Hi again, I was wondering if you had any sort of an introduction post for Elisabeth like you did for Tanz. I stumbled across an audio recording of Die Schatten Werden Langer (hopefully I spelled that correctly) and loved it and would sort of like to learn more about the show.
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. Friend, you have provided me with the best excuse in the world to finally post my Beginner’s Guide to Elisabeth das Musical, one of my all-time biggest musical obsessions. Brace yourself for death, tragedy, politics, seduction, death, more tragedy, and death. Did I mention death?
1. Trailer: For the 20th Anniversary German production. Available here.
2. Background: Elisabeth is the most successful German-speaking musical of all time. Featuring music by Sylvester Levay and libretto by Michael Kunze, the show has run for the past 25 years in 11 countries and 7 languages. Various productions often reinterpret the show slightly, depending on how familiar an audience is with the historical background.
3. Summary: The show tells the life story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and the fall of the Hapsburg dynasty at the turn of the 19th century, as seen through the eyes of Death himself. It is narrated from beyond the grave by Elisabeth’s assassin Luigi Lucheni, who does his best to turn the audience against her by shattering the fairytale façade of her legacy and revealing the complex, vain, high-spirited woman underneath; a woman who danced with Death as her monarchy crumbled around her.
4. Bootleg: A full bootleg of the beloved 2001 Essen production, featuring a fantastic cast and English/German subs. My favourite bootleg. Available here.
5. Soundtrack: The 2012 Gesamtaufnahme Live CD featuring the Jubiläumsfassung cast. Available here.
6. Song Summaries: As with Tanz der Vampire, I wrote these for an English friend as an accompaniment to the 2012 Gesamtaufnahme Live CD, they’re quicker and easier to follow along with than the English lyrics. Available here.
7. English Lyrics: I’d recommend starting with the song summaries first, as the lyrics are sophisticated. Available here.
I can’t wait to hear what you think. I hope you adore the show as much as I do!
