I think omitting the kiss here is kind of strange? Like there is no reason I can see for it. 1) these two have kissed other guys on stage before, so I dont think its that 2) theyve kissed EACH OTHER on stage before too 3) It cant be covid because then why would he still Kiss Elisabeth 4) I always liked the Kiss of Death as a concept. Because a kiss is usually a gesture of love, and for that to be the way death kills is just kinda poetic. Idk there must be some reason it was omitted here and in 2019

I love the fact that luigi is italian. I am here singing along in german and suddenly "CHE CAZZO VUOI?!" 😂

No bc my personal theory is that whoever decided to change certain aspects e.g. the very overt homoeroticism in "Die Schatten werden länger" and the Mayerling kiss are missing the POINT. Its not ABOUT gender, androginy or sexuality its about DEATH. Death as something that tampts you, is an amazing representation of what Depression feels like. Trigger Warning! Discussion of suicidal ideation and depression! I myself grappled with that a few years ago and sometimes, when it got really bad, it felt exactly like this! Like death was the only way out, a kind of relief from my own mind and the steuggles in my life. *end of the triggering passage* And representing that with something so human, like Lust is just such a genious idea! And if they do it for Elisabeth, and they DO, then they gotta do it with Rudolph as well, because it makes no sense that death acts one way with one person and another with a different person in very similar situations (we literally have a song where Rudolph says he is much like his mother). I think they started going "no homo!!! Bro" for some reason but instead ended up with The Phantom of the Opera two, electric boogaloo😂

It's a pity that I don't understand English by ear 😭😭😭 such an interesting topic. I would like to discuss

Removing der schwarze prinz was a crime. Saw Elizabeth over 20 times in vienna and on a german tour

i mam feeling very educated right now

amazing video essay!! even tho i wish i didnt have to see how the concert butchered die schatten werden länger i already disliked the interpretation of rudolf being a pawn in deaths plan to get sissi bc it makes them more of An Actual Character rather than a metaphorical one and also cheapens rudolfs subplot but WOWWWWW. A FREAKING CAT TOY. how much more disrespectful can you get?

this video is much funnier now that i understand german

34:01 ❤

With the idea that Der Tod is a projection of Elisabeth's own mental health struggles, I would interpret Death's rejection of her to be a reflection of how she treats her son; when Rudolf was taken away from her, she cried and begged to have him back. Yet once she achieved this, she rejected him, much like how Der Tod rejects Elisabeth after she finally gives in to her advances. This is why he changes his mind at the end when she is killed - she is now with Rudolf, and so now Death can be with her. But that's just my interpretation

It was really interesting to watch a video about the original production (the hungarian one is one of my mother's favorite musicals and i basically grew up listenig to it) but like actually why the heck did they remove the kiss??? I got to watch it for the first time in december in Hungary (as you may know, we're not in a good situation about the LGBT+ community unfortunately) and they still had it?? Like just why... Also actually seeing it live for the first time kind of made me realised that having a crush on the Death wen i was 8 and on the Phantom at 9 may have to do something with having effed-up fictional crushes most of my life lol

I also really hate that death was made more explicitly a character onto himself. All it does is muddy everything up, as you said. Also, I still think Rudolph should initiate the Mayerling-Kiss, since he is the one who initiates his own death and doesn’t just wait for it to take him.

For me, I felt like everything Tod did in all three musical productions was geared t/w getting Elisabeth, including his seduction of Rudolf- murdering her son will likely make Elisabeth more suicidal, therefore closer to death. And Tod is so persistent too, he's literally present in every stage of Elisabeth's life, and the inclusion of Wenn ich tanzen will emphasized that. About the Rondo number, I really appreciated your analysis of it, I totally agree with you on that.

