24 y.o. Slovak artist, future theatre costume designer, currently in my Elisabeth das musical era, resident stan of DJKT & their Czech Elisabeth production
nichts ist schwer meta: what in your opinion does the setting (for 1992 Vienna) during nichts ist schwer mean? both literally (where /is/ "between heaven and earth" and how and why did they get there) and metaphorically (what does this setting mean for them as characters, for their relationship, especially in contrast with boote in der nacht-- what does it mean when that song takes place in a similarly liminal third dimension versus a real-world location, sometimes with other people?). the only other scenes that take place in weird pockets of time outside of the universe like this one are (iirc, I don't have my full libretto on me at the moment ☹️) prolog and der schleier faellt, perhaps kitsch. why have something like this between two characters who are very much real, as opposed to lucheni and death, who have the other scenes like this? moreover what do you think the ferris whell symbolizes during that song, and having them float around in the carriage?
also: how do you think changing that setting affects boh the scene and the characters and their relationship, and the plot? does it take away from it or add something new?
not putting my own thoughts here both bc I'm more curious about yours and also because I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about this before submitting this ask I was remembering your photo edit of them during this number and I thought heyyy why is it like that
that is a great great ask
First of all I think the Ferris wheel was chosen because of the Prater in Vienna (even though the Ferris wheel didn't exist at the time they met. It was opened 1897 for the 50th anniversary of FJs reign (yes that's one year before the anniversary)) But therefore it has the connection to Franz and Nichts ist schwer ist sorta his theme (as the motif is playing in his bow). and also it's referred to as "Pratergondel" by the 2012 cast who had the same stage in this scene.
But I don't think they're literally standing on a real Pratergondel (aside from the fact that it didn't exist yet). We know it's set between Ischl and their wedding and I think it's sorta like a dream sequence (but not necessarily a dream) that sums up this whole time. For me it's like manifestations of their views and thoughts and these manifestations come together and express it all.
Maybe it is a dream Elisabeth and Franz both had (as we know Franz does have dreams that predict the future or have deeper meaning like Am Deck der sinkenden Welt lol) (the fact that they're both laying on the ground at the end could also indicate that), maybe it isn't a dream and it's a real conversation they shared. But this ambiguity of us not knowing when where what is the reason why it's happening out of universe and time.
"Between heaven and earth" for one is because of the Ferris wheel I think. Cause you're so high up you could call it between heaven and earth. It could also be a small nod to the German saying "being in the seventh heaven" when you're in love (tho that's a little far-fetched). It could also refer to the god-like position of the emperor and empress. More than humans/earth, but not really god/heaven, more the closest to god a human could be. For me it's all of the above.
For their characters this is a really important song in my opinion. There are a lot of important lines to help us understand how Franz's character works (it's also the first song in which we can learn more than four lines about his inner world since Jedem gibt er das Seine and So wie man denkt doesn't give us a lot), especially in contrast to Elisabeth's. We learn that he is a really overthinking cautious and also conscious person - he knows that she's gonna struggle and tells her exactly that and ofc is aware of the court watching and judging him and then of course her in detail, because he grew up in it. Whereas she thinks a lot more naively and is like "we have eachother so it's all going to be fine" (who can blame her, she's a naive 15/16 girl). But this shows a contrast in their personalities and as we know later they will never be able to fully understand eachother since they are too different.
But for this moment/dream/time span/whatever it is they see past these differences and say that they only need eachother for things to go well. Which is really bittersweet considering how it's gonna go. So this floating around in a dreamy space is getting the hopeful lovey vibe across. Big contrast to the stage design in Boote in der Nacht.
Changing the setting takes away the ambiguous vibe and metaphoricality (?) of the song. It makes it more real. But since the lines are still the same the overall meaning to their relationship and characters stays the same mostly. (Tho it takes away their gothy vibe) (but the kissing and spinning and waist grabbing is really appreciated. I die from cuteness)
Also, just adding to the above: my understanding of setting Nichts ist schwer on a ferris wheel cabin
The old Vienna design for Elisabeth is intentionally making the choice of visually presenting us, a modern-day audience, the monarchy and everything surrounding it as the Prater, an amusement park. Big, expensive, flashy, artificial, garish, kitchy... A giant spectacle put on for the simple masses and their entertainment. (I'm talking specifically the monarchy, since all of these visual cues are largely not present when we get into scenes where the monarchy and it's pressure doesn't take center stage, but we instead look at characters as individuals with their individual struggles).
