Music by Heinrich Marschner

New libretto by John J King

June 19-28, 2014, Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Theatre

"OperaHub's stellar production of Der Vampyr stands out as one of the most rewarding theatrical events of the season."  -Terry Byrne | The Boston Globe

Der Vampyr played to a capacity house for its entire second weekend.

OperaHub presented a new adaptation of Heinrich Marschner's 1828 gothic opera DER VAMPYR. Though the work had its American premiere at the Boston Conservatory in 1980, it had not been seen in Boston since.

In the original, Lord Ruthven, the eponymous blood-sucker, has not been sucking his fair share of blood. The other vampires in his coven gather at the witches' dance to charge him with taking three virgins by the end of the third day, or he will perish as a mortal. Tragedy ensues in the local village until the vampire is vanquished.

Playwright/librettist John J King, whose IRNE-nominated parody FROM DENMARK WITH LOVE ran last summer at the Boston Playwright's Theatre and Outside the Box Festival, turned the story on its head, tightened the plot by consolidating several characters and loaded it up with pop-culture vampire references.

OperaHub received generous financial support for this production from the Harvard Musical Association, whose grant underwrote the cost of the instrumental ensemble and arrangement.