Hello, everyone! The proprietor of Ars Pro Concreta is back yet again to apologize for the effects of the COVID clock on his already much-taxed brain. We are in a new year, a new hope seems on the horizon in terms of beating this dread disease, and naturally, I’m the person who’s late to the party. What do I mean? Well… just when we’re starting to rise above the mist, and folks are envisioning a non-home-bound future in entertainment where they aren’t glued to their chairs consuming, I’m starting a podcast. Granted, podcasts existed before the pandemic and will continue to exist after it’s gone, but the chance for a captive audience has passed. Or has it? Your response to the subject of its content, something in the vein (heh) of Out for Blood‘s retrospective coverage of Carrie, will determine that answer.

Cue the pitch!

When most American theater aficionados think of Dance of the Vampires, they don’t think of a show that’s run successfully for 9,300+ performances, in 12 languages, in 14 countries, bringing in an audience of over 9.6 million. They think of its brief New York run starring Michael Crawford, which was such a critical and commercial disaster that it totally eclipsed the infamous Carrie in financial loss, set the new bar for legendary flops (at least until Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark came along), and is still widely cited as proof of the ‘wisdom’ that ‘vampire musicals don’t work on Broadway.’

20 years on, it’s time for a post-mortem. Two obsessive fans dive deep into the story behind its creation, interviewing cast, crew, creators, and detractors and fans alike who watched from the sidelines, as they recall all the gory details of the road to Manhattan, from the creation of the original Roman Polanski source film in the mid-Sixties to the present day.

Some people watch a train wreck and bemoan the loss. Others wonder how it happened. “Others” is us. If you’ve ever wondered how a Broadway show — with seemingly everything going for it — can flop, don’t miss A Good Nightmare Comes So Rarely: The Rise and Fall of Dance of the Vampires, coming soon to a podcast network near you!

Further details

Needless to say, I am one of the “two obsessive fans” mentioned in the pitch. And why not? It is no secret to anyone who knows me from any forum, or this blog, that I’m a fan (and erstwhile developer, at one point) of this “little rock musical that could” devoted to fanged creatures of the night. I might as well put this knowledge to some use and finally, after attempts as disparate as significant contributions to the show’s Wikipedia entry (including the infamous heading “Casting Crawford, 9/11, and other disasters”) and a case study on Tumblr that helped shape much of Helen Shaw’s recent overview of events in Vulture, tell the definitive version of the story for people like me who just can’t resist running into proverbial burning buildings.

My co-host is performer, dramaturg, and friend Megan Lerseth, who some of you might recognize if you’ve ever attended NYCRHPS‘ performances at Cinépolis Chelsea Cinemas or spent a modicum of time in the corner of Internet fandom devoted to AMC’s The Terror. (As she’s had significant input on my further development of the long-rumored “new English version more faithful to the European original,” that may come up as well. We’re debating whether or not it’s necessary; I think it’s a novel hook, with an interesting twist on the typical “don’t let this happen to you” shtick.)

You’ll hear all kinds of things you may never have encountered before, such as:

  • A rare demo of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” — in very much “Totale Finsternis” form, thank you very much — by Marcus Lovett and the late Laurie Beechman.
  • New(-ish — this is Jim Steinman we’re talking about, after all) songs intended for DOTV that did not make the final cut, including yet another case of recycling and what happens when a frustrated composer is asked to write a comic number for peasants who have adjusted to their lot.
  • Just where all the recycled material, spoken and sung, had its origin. (An exercise akin to an archaeological expedition, let me tell you…)
  • The story of a high school-aged fan in Rochester, NY, who couldn’t let DOTV be the final word on Tanz and staged a more faithful variant on the sly four times (!), eventually founding a highly regarded youth arts program in the process.
  • Insider stories!
  • Tapes of music rehearsals!
  • In-depth exploration of the myriad changing versions of script and score!

And much, much more!

Any help you can offer…

As we enter active research, development, and pre-production, we’re looking for anyone connected with the show, be it overseas or on Broadway. If you saw/heard it, if you were in it, if you worked for it, we want to hear from you! Comment here or contact us on social media (@garlicgothic on Twitter) if that describes you.