But, back to the ferris wheel. (At least where I come from) the ferris wheel is seen as a bit of a ride for young couples in love. It's slow, often has small cabins which can sometimes only fit two people and so, the couple that goes on a ferris wheel ride can have a moment of privacy while the wheel makes a rotation, away from the prying eyes of everyone around them. Very idyllic.
Within the show's narrative structure, the setting also offers Elisabeth and Franz this private moment away from their families, which they never got in real life while they were engaged (since Elisabeth would be constantly chaperoned by either her parents or a governess). But, even if they do seem to be alone for this fleeting moment, the monarchy is still present and looming all around them in the form of the ferris wheel. After all, the cabin they are on has the shape of the Austrian eagle and the background projection and the cabin's movement does indicate, that even though they may be having this sweet moment now, the ride will eventually end and they will have to come back down to the earth. And we, the audience, just like people standing below a ferris wheel, still watch them from down below, feeling warm at heart at the at their at first sight innocent young love and participate in the spectacle. For what is a spectacle or a show without an audience?
You know how Elisabeth associates herself with seagulls/ writes about herself as a seagull in her poetry?
You know how the coat of arms of the Habsburgs are eagles?
You know how eagles prey on seagulls?!
And I love how Sisi used seagulls also in association with her love of the sea and solitude and freedom, but this one is another symbolism I like to think of.
The most recent ask got me thinking: within Elisabeth, who is truly in control of the narrative?
Lucheni is our de facto narrator, but just how much influence does he have on what happens? He certainly isn't in complete control, since the story always has to end with him killing Elisabeth, him taking his life and the purgatory loop he's in resetting once again. But just how much of the story he tells us is his own subjective telling and just how much of it is firmly set?
And where does Tod fall in all of this?
Is he just another character in the story, who Lucheni made up to justify his narrative? Is he an omnipresent manifestation of everyone's (even Lucheni's) pull to self destruction? Or is he a real being within this show's world and is he potentially the real puppet master of the narrative? Is it him who keeps Lucheni in this time loop? How much control does he have here? Does he conciously participate in the retelling of Elisabeth's life every night because he wants to experience what happened over and over again or is he simply obliged to?
And how much control does Elisabeth herself have over the telling of her own life? Is she Lucheni's puppet the entire time? Or does she get reborn with each telling every night and just like Lucheni, is stuck in a loop, where she gains her freedom each night only to be brough back over and over?
sorry if this comes off wrong I just really like talking about this show 😅 but if I may stand in defense of the conveyer belt elisabeth dsf ending, I think it's like the right level of dehumanization for her role in the plot by that point. she thinks she is guaranteeing her freedom by giving herself over tl death, but she's really allowing herself to be come nothing more than an object, another thing death has killed. she's insignificant, and, fundamentally, no longer belongs to herself, despite what she thinks. so its effective (to me) to have her whirled offstage like an object that doesn't mean anything, like a setpiece, as she's now completely betrayed and dehumanized herself
That is a really interesting angle to observe this ending form!
We could certainly discuss at length as to how much agency Elisabeth has at the end of the show, whether what happens in the final minutes are her concious decisions or if even she is just another figure in the story Lucheni and/or Tod are reanacting every night (this also puts forth the question of who is actually the puppet master in this story and who of these two, who stand above the narrative, is the one shaping it).
My main gripe with this ending is that it makes me laugh because of just how much Elisabeth's body on that turntable looks like a suitcase in airport baggage claim (and I think laughing isn't really an apporpiate thing to be doing or feeling during the last moments of the show).
Here's my opinion on ways directors chose to end Elisabeth and how much sense these endings make to me story-wise:
Elisabeth dies during the kiss and Tod has to lay down her lifeless body into her already open coffin while Lucheni hangs himself above them: peak angsty and morbid ending. Elisabeth is free, her soul was able to pass on and she finally gained the freedom she yearned for. And Tod, who finally got to hold and kiss the woman he yearned for for 45 years, now is suddenly dragged back to the reality as Elisabeth falls limp in his arms. He has to face the fact, that no matter how much he tried, he still is Death and he could have never kept a human soul with him no matter what he felt.