They heterosexualized my boy.... Thank you for this essay, and hard agree on your last point

it's so sad that they made der tod to be this... plain and simple, when death is complex, not only as a character, but, well, death itself is. so why reduce it to what they did from 2012 onward? i really like mark seibert. i loved him as colloredo in mozart das musical. but it's sad seeing an actor you like playing a character that is less than it used to be before. i've never noticed the changes since i only watched the first revival with kamaras (mainly because it's the only one with english subtitles on yt lol) but now that i know german a little more, i really want to check the original out and i surely will, especially after you reminding me that kröger plays death there lol thank you so much for this video essay. i enjoyed diving in more into the different versions of the musical! it's absolutely my favorite non-english musical, alongside rudolf affaire mayerling! (also, literally seconds before you showed the japanese version with a female death, i was like, "why can't they just cast der tod as a woman?" and i guess they did lol) (they should definitely do it more) (i'd really enjoy seeing the same chemistry as kröger and kamaras showed with "their" elisabeths and rudolfs but with a female death:])

Once again I am amazed by your work and absolutely love this video. Now, I have to admit I have never seen Elisabeth - only listened to the cast recording (which was a Best Of CD from I think the early 2000s version) during a car ride, so not very attentively either. I loved some songs and a friend explained to me roughly what happened during those songs/gave me context to what was going on. So I actually didn't have any reason to watch this video BUT I was intrigued since I've seen your take on Alfred from TDV (and absolutely loved that as well). That being said: I am once again shocked (but not surprised) how much got changed, especially in context of hetero normative storytelling. And I am so very annoyed. Obviously, in the 90s we were more progressive than nowadays in that direction - at least from what I've learned about the original plays - and that leaves me so disappointed and frustrated. There are so many thoughts and I haven't even watched the musical! Which I will certainly do in the near future and I will definitely watch the OG 1992 version! Apart from my rage, your video essays are brilliant and give me a reason to think about musical theatre in a way I've never thought about it before. And also I am more than happy to find fellow musical nerds! Have a lovely day x

Thank you very much for this essay! I often wondered why Rondo seems so weird to me but with all reimaginations of Der Tod you analyzed it finally came to my mind. The Black Prince shows Der Tod through Elisabeth's eyes, she could've died after the trick and at that moment her fantasy creates Der Tod who'd haunt her for the rest of her life. Der Tod should never be characterized too much, he's both a macabre metaphore and a projection of Elisabeth (and Rudolf)'s mind. After all, she's established as a dreaming girl, fond of her father with his stories and will to live, she could've actually came up with this idea. Also imagine later, being thrown into an empress life, she's alone and cornered, she has no control over family or politics. Elisabeth's left with nothing but Der Tod, the last remaining part of her childhood whispering to her about what she always wanted: freedom. (as I'm writing it I start to feel so depressed 😅) Just how better it sounds than a simple "she's a princess, he's an angsty otherwordly entity with fEeLiNgS" It's disappointing that themes shifted from character study and dark 19th century romanticism to a simple Phantom of the Opera romance. (Maybe that's why I mostly like Essen 2001 with prime Pia and Uwe which still balanced between initial themes) Classic EDM has phenomenal idea and can stand in line of timeless art pieces.

MASTERPIECE

I don't agree with everything in the video but thank god somebody said this about No Coming Without Going. Actually, I don't even like how the song sounds even though I desperately wanted to. It sounds out of place from the rest of the discography, especially when it has no mirrored thematic parallel later in the show like the other songs; and thematically, it does throw off the rest of the show. The difference between the 1992 and 2005 Black Prince already changed enough that Maya's Elisabeth noticed and appreciated Death, saying only he understood her, while Pia sang completely about her own ideals and goals without the acknowledgement to Death. No Coming Without Going serves the Takarazuka production's purposes of their version where Death is the main character, because the focus is completely shifted to him and his perspective in that song. But because of that and my other points, it has no place in the main Elisabeth productions. When I first Saw Elisabeth, I saw the 2005 production and I did like that it had vibes similar to Phantom of the Opera - but what I liked most was that it WASN'T Phantom of the Opera. It was better. The themes were way more interesting too. And yes, the 2019-22 revival concerts seems sad and sanitized

Not only does it speed up, it also goes to a higher key...

