Michael Kunze - Blog Posts

Rebecca Title Track (ENGLISH) – Kara Lane

From Rebecca – London, 2023 (full video)

Why ruin something that was already perfect?

Literally every newer non-german production with a quarter of a budget of VBW has tried to incorporate something new into the source material. I'm not saying every interpretation or costume/staging worked in favour, but at least there's effort and a certain vision.

VBW has no right to keep serving us a watered-down version of a genuinely spectacular and deeply beloved musical.

(Also the audacity to call it the Celebrated Schönbrunn Version 🤔)

The vines in the Heinrich designs were created to represent death and decay. Sissi wore a dirndl in Wie Du as she hailed from Bavaria. The set design incorporated elements inspired by Habsburg carriages/hearses.

So what exactly do the new changes bring to the table?

Der Tod's veil is stripped away and replaced with a meme-worthy toy. He went from having 4 stunning well-crafted outfits to ONE painfully boring fit in the entire show.

Tod and Rudolf's relationship is diminished to the point where it no longer represents its original depth or significance.

Rondo is a misfit and doesn't even appear anywhere else in the show unlike the intended Japanese/Hungarian versions.

There is no glitz, no glamour, and most importantly the storytelling is compromised. Literally everything the musical stood for is reduced to nothing.

Most upsetting of all is the clear disregard VBW shows for the audience, who adore the musical and deserve more than this cheap execution, and for the immensely talented cast, who deserve a production worthy of their skills.

Michael Kunze then: Ah, the fall of the Habsburg Empire 🗿

Michael Kunze now: Ah, the fall of Elisabeth das Musical 🤡

Der Schleier fällt,

Verlass die Schatten. Ich hab mich so nach dir gesehnt, Lass mich nicht warten.

Mach die Nacht zum Morgen, Lass mich befreit sein und geborgen, Lösch die Erinnerung in mir aus, Gib meiner Seele ein Zuhaus.

Lass die Welt versinken, Ich will mit dir im Nichts ertrinken, Mit dir als Feuer auferstehn Und in der Ewigkeit vergehn.

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