Tod carries Elisabeth away, but she dies in his arms: good, gives a bit more of a romance angle, but I just feel like this ending is a lot less open for interpretation as to what happens. As we see in the Essen version, Elisabeth is in the afterlife during the Prolog (unless the Elisabeth we see there is only a portrait or a mirage), and Tod doesn't look particularly affected by her dying in his arms in the ending. So, either Sisi remains with everyone else in the land of the dead (not great for her, since she's now stuck forever with all the people she wanted to be free of) or Tod got to keep just her body and not her soul (better outcome). But either way, if you're on Tod's side, then this is the ending for you.
Elisabeth dies during the kiss, but Tod lays her down onto the ground and Elisabeth's body goes away on the stage turntable: this is colloquialy known as the "baggage claim Sisi" ending and this one just infuriates me. Because they start off so well, but then the turntable happens. And it looks ridiculous and kills any morbid atmosphere this could have had.
Elisabeth and Tod enter together into the afterlife and Tod then reemerges on top of a tower with just her nightgown: let's just say that this ending is for the Elisabeth and Tod shippers. And once again, this one is kind of open for interpretation as to what actually goes on. But there are implications. And those implications give me that these two had intimate relations in the land of the dead. And I don't know if I am really a fan of this.
Elisabeth shoves Tod away from the kiss and walks away on her own: This is the independent Elisabeth I love to see! After trying to achieve complete personal freedom her entire life, she finally has the chance to be truly free, so it's only logical for her to go off on her own and leave behind everyone and everything that was a part of the life she so despised. True catharsis achieved.
Elisabeth and Tod ride off in his carriage into the sunset: This is just mockery in my mind. In my mind, trying to end off Elisabeth with her getting a "happy fairytale ending" by getting to be a couple with Tod is just missing the entire point of what Elisabeth wanted the entire show. Like this, she is once again in the same situation she was in with Franz, but this time around, we're supposed to be happy for her, even though she's once again prevented from being truly free by being tied to another man. And this time, it's for eternity, so in my mind, this is the worst directorial fate Elisabeth can experience after she dies.
If La Pietà was for 1.5 ppl out there, this one is for 0.5
JCS Jesus x Elisabeth Der Tod/Smrt from very specific productions of very specific theater with very specific actors? Why the fuck not I HAD A VISION (and then got too lazy to go beyond a sketch lmao)
Based on the common theme of an Angel comforting Jesus before his arrest in Gethsemane gardens (because what's the point of JCS fanart if you cannot reference classic art pieces and make them gay).
Except it's an Angel of Death. THE Angel of Death.
And don't even get me started on the potential relationship of Jesus with Death as a concept and personification of Death as a person because I will not stop ranting for at least a decade. AND THEN I will go on about Judas and Death/Todd/Smrt because the version of Judas who is at least somewhat aware of the God's plan and the approaching Death is- yeah.
(Can we also talk about Jesus x Tod as the Temptation of Satan? No? Okay)
Aka a story of how J went to see JCS in a random foreign town having zero expectations, screamed, cried, fell in love, blacked out for 3 days, and ended up with a painting of a fucking icon
Very obviously based on:
1. Pieta the painting by William Adolphe Bouguereau
2. Djkt Plzeň version of JCS which is to this day eating away my brain bit by bit by another bit
Also I still think that the sketch is in some ways cooler than the end version, so:
DJKT is doing a mini mall concert event and they will be doing an Elisabeth segment. Pls, if they pull the costumes out again, I need to see Jesus era Pavel and Pája singing Schatten in their show costumes in the middle of that mall and I need to see the footage from that.
