Brandon Ragland, Artistic Director

Karen Russo Burke, concept & choreographer

Austin K. Jaquith, composer

Neal Gittleman, conductor

Dayton Ballet

Dayton Ballet School Ensemble

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra

Preparing for War

Vlad II Dracul Patrick Lennon

Mircea Vlad Calugarul Francisco Rivera

Radu cel Frumos Kyan Park

Vlad III Dracula Isaac Jones

Vlad III Dracula (baritone) Michael Pandolfo*

Wallechian Warriors Olivia Bruno, Harrison Broadbent, Kyan Park, Francisco Rivera

Ottoman King Jalen Williams

Ottoman Warriors Nicolas Bierwagen, Tarique Logan†, Lukas Pringle, Marjorie Sherman, Belle Urben

Katerina Jasmine Getz

Villagers Ella Addison, Jessica Etling, Mollie Juniewicz, Sophia Krapf, Ava McKinney, Jenna Mumford, Elizabeth Sabol, Caroline Woessner

In the Forest

Lilith Claire Bergmna

Lilith (mezzo-soprano) Tessa Fackelmann*

- Intermission -

A Gala Opening at the Portrait Museum

Dr. Van Helsing Lukas Pringle

Jonathan Harker Patrick Lennon

Mina Murray Katy Gilliam

Lucy Westenra Jasmine Getz

Lucy Westenra (soprano) Gabrielle Flannery*

Dr. John Seward Francisco Rivera

Party Guests Nicolas Bierwagen, Erin Blair, Harrison Broadbent, Olivia Bruno, Alyssa Eyster, Hailey Flanagan, Tarique Logan†, Kyan Park, Jalen Williams

* Dayton Ballet debut

† Courtesy of Louisville Ballet Studio Company

The Associate Sponsor of this performance is Enterprise Roofing 

Act I
Wallachia, Romania; Sometime in the 1400s

King Vlad II Dracul, Duke of Wallachia, declared war against the evil Ottoman Empire. Battle-hardened King Vlad and his loyal sons Mircea, Radu, and Vlad III prepare for battle to defend their family, people, and land.

Vlad III’s lover, Katerina, sadly says goodbye, feeling that this might be the last time she will ever see her paramour. Promising to return to her, Vlad III leaves for the fight.

As the battle with the Ottomans progresses, Vlad III realizes that his family is in danger. The enemy troops are relentless and savagely attack the Wallachian soldiers. Mircea, Radu, and King Vlad II bravely fight to the death. Fleeing for his life, Vlad III escapes into the forest.

Exhausted and injured, Vlad falls unconscious to the ground. He comes to when he hears an intense sound. A sound he could feel in the pit of his stomach. Confused and dizzy, Vlad sees a creature through the hazy fog. The creature appears to be feeding on the fallen warriors. As the haze clears, Vlad realizes the creature is a woman. She is Lilith, a notorious demon in Jewish tradition. Lilith embodies the emotional and spiritual aspects of darkness: terror, sensuality, and unbridled freedom.

Slowly and seductively, Lilith approaches him and draws him to her chest. Try as he might, Vlad cannot escape her power, as she attacks with a single vicious bite. As his body violently reacts to her bite, she softly assures him that he will not die and sends him away, promising him that he will have the strength to avenge his family’s death.

As he escapes to the battlefield, Vlad witnesses the Ottoman King and soldiers celebrating their triumph. Suddenly, filled with fury, Vlad savagely attacks each one, feeling nothing can stop him. After the massacre, Vlad stands in shock and surveys what he has done.

Desperate for news about Vlad, Katerina rushes to the battlefield and finds him standing amid the bodies, shocked and confused. Relieved to see each other, the couple passionately clings to each other. Vlad is suddenly overwhelmed by the same fury and physical craving he felt when he attacked the Ottoman soldiers.

Unable to control himself, Vlad attacks and kills Katerina. Vlad is shocked and repulsed by his actions. Lilith reveals herself and consoles him, assuring him his newfound power will bring him marvelous things. Forever.

Act II
Many years later

A museum is bustling with excitement as a new portrait exhibit of famous, historic kings and emperors opens. Among the crowd is a close-knit group of friends: a young socialite Mina Murray and her fiancé Jonathan Harker; and, her best friend, Lucy Westenra, accompanied by her suitor and talented young doctor, Dr. John Seward. Seward’s former teacher, Dr. Van Helsing, is also with them. Van Helsing is a Dutch professor, philosopher, and an expert in mysterious illnesses. He is very knowledgeable about vampire folklore and one of the most advanced and open-minded physicians of the time.

Vlad, now called Dracula, is eager to see the exhibit. Dracula and Lilith’s presence at the exhibit causes an unusual stir in the crowd. Feeling uneasy, the couple stays on the periphery of the crowd until he notices Lucy. Her beauty is reminiscent of that of his beloved Katerina, and he is instantly taken with her. Dracula asks Lucy for a dance and as they begin, his animalistic cravings return. Time has allowed him to control his desire to feed. However, Lucy’s likeness to Katerina awakens the void he has felt since her death. As the craving intensifies, Dracula is compelled to make Lucy his own. Deciding to make her his forever love, Dracula bites Katrina but is interrupted and immediately flees the party.

