I debated whether I should start off with a foreign musical, but, in the end, I decided that, since it's my current obsession, that I might as well please myself and do start with Elisabeth.
Introduction
The musical is narrated by Luigi Lucheni, the man who eventually murders her, and follows Elisabeth, "Sissi," from her engagement to Emperor Franz Joseph to her death. We see her as she tries to gain a sense of freedom within her restricting role of empress. She is courted by the personification of Death throughout the show and we see both her fascination, fear, and attraction to Death.
Soundtrack
I currently regret my iTunes purchase, only because I purchased the highlights of the 2004 German cast rather than the more comprehensive album. Oops. So, unfortunately, as of right now, I only have the highlights to listen to. I will eventually buy the more expensive album, as well as the Korean cast. And the English version once they come out with it.
The music is amazing. Although I'm not generally a fan of more, I don't know, "electronic" music (it sounds a bit karaoke track to me at some points), I think the inclusion of strings and a healthy dose of electric guitar make it pop in an interesting way. The soundtrack has a wonderful combination of fantastic soul stirring ballads ("Ich gehör nur mir" (I Only Belong to Me) and "Boote in der Nacht" (Boats in the Night)), everything I could want in the chorus numbers* ("Milch" (Milk)), and quite a few extremely creepy numbers ("Der letzte Tanz" (The Last Dance) and "Die Schatten werden länger" (The Shadows Lengthen)).
The actors are all exceptional. A wonderful group of strong voices. There are a few points where some of the falsetto runs are a bit odd and break the magic a bit for me (particularly the odd jazzy ending for "Der letzte Tanz"). However, everyone, particularly Elisabeth, are wonderful singers.
Favorite Song
I have several favorites, but I think I will go with "Wenn ich tanzen will" (If I want to Dance), a duet between Death and Elisabeth that shortly follows Elisabeth and Franz Joseph's coronation in Hungary. The dynamic between the two singers is amazing.
The Show
I watched the entirety of the 2004 German cast on YouTube with English subtitles. The staging was beautifully done and wonderfully dark. It reminded me a bit of the Phantom of the Opera stage design (though I heard that has had a recent change!).
The acting was fantastically well done. Lucheni came across as half mad but at the same time is the audience's most knowledgeable connection to what was happening in the show (a la Che in Evita, in the narrator sense). There was a theme of clockwork and marionettes in the choreography of many scenes, particularly in Elisabeth and Rudolf's interactions with Death. At one point when Death enters Elisabeth's wedding, the other people at the wedding drop like marionettes whose strings have all suddenly been cut. Death manipulates Rudolf's movements in "Die Schatten werden länger" like a puppeteer. He attempts to manipulate Elisabeth's movements throughout the show, but she manages to break away each time. I like the visual representation of Elisabeth and Rudolf's depression and suicidal ideation in this interaction with Death.
Death himself was my favorite character by far. He is fascinating, manipulative, and violent. He is always in control of every situation and even when he loses control of the object of his affection, he seems patient and sure that they will return to him. Very creepy.
Favorite Part
I have to admit, I LOVE the darker numbers. Almost any song with Death singing, honestly. My favorite song and scene in the entire musical would have to be "Die Schatten werden länger" where Rudolf, Elisabeth's severely depressed and suicidal son, sings with Death for the second time in the show (he meets death fro the first time as a child). The song builds from a quiet beginning, slowly adding a chorus in the background as Death continues to try to tempt Rudolf. The way that Death physically manipulates Rudolf is visually stunning as well as very violent in the way it is done. The two actors have amazing chemistry and create a palpable sexual tension within the scene (which makes sense, considering it starts out with Rudolf thinking he has thrown himself to the comforting lap of his mistress, at least from what I can tell).
Other Versions
I also watched a Hungarian version of the show as well as clips from the Korean production. First of all, it was odd to see the Hungarian version because it seemed like every actor was also in Romeo es Julia, another of my favorite musicals.
The way the Hungarian production chose to portray Death was very different from the German. He was more otherworldly in his appearance and less menacing. He became frustrated and hurt in his pursuit of Elisabeth, more like a lovesick but abusive suitor than a manipulating predator in the way he was portrayed in the German production. That being said, I still greatly enjoyed it.
What can I say about the Korean version? It's hard to tell when many of the videos are bootleg recordings from the audience or promotional videos. The costuming was interesting. I greatly enjoyed the singers in this production (and I realize now that I was in Korea when it was running, which makes me sad I didn't know about this musical then), particularly Elisabeth. Her voice is amazingly strong and the tone is lovely. Park Hyo Shin as Death is also great (but, hey, it's Park Hyo Shin).
I wish there was a version in English, but so far I've only seen two songs that have been translated into English. And the translations leave something to be desired right now. As do the singers. Oh well... maybe someday.
And how about everyone else? Anyone else out there have a favorite musical in a foreign language?
*Chorus numbers to me can get boring unless they are exciting either in tempo and orchestration or in the harmonies. I tend to lose interest in straight up choir concerts.
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