i will die on the hill that Mama, wo bist du? is actually the most fascinating scene in Elisabeth in terms of der Tod's character, because in that moment he has a potential to very quickly go through the full range of human emotion that he's capable of. like curiosity! oh look, here's the boy. forgot about him. he's quite big now. contempt! ugh, what a timid, sensitive, cowardly child. he's Franz Joseph's son, unmistakably so. hatred? Franz Joseph's son, proof that Elisabeth rejected Him, that she chose life, if only for a little while longer. delight! oh, look, this child is filled with so much pain and eagerness to please. he's so so lonely. Elisabeth made him that way! she can try all she might, she will not fool Him, she isn't perfect, she's just as vain and selfish as any of them. anticipation!!!! this child is already desperate. what could become of him, with even more time, with even more grief and neglect? he could become the perfect weapon someday, the push that sends Elisabeth over the edge. and then surprise...? the child is so trusting and... sweet? joy and melancholy. this is Elisabeth's son. there's so much of her in him, that same innocence and fearlessness in his eyes. the child seems drawn to him, unquestioning, just like his mother was that first time. ...oh, Rudolf. wait for your turn. it will come soon enough. and it will be glorious.
Another emotion a Tod can experience: compassion. He has just been spurned by Elisabeth. He, a powerful otherworldly being standing above any human, has just been (yet again) denied by a human woman, who has been resisting him for the past 15 years or so. And he yearns for her and in spite of her rejecting him again and again, he keeps on being drawn to her. Yet each time, she manages to slip away from him. And he might be feeling dejected over this and maybe frustrated and even sad and heartbroken. And then, he meets Rudolf, who just like him, has been denied Elisabeth's company over and over again. And maybe for a moment, he knows just how that little boy feels when he calls out for his mother. And for a moment, he himself is not alone in his feelings.
And also on a lighter note, a rare emotion a Tod can feel is being weirded out by Rudolf proudly saying that he shot a cat dead.
at this point we should just make our own musical. Tbh in historical musicals you can kind of say whatever because it's postmodern and deconstructive, I wonder what would happen if I just wrote a bestselling yaoislop novel about Rudolf's totally real secret gay affair/s (without forgetting to mention his 9000 girlfriends also) and then it got adapted
Ranking Der Tod costumes Pt. 2: Non-German-language productions
And we're back with part 2! This one focuses on non-German European non-replicas.
I once again apologize if I missed any production, but if I did, it was probably because I forgot or I didn't have a good picture of their Tod available.
And once again, a disclaimer: this post is purely my personal opinion. I will try and explain my reasoning for each of the costumes and my ranking for them, but quite a lot of it will be based my my personal preference. If you think I should have rated any of the costumes any different, feel free to do your own version of this rating!
1st Dutch production/Schveningen (1999-2001)
The first non-replica we ever got came from the same designer that later infiltrated all of the German language productions, Yan Tax. So, this is somewhat of a spiritual predecessor of the later "some guy" Tod costumes. And, honestly, I can kind of see where everything came from, since both the basic cut of the coat and vest and the choice of velvet as a main material is very 2000s 1st German tour adjacent. This Tod is very dapper, which I like. However, I am still not 100% sure whether I like seeing Tod in red, since I just don't think it's a color that goes well with his character. Plus I'm also not sure of the wig with it's red and black stripes. As a costume, it looks good, but it's giving me more devil/Mephistopheles vibes than Tod. 3/10
1st Hungarian production/Miskolc & Budapest (1999-2001, 2007-2010)
What I like about this costume is the sparkle and a little bit of weirdness to it, that makes Tod look like an alien who wrongly estimated what humans wear. I love the decoration of the top of the coat and all the sparkles and the hair tinsel! Why did no one except for this production think to give Tod a tiny bit of hair tinsel? But, I also have some things I would have done differently, like the fit of the coat, since it's just a little too baggy and rectangular, and alongside it, the fit of the vest as well, since that too could use some additional tailoring. And that besides from chest up, the costume has almost no other decoration (with both the vest and pants being plain), which just begs for something to be added so the entire look could be tied together. 6/10
And we also have a white look from this production, which I just feel like is significantly much more underwhelming than the main dark costume. Because, once again, even if there is any form of decoration on the coat, it just doesn't show up as much when it's white on white. Plus here, I don't think I'm also a fan of the pants, since it's giving ballet tights just a bit too much. But what saves it a bit is once again the wig and makeup that we already had. 3/10
