As Halloween creeps closer, Central Florida’s creative community is announcing their seasonal offerings for all things spooky…from small start-up live haunted houses, big seasonal theme-park offerings, and, of course, classic monsters…sometimes from a modern perspective.
Dracula, for instance. Central Florida Vocal Arts and sister organization Opera del Sol are producing a version of Dracula that will be directed by Executive Director Theresa Smith Levin.
She tells me about her unique approach to put a twist on the tale.
Theresa Smith-Levin:
I have sort of been a vampire fan girl my whole life. I loved Buffy the Vampire series with Sara Michelle Gellar growing up.
Nicole Darden Creston:
Same girl, same!
Theresa Smith-Levin:
So you know, you have these icons that you aspire to be. So I've loved vampires and Dracula, I can even remember being maybe five years old being in the car with my dad while he was listening to Bram Stoker on tape. So it has been a part of sort of my DNA my whole life. And so in this season, the way it worked out, you know, this is Frank Wildhorn's musical Dracula. And our resident Artistic Director, Eric Pinder, is unavailable to direct. And so we talked to a few different directors...being in the Executive Director position with the company, I don't have a lot of free time, but I just had a dream one night and felt called to get back into the saddle doing some directing for this one. What's really interesting about it, though, is we are using a non-traditional venue, which really harkens back to the roots of Opera Del Sol. So we're going to be in the City Arts Art Gallery in downtown Orlando for this. And I always say one of the really beautiful things about being a nomadic company is that innovation has to come through necessity. So because we're in a space that doesn't have lights and effects and sort of a traditional setting, we have to be really creative in how we're going to present the work. Our thinking is when we read through the script, that we're going to have the show take place in the asylum, Renfield's asylum. And so as we're seeing that take place, the audience is part of this asylum with us. And so there's going to be three dimensions, actors are all over the place, sound is coming from different parts of the room, we're going to have a live percussionist, as well as our music director, Bert Rodriguez, who will be playing, and then just a really, really phenomenal cast of singers. We just finished auditions and callbacks last week. And I can tell you, I could not be more excited about the talent that we have for the show.
Nicole Darden Creston:
This sounds so thrilling and unusual!
Theresa Smith-Levin:
Thrilling and unusual. It's perfect for October, right?
Nicole Darden Creston:
Yes, I'm all about unusual. [laughter] I love what you said about viewing these non-traditional spaces as an opportunity and having innovation grow from necessity. Have there been experiences that you have had, that you've taken lessons from as you've moved through various venues of Central Florida?
Theresa Smith-Levin:
Absolutely. So, when we first started [11years ago], we were used to working wherever they would have us. And so we would get really creative. And I did a lot of work with Orlando Fringe Festival. And so getting used to the idea that you're going to have to be able to walk in and create magic in essentially 20 minutes, to create a space and so having to be able to really rely on compelling acting and singing. And then thinking in a way that you're taking advantage of the space that you're in, using its own unique special qualities. And rather than looking at that as something that hinders you, embracing it as an opportunity to try something different, to do something new. And so being really familiar with that space, I think as we have our guests enter, we can create sort of a bar party atmosphere that they're entering in. And so it sort of sets the tone. We're really going to rely on some video elements and projections to start telling that story, even before they join us upstairs for the actual show. What's really interesting to me is, if we're in this asylum, if we're in Renfield's asylum, and we're looking at the storyline, we can ask ourselves, "Did this really happen? Or was this just so incredibly traumatic, that Mina's reality has split with what is true?" And so I think that that plays into a fear that many people have, as well. I know, I fear sometimes. I think that that's something that we can delve into and explore as well, those deep emotions.
Nicole Darden Creston:
That was my first thought when you said it was going to be happening in an asylum. It's sort of like, how much do I trust that my perspective is telling me that what I'm seeing or hearing or feeling is real?
Theresa Smith-Levin:
Absolutely. And so I've been doing a lot of research and going back through the different incarnations of Dracula that we've seen. And so I was watching the 1992 film that had Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves in it, and it's pretty terrible, to be honest. [laughter] But there's something that's really interesting when you watch it, because I see, you know, this sense that Mina really would rather be with Dracula, that she wants that, but she also knows it's the wrong decision. And that's going to be a big part of my direction in this too is the sense that Mina really would rather be with Dracula and so she has to compete against this feeling of what she wants versus what she should do. And so the tagline we've been using is "succumb to temptation," because she does want to be with him. And so when you look at what happens in the story, I mean, I don't think it's a spoiler alert that Dracula dies in the end, right? So if you just look at that trauma at face value, that absolutely could cause a mental break for the most sane among us.
Nicole Darden Creston:
That's right up my alley - exploring psychological aspects with the supernatural. I love it.
Theresa Smith-Levin:
Yeah, it's gonna be a lot of fun and I as well deeply enjoy spooky season. I think there's this point that we all hit in August where we go, "Okay, we're done with this summer thing. It's hellishly warm we need to move on to the pumpkin spice and the fall sweaters!" [laughter] And so I'm ready to get on to spooky season. And this is really something that I am looking forward to.
Nicole Darden Creston:
Can you tell me a little bit about the cabaret that's going to be happening at Fringe Artspace?
Theresa Smith-Levin:
Yes, so very exciting, three different categories that are going to be taking place next month that kick off the Artspace season. The first of which is Megan Mueller's Back to Broadway cabaret. Megan has been a longtime actor and performer with Central Florida Vocal Arts, but she just recently returned from a Broadway tour of My Fair Lady. Before that she had been cast in the national tour of Emojiland as the poop emoji. That tour sadly was cancelled. But -
Nicole Darden Creston:
Wait, wait...the poop emoji? [laughter] I'm still catching up on the poop emoji.
Theresa Smith-Levin:
Yep, yep, the poop emoji! [laughter] And then when she came back, she just started in our production of A Little Night Music as Desiree. And so it was a really easy logical ask, to say, hey, we would love for you to tell us what it was like to be going on tour and having these experiences and then just sharing some of these songs that mean a lot to you that maybe you haven't had the opportunity in a role setting to perform. Saturday night is going to be led by a young up-and-coming rising star performer, AJ Morales. AJ Morales is a freshman at UCF. He was one of the Applause Award Winner finalists for his role as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin, just a stunning young actor. And then finally on Sunday, you're gonna get a little sneak preview from the talent that's going to be appearing in Dracula. So Kayla Kelsey Morales, as well as Angela Tims - Kayla plays Lucy and Angela plays Mina and so together, they're going to be doing cabaret called It Feels Like Home Live. So you're going to get to engage with the ladies of Dracula and hopefully become even more excited for that production that will be coming up in October.
Nicole Darden Creston:
I'm just so thrilled about your vision for Dracula. I find it very exciting. And also that you're a longtime Buffy fan. Me too. Me too.
Theresa Smith-Levin:
Oh my gosh, Vampire Diaries, Buffy. It's sort of my like, secret nerd thing is I love vampires. [laughter] Well, I'm think it's because of my personality and a lot of times the spaces I occupy, people assume that I don't have sort of any, like, secret fandom nerdy things. It's vampires and I love them and unapologetically, so you know, originally it wasn't a plan for me to direct, but I think it was meant to be.
