Elisabeth

The Angels of Death come home to roost as "Elisabeth," the bio-musical of Austria's doomed empress, returns to Vienna. The most successful German-language musical of all time is beginning a seven-month run at the theater that saw its 1992 world premiere, after wowing more than 4 million in six countries as far off as Japan.

The Angels of Death come home to roost as "Elisabeth," the bio-musical of Austria's doomed empress, returns to Vienna. The most successful German-language musical of all time is beginning a seven-month run at the theater that saw its 1992 world premiere, after wowing more than 4 million in six countries as far off as Japan.

The Angels of Death come home to roost as “Elisabeth,” the bio-musical of Austria’s doomed empress, returns to Vienna. The most successful German-language musical of all time is beginning a seven-month run at the theater that saw its 1992 world premiere, after wowing more than 4 million in six countries as far off as Japan.

A sort of CliffsNotes of the Hapsburg dynasty, the show traces the life of the beloved empress and cult figure nicknamed Sissi, from humble beginnings to her assassination in 1898. The figure of Death, attended by his Angels, is portrayed as her one true love.

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Set against the cataclysmic times that led to the fall of the longest-ruling family in history and the rise of the fascism and anti-Semitism that would peak in the next century, “Elisabeth” resists temptation to sugar-coat the story (as in Romy Schneider’s 1950s ultra-kitsch trilogy of “Sissi” films), and presents us with a strong-willed woman driven to defy attempts to rein in her personality to meet royal expectations. “I Belong to Me,” she sings in the score’s most memorable number. Think of Scarlett O’Hara, Evita and Jackie Kennedy meeting on the Danube.

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Harry Kupfer’s dazzling staging would entertain even if the show were sung in Sanskrit (a thorough English synopsis is given in the program, more than sufficient to keep track of the action), but sometimes you just want its turntables, hydraulics and elevators to stop for a few seconds. The witty sets by Hans Schavernoch poke fun at Austrian culture and play extravagant tricks with perspective.

Convincing from age 15 to 60, natural beauty Maya Hakvoort moves from girlish radiance to mature outrage as Sissi. In a dynamic, high-powered performance, Serkan Kaya scores a triumph as Luigi Lucheni, Elisabeth’s assassin, who narrates as a sort of hybrid of Che in “Evita” and Emcee in “Cabaret.” Death is kept very busy, but pretty-boy Mate Kamaras’ hip-swiveling and rock star crooning seem more appropriate for “The Rocky Horror Show.”

The role of Archduke Rudolf, Elisabeth’s son, who committed suicide at Mayerling, is only 15 minutes long, but contains some of the show’s best numbers, and Jesper Tyden rivets with his strong, sweet tenor. Andre Brauer is a handsome dolt as Emperor Franz Josef, and Else Ludwig chews nails and spits ’em out as the mother-in-law from hell.

The lavishly orchestrated, through-composed score by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay has its share of pop ballads and some stunning numbers for Rudolf: As a child afraid of the dark, he sings the touching “Mama, Where Are You?,” which recurs when he reaches out to his absent mother as a suicidal adult. The best, most original music comes in the slyly parodistic ensembles of courtiers and brutal choruses of nationalistic working-class mobs. “Elisabeth” is never less than entertaining as it tells its tale of a tragic life, but when it takes on history, it truly soars.

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Elisabeth

Theater An Der Wien, Vienna; 1,061 Seats; E95 ($110) Top

  • Production: A Vereinigte Buhnen Wien presentation of a musical in two acts with music by Sylvester Levay, book and lyrics by Michael Kunze. Directed by Harry Kupfer. Choreography, Dennis Callahan; musical director, Caspar Richter.
  • Crew: Sets, Hans Schavernoch; costumes, Reinhard Heinrich; lights, Andrew Voller; sound, Erich Dorfinger. Opened, reviewed Oct. 1, 2003. Running time: 2 HOURS, 40 MIN.
  • Cast: Elisabeth - Maya Hakvoort Death - Mate Kamaras Luigi Lucheni - Serkan Kaya Emperor Franz Josef - Andre Bauer Archduke Rudolf - Jesper Tyden Archduchess Sophie - Else Ludwig

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