Chaos reigns in the museum. Mina and her friends rush to aid the spellbound Lucy. As Lucy slowly comes to, she is dazed and out of sorts. Astonished by her odd behavior, Dr. Seward attempts to comfort her. Suddenly, she starts to attack Dr. Seward, but Dr. Van Helsing throws her to the ground, knocking her unconscious. After careful examination, Dr. Van Helsing reveals Lucy was attacked by a vampire and they must act now to save her. Fueled by desire, Dracula returns to capture Lucy and take her to his lair. Meanwhile, stunned and furious, Lilith appears, believing Dracula has betrayed her. Nervous the others will discover their secret; she disappears into the confused crowd.

Desperate to rescue Lucy, her friends seek out Lilith and ask if she knows Dracula’s whereabouts. She suggests that he may have gone to his secret hideout. As Dr. Van Helsing quickly leads the group away, Lilith devises her revenge against Dracula.

In the depths of his lair, Dracula gently places Lucy on his bed. He believes Lucy is his one true love, Katerina, and he gives her Katerina’s robe. Lucy feels safe with Dracula and that they are destined to be together. As he begins to teach her how to survive as a vampire, Lucy develops deep, visceral feelings for him.

Angry that Dracula exposed them, Lilith sneaks into his lair while Lucy is sated and asleep. As Lilith approaches him, they argue. Distracted, Dracula is oblivious as Lucy’s friends arrive and slip into the lair to surround Lucy. By the time he notices, it is too late. Lucy is killed by a stake to the heart. Overwhelming grief and anger consumes Dracula, and he attacks her friends, throwing them aside one by one. Finally, Dracula is face to face with Dr. Van Helsing, but Lilith’s powers paralyze him as Dracula realizes his demise was Lilith’s doing all along. Just as she releases him, Dr. Van Helsing stabs him with a stake, ending Dracula’s life.

BEAUTIFUL PERDITION (Lilith)
I’ll sing a strange song which breaks your resolve
And frightens your faltering soul.
My voice, while not living, will round you ring
Straight from the depths where darkness clings.

I’ll tell you a tale that darkens your world,
That incites your mind to great dread.
My tune, while not true, encircles the heart
And forever binds my prey dead.

Here in a mist that is parted in two:
Half in the dark, half in the light.
Face of a woman, face of a wonder,
Wild as a peal of thunder.

Peer in the fog of which half is the light
But notice the shroud that is dark.
A fairy’s visage with beauty untold,
Flashing malice, an evil mark.

I am a serpent, with woman’s soft allure,
Bloodthirsty mouth all consuming.
Men in their blindness come crawling my way,
Yet death do I give them to stay.

Come here now quickly so round you I’ll wind
In rapture I’ll give you the grave.
No pity will cry, no sorrow will sing,
To death I’ll send you, you woeful slave.

My garden I love, of poppy and rose,
And there do I sing of despair
I spread out my tresses, beautiful locks
And listen as the void to me talks.

I’ve no hope to give, no future, no past,
A wraith has no consolation.
You’ll give into the pull of orange and white
So forget your own salvation.

THE CORONATION (Vlad)
From you the crown returns in haste,
My father’s death-shame sorrow laced
I’ve avenged now in victory
And slashed your hope and destiny.

A king he was in life and rule,
A gracious presence, strong not cruel.
You dare so quick to take his life,
To spear him, stab him with the knife.

My brothers stilled, from them stolen
A golden age, which won’t be spoken.
I’ll exact from your children more
Than ten-fold in eternal war.

I’ll make them pay with wealth of life,
Nothing will come between our strife.
No mediator will them aid
Until to death I’ve seen them laid.

Though son, my father I am not.
He forgave, revenge is my lot.
I’ll never forbear the desire,
Eye for eye, the unquenching fire.

I survey the land from a peak
My enemies whose futures are bleak.
From this craggy all-seeing perch,
I scorn them in their fearful search.

Stronger than a lion was I
But a pride now I’d set awry.
The power I feel in these limbs,
Will squeeze any living thing thin.

My strength is from no mortal source,
From below comes this vital force
Coursing swiftly throughout my veins,
Venom and blood over body reign.

A fatal hunger now gnaws me,
A unending lack now claws me.
I envy the living their life,
And desire both man and wife.

The fire that endlessly burns,
And sweet peace which never returns
Enable me always to pay
The debt I acquired this day.

THE DECISION (Dracula and Lucy)
Dracula
I see an echo, a beautiful reflection.
Did the spark transcend the time?
Is this image real, or am I fated still,
Only a silhouette to tempt my sorrow?

I see a double, a perfect copy,
just like a ripple across the sea of time.
A light which hasn’t faded,
An ember still glowing,
A warmth invading me.

