The last dance with the Finnish vampires

Wer mal Blut geleckt hat möchte mehr... 

Pictures

Introduction

So, dear reader.... If you were one of those who read my blog about my last visit to Seinäjoki, I am sure you only have one question: Is it really going to be that long again? The answer is: I will try to keep it very short... 

Furthermore, I have been keeping an eye on my last blog about the vampires. 

I suddenly had a storm of people on my blog from over 10 different countries!

So, I would hereby conclude that this musical indeed is very popular! But I am glad that my review got some readers, the whole team behind the musical deserves it and the actors/actresses deserves to get praise for their performances as well 

If you, dear reader, already have shaken your head in disbelief and given up on me, I would suggest that you stop reading now....

And if I actually did awake your curiosity then: tauchen Sie mit mir in die Dunkelheit ein...

Thoughts about last shows:

Anticipation! That word describe the feeling quite well when I woke up friday 23.03.12 still tired after my first experience of a “Sitsit” the day before (party, rules, costumes and alcohol). But, it was soon forgotten because this weekend, I should again experience the Finnish vampires. But, my anticipation was mixed with feelings of sadness because this would be the last performances. 

However, the sadness did not only come from knowing that it was my last change to see the musical. But also because I have seen how much fun the cast have had on the stage, how much the fans enjoyed the show and lastly also because the whole cast just are amazing (I really have to find another adjective than amazing, it seems like I misuse this word every time I speak about the Finnish vampires...)

Furthermore, those endorphins kicking in when seeing the show will no more have a source to come from, at least not before my planned visit to Berlin and the German vampires, but it is not going to be the same (concerning “endorphins”: read my blog “Thoughts on fans and fandom” if you do not know what I am talking about). 

To sum up my thoughts: The thing is, I have been to a couple of last shows in my time as a “musical fan” and I have a weird love/hate relationship with them.

On the one hand, one is really looking forward to see the show also knowing it is going to be something special and there might be some gags involved. 

On the other hand, going into the theatre knowing that this is the last time to see a fabulous show is just sad (1. Rule, remember kleenex if you have easy to tears... 2. Rule, even though you are excited about the show, please do not scream all the time, your neighbour might end up deaf...)

The shows:

Dear reader, I will try to make this short because I already wrote 6 pages in my last review. 

It should be no surprise that I again loved the show! If I could, I would hug the whole cast, just because it is easier than trying to describe how insanely good this production is and how fantastic the cast are as singers, actors/actresses, dancers and as vampires (and as professor).

Next, to make it very short, I found some of my favourite portrayals of the different characters in the Finnish production (even as a huge fan of the German version)

The favorites are:

• Krolock: Jyri Lahtinen is now on the top together with Matthias Stockinger in competing to be my favourite. I really like them both! Jyri was really on fire again! I also again got the evilest chills running down my spine, I was more afraid than ever. But still, I actually shed a tear in Das unstillbare gier. Moreover, because of Jyri, I now also see myself only saying or writing the word “bat” (in any language) in quotation marks (One of the gags in the last show in the scene Vor dem Schloss) 
• The Professor: It is so nice with a professor who seem more “real” and less” senile”. 
• Alfred: I really never took that much notice of this character before I saw Ville Salonens portrayal of him. It was nice to see how Alfred develops during the show, from a insecure young man to a fierce vampire. In the song Für Sarah I was again smiling insanely and my heart did beat a lot faster. As I would say in German “Seine Stimme ist wie die aller erste Sahne” (In other words: his singing is really good)
• Sarah: The Finnish Sarah simply just convince me completely!
• Herbert: Never has Herbert been more “Herbert-like” than in the Finnish production!
• Rebecca: because she is portrayed as a much stronger woman, she seems more real and sympathetic. 
• Koukul: Just because he is awesome in the Finnish production!

A side note on biting: In my last review, I did comment on how well the ensemble (and vampire-Alfred) do in scaring the audience. In the very last show, I sat right on the edge on row two to the right.

I was mentally prepared to get scared, but as Koukul walks pass me for the first time, the only thing he needed to say was “boo” and I jumped in my seat. 

After the scene “Vor dem Schloss” I had a female vampire crawling on my seat doing the “vampire growl” (This time I only jumped a little).

