Review: Ethos and Vortex Give Perfect Power to VAMPYRESS

Leave it to Bonnie Cullum and Chad Salvata to bring iconic stature to an otherwise fairly ignored character of horror folklore in VAMPYRESS. Frankly, Erzsebet Bathori deserves a great deal of pop culture notoriety, though one might suspect her gender has kept her in the shadows for centuries. In VAMPYRESS, Salvata has lifted a story so ripe with lore and legend that it's surprising no one has thought to capitalize on it more broadly by now. In Erzsebet Bathori, we have a Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer - yeah, when's the last time you saw a play, movie, or television series based on a true story about a Hungarian-noblewoman-blood drinking-serial-killer? Mmm hmmm... never. Seems we were all focused on another Hungarian bad guy by the name of Vlad the Impaler - or, Count Dracula, if you will. Meanwhile, this Bloody Countess has been nobly dubbed the most prolific female murderer of all time.

So Bathori (Melissa Vogt) is a mysteriously compelling woman whose murderous escapades are naturally frowned upon by the royalty of Hungary, King Matthias (Chelsea Manaserri) and and Count Thurzo, (Eryn Gettys) who set out to discover what's going on personally. When they learn through a play within the opera, about Erzsebet's dark desires and just how real they are, the two vow they must expose and dispose of her.

Chad Salvata, whose opera is on steroids (in a good way) compared to its last two incarnations, has built a rich story around a legend of a woman who should have been by now a household name, sanitized and cleaned up over the decades for the kiddos to impersonate on Halloween. But not this Bathori, not in the hands of Salvata and his wife, Austin theatre goddess Bonnie Cullum and the intense and beautiful Vogt as Bathori. This is a story for those of us who love goth and magick and witchcraft and the Tarot. And it's almost so damn well produced, it might lure the rest of us to the dark side. This is, as interpreted as Salvata, we see "in Erzsebet... exhaustible black hole of vanity from which all sorcery originates..." it's "the poetic sorcery of narcissism," The choices made in this production are mythological, a dark fantasy, a gothic telling of our anti-heroine.

Vogt is wonderful as Erzsebet, and she is joined once again by Betsy McCann Bromley who reprises her role as Erzsebet 's lesbian lover Stephan, with effortless flair. Hayley Armstrong conjures up a majestically horned frightful Darvulia, and Chelsea Mannaserri gives beautiful voice to King Matthias. Eryn Getty gives Count Thurzo an underplayed, subtle kind of buffoonery, and Micah Gause and Amanda Clifton make magic without words as various sacrificial virgins and sprites. They are each wonderful in their own way, bringing strong talent and an authentic tone to the show. But this is, after all Erzsebet's story, and Vogt is beautiful in both character and voice, owning Erzsebet in a strangely humble way, never taking the easy choice that could overpower and upset the delicate balance of this fine-tuned ensemble. This ensemble is flawless evidence of Cullum's fine direction and a strong collaboration of talented designers and technicians.

Ann Marie Gordon's set design is true to previous incarnations of the show, but technology has helped jazz it up beautifully. Jason Amato does it again with his fantastical lighting design here, and Roy Taylor gives us a remarkable sound design and engineering of the score, composed and performed entirely by Salvata. Sound design is no small feat in this production, and companies that perform musicals on the regular should take note from Taylor on how to do it. Voices and music were calibrated perfectly, and I couldn't spot a mic, even from the front row, on any of the actors. It's a tiny thing, literally and figuratively, but it speaks volumes (pun intended) to the caliber of this production. Costuming is another beautiful feature of VAMPYRESS, and Stephanie Dunbar and Salvata have done great design work here, too. Choreography in this production, taken on by Sandie Donzica, is as sanguine as the bloody plot, a perfect contribution to further the story.

Finally, VAMPYRESS is a splendid fantasy of horror that includes unapologetic, courageous nudity. It's never exploitative, and practically as necessary to the story as choreography is to a musical. This is a feat that's hard to get just right, but this ensemble under Cullum does it beautifully. Perhaps it's because of the other bonus about this production: this is an all-female cast.

If there is anything lacking in this production it is the occasional inability to understand the cast and completely follow the story despite the excellent sound design. Next time round perhaps a prompter for the audience as found in the world of classic opera would be in order?

VAMPYRESS is a near perfect production of the highest caliber. It's perfect fodder for the adult who loves the mystical and sanguine aspects of Halloween. The creativity found in this one show could likely last other companies an entire season or two. The ensemble is an ethereal flowing machine and Vogt rides it with dark glee and passion. All of this, and it's loads of fun. Now if we could just give it some cult status...

VAMPYRESS

by Chad Salvata, Directed by Bonnie Cullum

Produced by Ethos and Vortex Repertory Theatre

Thursdays-Sundays

September 22 - October 21, 2017

Tickets: $35-$15, $35 Priority Seating , $25 General Admission, $15 Discount/

Child/Artist/Student/Seniors

Advance Reservations Recommended. Limited seating.

www.vortexrep.org or 512-478-5282

Vortex Repertory Theatre

2307 Manor Road

Austin, TX, 78722

Erzsebet Bathori's Bloody Ball -- Saturday, October 14. A Costume Party, Fundraiser, and bloody good time.

Warning: Nudity, Violence, Blood, and Thrills. For Mature Audiences.

Photography by Kimberly Mead

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