at the Curran Theatre
Goths everywhere, rejoice! They finally made a musical based on Anne Rice's vampire novels. Now, our gut feeling is that this will either totally rock or totally suck, so to speak. Here's why it could totally rock: Vampires are melodramatic, and musical theater is melodramatic, so it's a perfect marriage; pop musicians Elton John and Bernie Taupin penned the music--they're not the Sisters of Mercy, but then, they're not Rodgers and Hammerstein, either; and Dave McKean is the visual concept designer. Who better than the artist responsible for those kick-ass Sandman comic book covers, not to mention all his other great projects with Neil Gaiman, plus the recent film Mirrormask? Having McKean on the project lends that extra bit of goth legitimacy. After all, isn't Sandman's sister Death as cool if not cooler than Lestat? OK, enough of the goth geeking out. Here's why it could totally suck: Look at what happened with the film version of Interview with the Vampire. Tom Cruise? Tom Cruise? Let's hope the musical sticks to Anne Rice's vision. Like the Tony Award-winning Wicked, this is a pre-Broadway world premiere, right here in San Francisco.
Playing through January 29

Photo by Paul Kolnik: Hugh Panaro as Lestat.

Lestat