I already knew that it was possible to have a vampire trying to scare me after the scene Ewigkeit and what a pleasant scare :) I had a male vampire biting my neck/ear while doing his vampire growl (the German vampires really should start biting their audience more, instead of only scaring them... Also, the Finnish vampires biting, scaring and growling also almost make up for the lack of blood). This male vampire was even much more gentle than the bite I got from Alfred at my last visit, here Alfred was very fierce and determinant. 

Speaking about bites and Alfred: In the last show, Alfred did not go along the aisle to bite people. This time he first took off his jacket, opened his shirt and “walked” through the audience by using the seats as steps while biting people. 

It had a nice effect (that he used the seats as step to walk through the audience, I will leave others to comment on his bare chest as I might not be the right one to do it. Not because it wasn’t pretty, I am just not that interested in the male-body...), but the only thing I could think was “please do not fall”!

The last show: I think that the very last show deserves some comments on its own as well. Even though some might describe me as a “newbie” to the Finnish vampires, it was weird going into the theatre, give your jacket to the nice people at the wardrobe, go up the stairs to the first floor and find your seat in the theatre for the very last time. 

The atmosphere was really great, both in the audience and up on stage and one could almost feel how everyone was sucking all details out of the show to remember them when the show was over.

The cast also made some few gags, which the audience found really great. I do not remember them all in the moment, but some of them were:

• Alfred “vandalising” (looked like he was being a “bad” boy) the keyhole and door while trying to peek into Sarah's room
• Krolock singing the first line in Einladung zum Ball in German
• In Vor dem Schloss, Krolock made quotation marks with his hands when saying Ich las ihr Buch „Die Fledermaus“, genial! Ich war gefangen (along with a look of irritation). In the same scene, when Krolock was putting Alfred under his spell, Alfred was at first not that keen to follow, but in the end he did, but more confident than charmed.
• After Carpe Noctem, Koukul came not with the usual breakfast but with a big three layered cake (order from Herbert it seemed, who appeared quickly on the side of the stage to see how his cake was received by Alfred)
• In der Gruft both Krolock and Herbert was sleeping with a teddy bear (I heard, I could not see it from where I sat, I just heard the laugther).
• Vampire-Alfred suddenly taking off his jacket and opening his shirt to leaver the room using the seats as steps. 

At the end after a standing ovation and a lot of clapping, it was time for the fans to perform our surprise for the cast. The surprise was a “thank you” song (Kiitos laulu), and luckily we had one among us who was so nice to write the song and play the guitar.

After the clapping, all the fans gathered at the right aisle and then it was showtime (dear reader, I do not know if you can imagine that we all were a bit nervous? Singing in front of all those great singers?! But we just hoped that they would be appreciate our try...).

It went well, and I think that the cast liked our song even though we were not professional singers(!). There is also a video of it, and I did see at least one cast member who dried a tear away and all the others had a big smile on their face. See a link to the song here.

After our song, the cast was so nice to stay a while so we could take photos (see the link I posted in the beginning) and I think every fan captured some nice memories.

Then the last show was over and the fans went to a restaurant to talk, eat and drink for a couple of hours before going to bed. After that point, I really did need some sleep after all the anticipation.

Last comments:

Well, we are at the end now... Both on my blog entry and the adventure of the Finnish vampires!

Kiitos paljon, thank you, vielen dank, tusind tak, tack så mycket! I am trying to express my gratitude, I do not know if “thank you” in five different languages help but I do not know what else to say. I am glad that I made the journey to Seinäjoki and after 6 shows I am still enchanted :)

Again, I want to thank the whole team behind the musical and the amazing cast! I think you slowly get what I think of you!

I also want to thank those cast members who took some of their time out to talk and discuss a little bit at the stage door at my two visits to Seinäjoki, I am glad that some of you “managed” to read my last review and I am glad you liked it ;)

Also thanks to the fans and the group that I travelled with, you are also awesome. Thanks for speaking English, the translation and to include me in your group.

And do not feel too secure, the Dane will be back even though not to watch the vampires, then at least to see and hear some of the talented actors/actresses and singers again. Also even though I am moving back to Denmark in the end of may, I am confident that I will find a excuse to visit Finland again and again :)

My dear reader, I will end my adventure with the Finnish vampires and this blog with the finale from the musical (In German, because you cannot find the Finnish version on youtube) 

The memories will always remain....