Is this the revel of a mirage,
The mirth of a farce,
Is this the hopeless anticipation of a dream?

Is this the fate of a fool,
The hope of a dupe,
Or just elation from a fraud,
Just delirium from a trance?

Lucy
What is this new thing?
A man I’ve never seen,
But it feels so oddly familiar.
How could this possibly
Trigger a memory?
I’ve never seen this spectre before.

It’s like an echo, a faint refection.
Just like a ripple across the sea of time.
A chill that isn’t welcome,
A thrill that beckons strongly,
What is this gravity?

Is this the door to my heart’s desire,
The key to my hopes,
Is this the entrance to a whole new world?

Or is it bait for a fish,
A snare for a bird,
Maybe it’s a decoy in a field,
Just a murder for fool’s gold?

Dracula
Am I mistaken or did she cast a glance,
Did her tender gaze go on?
Could she remember me,
Or do the similarities
Tragically end beneath her design?

What if she knows my story,
Or has a premonition,
What if she sees the truth?

After an age, no more,
How to imagine a future?
After forever, so long,
How to see anew?

Oh please don’t let this dissolve.

Following the dark, so cold,
How to bear the light?
Trailing the penalty, so harsh,
How to see it cast aside?

Oh please don’t let this disappear.

Lucy
Am I just crazy, my mind just hazy,
Did his piercing gaze catch hold?
Why does he seem to grasp
And perceive more than he should?
He seems to know me far beyond acquaintance.

And surprisingly I too,
See more than meets the eye,
What is this memory?

Together
Is this the revel of a mirage,
The mirth of a farce,
Is this the hopeless anticipation of a dream?

Is this the fate of a fool,
The hope of a dupe,
Or just elation from a fraud,
Just delirium from a trance?

Just elation from a fraud,
Just delirium from a trance?

Now I have made my choice,
I’m giving in today,
I’m not fearing what’s in store.

Sometime you just cast off,
Heedless about the cost,
Tomorrow isn’t what counts now.

We’ll run so far away,
We’ll leave them all behind,
We’ll escape our destiny,
We’ll blaze a future new.

Let’s say goodbye.

LILITH’S SONG OF REVENGE
Treachery, fraud, double-minded delusion
My protégé is stuck in an illusion

He thinks he’s found his love,
He thinks he’s found his hope,
He doesn’t yet realize
That he’s caught and bound
My hooks punctured gently,
My claws circled softly,
He hasn’t seen the fence that encloses him

I brought him back from deathly grip
And loosed his chains of defeat
I took his dire and hopeless stand
And made him victor complete

For on his own he had no chance
So weak and timid was he
It galls the mind to think of how
He cheated death and went free

Treachery, fraud, double-minded delusion,
My protégé is stuck in the midst of an illusion

And this is how he thanks me
And this is his response
How dare he turn against me
With such brazen nonchalance

He could have had the world vast
He could have commanded the globe
With the power I gave to him alone
He should have ruled the whole

But after seeking petty revenge
When he satisfied his thirst
He nursed his sorrows like a child
And obsessed over love reconciled

Treachery, fraud, double-minded delusion

Oh the comedy of mortal man
Oh how easy he is to scam
He’ll give anything for his vain little wants
He’ll sacrifice it all for desire

Treachery, fraud, intentional deception
And after he’s spent his life, his strength
He just might be lucky and see
All those years he lived for himself
Were just blind devotion to me

Treachery, fraud, deception, betrayal
And now it’s time for reckoning
For payback, revenge
What made him think
No strings were attached
That there be would be nothing to avenge

I’ll splinter and dash
I’ll violently rend
I’ll take his hope, his dreams
And everything he holds so dear

I’ll splinter and dash
I’ll violently rend
I’ll take his hope, his dreams
And everything he holds so dear

Nothing negative, a big black hole for him
I’ll pulverize his bright-lit eyes
I’ll tear his heart in two

Nothing negative, a big black hole for him
I’ll pulverize his bright-lit eyes
I’ll tear his heart in two

I’ll leave him with just grist and dust
And then see what he’ll do

I’ll leave him with just grist and dust
And then see what he’ll do

I’ll ensure his demise
He shall never arise
Again

A LOVE OBSERVED (Lucy)
I’m standing in a soft-lit glow
My yearnings satisfied
I never thought I’d reach the hour
Where fears and tremors were cast aside

I’m resting in a comforting light
My sadness is denied
This sweet repose so far from despair
Where loss and pain are just a dream

I was a parched and withered bloom
Consumed by flames of thirst
I turned each way around to no avail
And mourned my strength as it dispersed

I wasn’t planted by a brook
A pond, a creek, a stream or pool
So dry as death was my hardened ground
I lived in constant suffering cruel

But oh the day he finally appeared
An evening mist he wafted in the room
And the moment that he entered through the door
I saw the gray clouds rushing apart
My dead heart beat again so quick
The coldness did depart.