In the 2001 Essen show, there is this little melody between “The Way You Think and Plan” and “Nothing is Difficult” which I absolutely love and am sad that it got cut. It is a little playful tone that Franz and Elizabeth share as young lovers that sounds like a brighter variate of the verse melody of “Nothing is Difficult”/“Ships in the Night,” (at least the jumping up and down of the notes holds some resemblance). Then right after Sisi sings this part of a love-struck young girl, Franz follows by talking about the responsibility/problem that comes with marrying an emporer like him (beginning “Nothing is Difficult”). The song makes clear to me that there were moments where Sisi was in love with Franz or maybe at least purely happy and excited for the start of a dream-like romance, which in term contrasts with the resignation of “Ship in the Nights.” I also wondering what went into the decision to include this song from 1992 to 2001. In 1992, Sisi was a bit more hesitant/mild and just generally loving towards the concerns Franz raised, while in the 2001 production, Sisi acted more childish and dismissed Franz’s concern with the innocent, romanticized image of her first love.

As a Takarazuka fan who has only seen multiple zuka productions up until now, when I finally tried some of the Viennese versions a few days ago I adored how complex they were in comparison and I've become obsessed. As much as I love Takarazuka there is much to criticize about it, from it's misogynistic and heteronormative origins to how those origins still permeate the theater today, but I also believe that the Takarazuka aesthetic and formula can be too limiting at times, as much as I appreciate that many of its formulaic aspects are aspects that make it special. There's many shows that one could just never imagine Takarazuka doing bc of these limits, and even if they do those shows I wouldn't be surprised if in the future they changed those shows to an extent to make them fit with Takarazuka tradition more like they did with Elisabeth, even to the detriment of the themes. However I still hold hope of Takarazuka becoming more flexible in the future, and they have broken formula before. For example their original musical adaptation of the legendary 70s manga The Poe Clan has no central heterosexual romance and instead the central relationship is the homoerotic relationship between Edgar and Alan, and Takarazuka stays faithful to this and imo even leans more into homoeroticism than the manga.

I speak from the bottom of my heart - this is absolutely brilliant!!! and in such a theater it is possible to hold very real online performances of musicals!)

Lmao becasue of this video I really liked it and wrote a fanfiction hahha..death more as a vague concept this time!

First death's portrayal was for the gays, then the girls, and now (no offense except kinda) the guys Yeah I enjoy Tod more as an androgynous otherworldly, thoroughly pretty person, if I wanted another ripped Lucifer I would watch literally every other piece of media ever made... Anyways, your video was very insightful, good job!

You have no idea how obsessed I am with this essay! I love the analysis, the wit, the research. My personal favourite Death is Ichiro Maki (Takarazuka 1996 Snow troupe), she is the perfect Prince of Death. I also love Asaji Saki (Star troupe, 1996-97). But Uwe and Maté are amazing in their own ways, I love the complexity they bring to their portrayals and the overall story. I feel so sad thinking that a lot of productions are lightnings in a bottle and we can't replicate them or go back in time. The power they hold over us! Sometimes I see a shot of Ichiro Maki as der Tod and my heart just stops haha. The Death still be Deathing years later

It was interesting watching this as someone who has seen the Japanese Toho production (not the Takarazuka version). This production also keeps the new songs but I feel they fit better there, and there are elements which work to offset the "watering down" of Death's character. For example, the long kiss between Rudolf and Death remains (slightly different though, as Death hands him the gun during the long kiss, walks away and turns his back before Rudolf uses it on himself--perhaps a little less visceral on purpose, but the seductive element is still there). There are also scenes where Death seems to aid others in service of general chaos, which I couldn't find in any videos from European productions I saw. For example, before the death of Sophie there is a scene where an assassination attempt is made on Elisabeth in Hungary, and Death appears to conceal the assassins' presence. Overall though I'd say the Toho death is perhaps both more sexualized and more other-worldly than any other production. His costumes are totally out-of-time Visual Kei style rocker consumes, with bared chest and long, flowing hair. The "angels" who appear in most of his songs are similar but even more naked (often just shirtless with black wings). Whether this is viewed as "androgynous" or not is a complex question given that this kind of look not as rare in the Japanese entertainment world, but it's certainly closer to the original Austrian Death than many other productions, I think. I think this extreme look actually makes death seem even more supernatural, since he's such an incredible contrast compared to the setting the other characters are living in, and his sexual element feels a lot less like romance and a lot more like vampiric seduction.