Finnish production/Turku (2005)
I do like the vibes they seemed to be targeting here, it's giving poet shirt plus uniform inspired jacket in a very glam rock 1980s sort of way, which are vibes I can see working for Tod. I also like the cut of the top part with the only fastening being at the very bottom of the front panels. What I am not too sure about is gold tones on Tod, I just feel like it makes Tod look a little too alive and human in a sense and that also goes for the makeup, which I would have liked to see more of. Plus, also, obligatory point off for the trip hazard I see written all over that train. 5/10
1st Czech production/Pilsen (2019-2023)
Now, who knows me knows that this one might be biased, since this is the only costume I saw live, but I will say this: this one is on par with the early Vienna costumes for me. It's simple, but there are enough tiny details to catch your eye if you are looking well (like the diagonally buttoned vest, the lack of a shirt, the full gloves, the knee high boots...) and make you think about who this Tod is. The patterning is peak, since the coat has gores to give the coat skirt more volume and movement and the front panels are intentionally cut shorter so the actors don't step on them. Despite this costume being primarily out of leather, this was a rather thin leather and had absolutely gorgeous movement onstage and together with the feathers responded so well to lighting. And to top it off the simple and very recognizable makeup and this is just among the best. 9/10
2nd Hungarian production/Kecskemét & Budapest (2022, 2025-)
I do like that this Tod has a dapperness to him and the tiny black accents like the buttons and the shoes that match him visually with the Todesengel in this production. I also like that he does look distinctly not like a living person, but like a corpse that has just been pulled out of a freezer (goes well with the very ice-y looking set this production has). But maybe he just looks a little too freaky and not appealing, and a little too much like a corpse. I don't know if I like that shiny satin as the main material, especially for a three piece suit, because you can see every single wrinkle. Also, just the choice of the three piece suit makes him look a little too much like a pimp and I don't know if I like the vibes from that angle. And the white contact lenses are just creepy. 5/10
Belgian/French production/Brussels (2022)
You know I always love a Tod who is a) wearing blue and b) giving gender in any way. I like how simple this is but that they clearly had a vision. I also like that his visual simplicity works as a nice contrast to the living people's costumes and distinguishing him as an other in the world. I like the mesh shirt and also that he's wearing makeup that is not the most out there, but that goes along with the simplicity his character design has. And I also like that he matches the Todesengel, but has an extra piece of clothing that puts him visually above them. But I also maybe would have wanted to see a bit more, even if I do like this look. 7/10
Lithuanian production/Kaunas (2022-)
I honestly don't know what to think of this one. On one hand, I appreciate the uniqueness of this costume design and of the ideas that they went for here (the exposed chest with what looks like an underbust corset under a long coat? The foil face makeup? Living). But Even despite this, it is still giving me far too much macho masculine presenting Tod for me to really enjoy it, especially with the coat, which just looks so goddamn stiff. So, good ideas, chaotic presentation. 5/10
2nd Czech production/Ostrava (2024-)
This is like a bad copy of the first Czech production and this one genuinely just completely ignored what made the first Czech costumes awesome and just gave us the most mid Tod costume ever. The long coat is very obviously a trip hazard (which is a feat, considering that both of their Tods are over 2 m tall) and it is patterned very narrow, so it has almost no swish to it. And what infuriates me about this are the tiny details: the shirt with the exposed suspenders and the fingerless biker gloves. And the makeup is also just a bad copy of the first production, except for some reason, for just the first few performances, they gave the Tods glittery gold unibrows? (I'm not joking). They also have a white coat, which has the same issues as the black one, along with it being worn with all the black base layers, which just looks awkward. 4/10
Dutch tour production (2025)
And we finally come to the most recent Der Tod costume. I appreciate that they once again attempted to go for something new while also paying homage to the original Dutch Der Tod costume. And I also like that the coat isn't a solid color, but these smoky blends of red and black. I initially didn't like the very icy blonde wig they did here, especially with Milan keeping his natural color beard, but it has kind of grown on me with time. But once again, I'm still not a 100% sure I really connect red as the best color for Tod. And once again, the leather choice here is so stiff that it's giving zero movement. And that puffer vest is just diabolical. 5/10
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