23. September 2022
It is and remains an unusual representative of the musical genre: Almost 16 years to the day after its premiere, “Rebecca”, the adaptation of the crime novel by Daphne du Maurier, celebrated its premiere again in Vienna on Thursday. A refreshed version of the original direction can be seen in the Raimund Theater. The result is a musical evening for those who don’t belong to the hard core of musical fans – a play with cinematic hits.
When the successful duo Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, after their mega success “Elisabeth” and “Mozart!” in 2006, turned to the well-known classic thanks to the Hitchcock film, the surprise was quite large. A thriller as a musical? The work could be seen in Vienna with an interruption until 2008, although it wasn’t a flop, it still couldn’t match the success of an “Elisabeth”. Then, however, the British criminal case started to become a worldwide success, since the play has been seen by two million viewers in twelve countries since then.
Now the striking logo with the burning R in front of a watery background once again dominates musical life in Vienna – and at a breathtaking pace. Premiere director Francesca Zambello relies on scene changes in cinematic editing frequency. The walls of the Manderley country estate quickly crash into the loft, fishermen’s houses sink into the misty background or an interior turns into an exterior facade in no time at all.
This cinematic attitude of the staging without much musical kitsch is also reflected in the restrained score, which at times comes across as almost chamber music, regardless of well-known hits like “Help me through the night”, “Rebecca” or “I’ve dreamed of Manderlay”. Monumental ensemble numbers are reduced here and are now unmistakably reminiscent of the series hit “Downton Abbey”. Instead, apart from the spectacular scene change, one relies on the actors. And there is a lot in Vienna in stock.
In her debut in Vienna, the young Dutchwoman Nienke Latten, as the second wife of the rich widower Maxim de Winter, first knows how to convince as a naïve girl, before she manages the change to a strong wife who steps out of the shadow of the dead predecessor who gave her the title. As an opponent in the iconic role of the diabolical Mrs. Danvers, who mourns the deceased Rebecca with unwavering loyalty, she faces her compatriot Willemijn Verkaik, who performed the “Frozen” song at the Oscar gala this year and is now an ice-cold housekeeper who with strong , not exuberant voice takes over.
Opposite the two ladies is the German genre star Mark Seibert, who has accepted the difficult role of the stubborn widower Maxim de Winter for his sixth show at the Raimund Theater. He completes the game as confidently as can be done with the not too multifaceted character. The Viennese crowd favorite Ana Milva Gomes has it a little easier than the shrill Mrs. Van Hopper. The template of the crazy American is taken up with vigor by the Viennese-by-choice.
In the end, “Rebecca” is and will not be an event musical, no cliché slingshot of the genre, knitted according to a formula. Instead, the Raimund Theater is again presenting a theater evening with a cinematic attitude that focuses on character drawings and a crime story. And the story of the emancipation of a young woman emerging from the shadows of the past.
“Rebecca” by Michael Kunze – book and Sylvester Levay – music. Direction: Francesca Zambello, choreography: Simon Eichenberger, set design: Peter J. Davison, costumes: Birgit Hutter, musical direction: Herbert Pichler. With Nienke Latten – I, Mark Seibert – Maxim de Winter, Willemijn Verkaik – Mrs. Danvers, Boris Pfeifer – Jack Favell, Ana Milva Gomes – Mrs. Van Hopper, James Park – Frank Crawley, Annemieke van Dam – Beatrice/Mrs. Danvers, Aris Sas – Ben, Ulrich Allroggen – Ober Julyan, etc. Further performances at the Raimund Theater fixed until March 25, 2023. musicalvienna.at