert is in love with Alfred, while Alfred is in love with Sarah, who's being pursued by Count Von Krolock. This creates some juicy, blood-sucking chaos!The Mirror Scene: Alfred and Professor Abronsius sneak into the vampire ball dressed as members of the undead, but unfortunately for them, a mirror is unveiled, blowing their cover since they're the only ones reflected.
The European Success Story
The original version, "Tanz der Vampire," premiered in Vienna on October 4, 1997, and was a massive hit. It originally played from October 4, 1997, to January 15, 2000, at the Raimund Theater in Vienna, Austria, starring Steve Barton as Count von Krolock, who won the 1998 IMAGE Award for Best Actor.
The creative team was stellar: Roman Polanski himself directing, Germany's foremost lyricist Michael Kunze wrote the book, and world renowned rock composer Jim Steinman, who created "Bat out of Hell," wrote the music. The show was based on Roman Polanski's 1967 film "The Fearless Vampire Killers," a flamboyantly funny parody of the classic horror movie genre.
The Broadway Catastrophe
When they tried to bring it to Broadway in 2002, everything went spectacularly wrong. The production officially opened on December 9, 2002, after 61 previews, with critical reviews that were overwhelmingly negative. Michael Crawford starred as Count von Krolock, but Crawford insisted on performing the role with a nigh-on indecipherable accent, which sounded more like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins by way of Mario.
The Broadway version was such a disaster that Jim Steinman publicly distanced himself from the final product, refusing to attend opening night and later writing on his blog that the Broadway show was "UTTER SHIT!" The show closed on January 25, 2003, after 56 performances, incurring losses estimated at $12 million, marking it as one of Broadway's most significant financial failures at the time.
"Total Eclipse of the Heart"
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" was originally written by Jim Steinman as a vampire love song, with the original title "Vampires in Love."
Here's what actually happened: Steinman had originally written the song for a planned musical based on the 1922 vampire film Nosferatu, but that project was never completed. When Bonnie Tyler was looking for songs in 1982 for her new album after switching record labels, Steinman had this song that he'd been carrying around for years. She loved it and recorded it for her 1983 album "Faster Than the Speed of Night."
The vampire connection came full circle later when Steinman included a revised version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in his 1997 musical "Dance of the Vampires" (based on Roman Polanski's 1967 film "The Fearless Vampire Killers"), where it became a love duet between the characters Sarah and Count Von Krolock. For the musical, the song was retitled "Vampires in Love," returning to its original intended name.
Steinman explained in a 2002 Playbill interview: "If anyone listens to the lyrics, they're really like vampire lines. It's all about the darkness, the power of darkness, and love's place in the dark." When you think about it with that context, lines about eternal love, darkness, and someone "turning around" take on a completely different meaning!
And... I found this video on YouTube of Bonnie Tyler singing it as a duet with Filippo Strocchi, in Germany at the Tanz Der Vampire 25 years anniversary:
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