wow it’s so cute 😂

Neat. :D

Only thinks Schönbrunn version of Elisabeth is good for is the catboy Rudolf memes. Poor little meow meow indeed. Seriously though what’s with that cat toy it’s so dumb thanks for fixing it.

Thank you for so eloquently expressing what I’ve been thinking. Elisabeth has been my favorite musical for at least 10 years (which is about as long as I’ve been struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts (or at least as long as it got really bad). I’m quite partial to the interpretation of death as a representation of Elizabeth’s and Rudolf’s depression and self-destruction and I do find the “heterosexual romance arc” that recent productions have introduced to be straight up problematic and offensive and also just kind of cliche and boring tbh. It’s literally turning a show that was heavily criticizing the kitschified, overly romanticized version of Sisi’s life into exactly what it was trying to critique and as a German i grew up with kitschified Sisi media (omg I could go on about this forever, like many people know about the Romy Schneider movies but it goes so much deeper there’s the children’s TV princess cartoon and the branded Barbie dolls to go along with it omg I could go on about this forever (excuse my autism but Elisabeth and her portrayal in pop culture is literally my biggest special interest)). Anyways the musical felt so ground-breaking bc it literally went against all that kitschified nonsense and this romanticized Austrian national myth and it made its’ audience an active participant in the musical who’s complicit in the romanticized bullshit (like Luigi Lucheni breaks the fourth wall for a reason and it’s great). Like I could wax poetic about how awesome the original version of Elisabeth is in terms of accurately portraying history (with some minor flaws) and accurately portraying mental illness and suicidality without romanticizing it too much and I think the new version that focuses on her romantic arc with death just destroys all of that (which is especially disappointing considering that the real Elisabeth was most likely asexual). Also, come on, if they had to make it into a Twilight-esque dark romance everyone knows that the character who most deserves to have a sexy undead murder boyfriend is obviously Rudolf, I mean cmon people, know you’re fandom! I can excuse romanticizing suicide, but I draw the line at heterosexuality! (I’m obviously joking, I think Todolf is a much better ship in fanfiction than the real show). Just stop with the romance arc not everything needs a kitschified Hollywood romance arc, like the show was dark and fucked up and complex and now they just try to dumb it down and commodify it for the masses when that’s literally not even necessary, it was already one of the (if not the most successful) European musicals, they could have just left it alone! Anything after the 2005 Vienna revival is questionable at best tbh

W is for... werden werden weerden werDEN WERDEN WERDENWERDEN

HELP THE LAST PART

My favorite Death is Máté Kamarás and I love the version with him (1st revival - 2003). In my opinion, Uwes and Marcs versions are a bit to clean and nearly angelic and princely, but my idea of Death is rough, tempting/seducing and animalistic/demonic. Mátés acting and his voices fits that best. Also "Wenn ich tanzen will" is a great addition ("Schon bald werd' ich dir verhasst sein", so good!) (I really like the idea of Death having no specific gender/being different for every person. Maybe terrifying for some and seducing for others. And I'm obsessed with an actress playing Death!) I don't understand/like that the view was shifted away from Elisabeth, to show more of Death' emotions. (-> "Kein Kommen ohne Gehen", why?) Death is a plot device/personification of Elisabeths Depression, not a real Character. So it's less love story and more her romanticising freedom by ending her own life. ("Am Rand des Abgrunds, oder nur in deinem Blick" -> "Im Angesicht des Todes") And let Death kiss the people who are taken. That's how it's done!

Of coursr Finland would turn the emsemble into literal zombies XD

Love the musical! I am 1:19 in and think this video so ironically funny

M is for MILCH!!!