OGDEN — In 2024, Ogden Musical Theatre Company debuted a production of the play Dracula adapted by local playwright Jennifer Westfall. This is the third time the production has been produced for the Halloween season, and I am pleased to say that the show has only improved with time. Under the direction of Maddie Tarbox, this year’s expedition to 1897 Transylvania and London is just as haunting as ever, with even more chilling technical elements, strong acting, and impressive moments that send shivers down your spine.
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The Egyptian Theater is the perfect location for a dark and scary tale, and I am impressed with the work that scenic designer Wendall Peery and prop master and set dresser Marilyn Montgomery have done to create the world of the show. The Egyptian Theater has a beautiful Wurlitzer Organ that has been in the theater since 1924, and having the show start with Dracula, played by Connor Padilla, playing Toccata and Fugue made my musician heart soar. I am so glad that the community is finding reasons to use this organ which is a rich piece of history. Seeing the show for that is worth the price of admission alone. While not a musical, the music backdrop was magnificent: the melancholic and dark Transylvania to the light and hopeful England. This was matched by the scenic design and props. Music and video design by Ryan Bruckman played a key role in this show, especially with the letters that the original novel is based on being projected onto the walls of this great theater.
The costumes and wigs by Citlati Urquiza and Cynthia Johnson were also impressive, especially with how they made Dracula change in appearance. This characterization helped build the visualization and belief that it would be easy to be manipulated by Padilla’s character, and Padilla did a fantastic job of proving that he was someone who could entrance others. Chad Brown as Jonathan Harker showed quite the opposite, getting older and weaker throughout the show, and struggled to hold his resolve. I really enjoyed watching this stark opposition in characters, and seeing how well they played against each other. I also really enjoyed Brandon Garside as Renfield, who convincingly descends into madness. His ability to break through the madness at times, yet still suffer the manipulations of Dracula, was very haunting.
M Rayburn as Mina Murray and Maura Gardner as Lucy Westenra excel in adding depth to female characters that don’t have much depth in the original story. I credit this to their acting abilities, Westfall’s writing, and Tarbox’s direction. Each of these women are victims of trust and manipulation without full knowledge. They are being “protected” by people around them but not given explanation of why, and it is the lack of why that leads to the downfall of Lucy and the almost downfall of Mina. Yet both of the players show a deep connection, friendship, and resolve. I appreciate their ability to not just play a caricature, but work to compel me to see further.
Fight choreographer Justin Lee helped to make the battle scenes seem exciting and realistic rather than cliché. Van Helsing, played by Christian Johnston, is a wise professor who battles more with wit and words than with physical prowess, yet it feels plausible with the staging and direction. The lighting design by Taylor Sachs is utilized impeccably to imply a battle for light and darkness that continues this good and evil tug-of-war perfectly. This is framed well in the very last scene, where there is light shining and hope at the very end that feels calming, and then a darkness framing with red hues that shows that perhaps the battle is not quite won. I was also intrigued by the choices for the curtain call, that kept with the theming of the show and did not detract from the feel, so the spooky mood remained even as we walked out of the show.
I reviewed the show in 2024, and my memory is not perfect, but it does feel like Westfall may have made improvements and tightened areas of the script. I love that our local companies are giving opportunities to local writers to showcase new works by artists here in Utah. It is amazing that we have such quality skill and talent. This is a fantastic Halloween tradition and I encourage anyone who enjoys the macabre to experience it before it is done.
MORE INFO: Dracula plays through October 19th, with a Sunday matinee at 4pm and a Monday evening show at 7:30pm at the Peery’s Egyptian Theater, 2415 Washington Blvd, Ogden, Utah. Tickets are $15-33. For more information see ogdenmusicaltheatre.org
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