Raymond Theatre: The Music of “Rebecca”: The Return of Downton Abbey to Hitchcock in Vienna

He is and remains an extraordinary representative of the musical genre: almost 16 years until the day after the premiere,”Rebecca”, adapted from the crime novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier, and premiered again in Vienna. An updated version of the original direction can be seen at Raymond Theatre. The result is a musical evening for those who are not among the hard core of music lovers – a play With cinematic notes.

When the duo Michael Koons and Sylvester Levi succeeded after their huge hits “Elizabeth” and “Mozart!” The year 2006 turned into a hit classic thanks to the hit movie Hitchcock, and the surprise was pretty big. Thrill as a musical? It was possible to watch the work in Vienna with interruptions until 2008, although it was not a failure, it still did not match the success of “Elizabeth”. However, the British criminal case began to achieve global success, with the play being watched by two million viewers in 12 countries since then.

Now, the stunning logo with a burning letter R on a watery background has once again dominated Vienna’s musical life – and at a dizzying pace. Principal director Francesca Zampello draws on scene changes in cinematic editing frequency. Soon the walls of the Manderley Cottage smash into the loft, the fishermen’s houses sink into the blurry background or the interior transforms into an exterior in no time at all.

This cinematic attitude to the show without much kitsch is reflected in the restrained score, which sometimes comes across almost like chamber music, apart from well-known songs like “Help Me Through the Night,”Rebeccaor ‘I dreamed of Manderlay.’ The huge bands here have been scaled back and their design is now vividly reminiscent of the hit series ‘Downton Abbey.’ Instead, apart from the stunning change of scenery, one depends on the actors. And there’s a lot more to Vienna than to the Talon.

Nienke Laten as second lady de Winter

In her Vienna debut, young Dutchwoman Ninke Latten, as the second wife of wealthy widow Maxime de Winter, first learns how to persuade as a naive girl, before managing the change into a powerful wife who emerges from the shadow of the dead ancestor who gave her the nickname. As an antagonist in the iconic role of the demonic Mrs. Danvers, the role of the deceased Rebecca Standing in front of her is her fellow countrywoman Willemene Verkaek, mourning her loss with unwavering loyalty, who performed “Frozen” at this year’s Oscars and now plays a cold housekeeper, with a strong, unflattering voice, winning. more people.

Opposite the two ladies is German genre star Mark Seibert, who accepted the difficult role of obstinate widow Maxim de Winter in his sixth performance at the Raymond Theatre. Complete the game as confidently as can be done with the non-multifaceted character. Crowd-favorite Anna Mileva Gomez in Vienna has it a little easier than the boisterous Mrs. Van Huber. Crazy American mold is aggressively taken up by Vienna by choice.

In the end it is and remainsRebecca“No musical event, no cliché of this kind, is woven according to a formula. Instead, the Raymond Theater once again presents an evening theatrical with a cinematic setting, based on character sketches and a crime story. And on the liberation story of a young woman emerging from the shadows of the past.”

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