Todolf - Blog Posts

Without context, what do you think is happening here 👀

Mayerling

never not thinking about that clip of Steven Seale falling over during the Mayerling Waltz

love wins <33333333333333

"romantic" "platonic" no whatever those two have going on is way more sinister than all that

Without context, what do you think is happening here 👀

Elisabeth De Musical, Netherlands Premiere

📍Schouwburg Het Park (14.03.2025)

Pia Douwes as Empress Elisabeth

Danique Dusée as Young Elisabeth / Jonge Elisabeth

Milan van Waardenburg as Der Tod / De Dood

Ann Van den Broeck as Archduchess Sophie

William Spaaij as Lucheni

Ronald Jorritsma as Rudolf

Guido Gottenbos as Franz Joseph

Sjoerd Oomen as Maximilian of Bavaria

RIP Russian Production of Elisabeth, you would've been way too powerful if you existed 🙏🏻

The photos are from the Hits of Broadway concert where certain Elisabeth songs were performed, many of which can be found on YT. We're not getting an official Russian Production anytime soon.

Things that have a very bleak possibility of happening, but I would go feral if they did 🫂

Serkan Kaya decides it's high time and becomes a regular on German stage, also reprises his role as Lucheni 🥲

A Russian Production of Elisabeth with Kirill & Vera, and Rostislav & Elena Gazaeva 🥲

A proper Musical Movie Adaptation of Elisabeth (in German) with the budget of Netflix's Die Kaiserin 🥲

We go back to the roots, bring back Original or 1st Vienna Revival staging & costumes with current Elisabeth cast 🥲

Michael Kunze admits he regrets the current changes, in conclusion GAY is back, so is Schwarzer Prinz 🥲

Uwe and Andreas Bieber (Elisabeth 1992)

watermarks removed

Habsburg Family Reunion (Afterlife Edition)

Sofie De Schryver, Lukas Mayer, Dennis Hupka, Riccardo Greco

EPIC CHOREO + PEAK ART DIRECTION ✨

Elisabeth das Musical, Germany Tour Rehearsals.

Why ruin something that was already perfect?

Literally every newer non-german production with a quarter of a budget of VBW has tried to incorporate something new into the source material. I'm not saying every interpretation or costume/staging worked in favour, but at least there's effort and a certain vision.

VBW has no right to keep serving us a watered-down version of a genuinely spectacular and deeply beloved musical.

(Also the audacity to call it the Celebrated Schönbrunn Version 🤔)

The vines in the Heinrich designs were created to represent death and decay. Sissi wore a dirndl in Wie Du as she hailed from Bavaria. The set design incorporated elements inspired by Habsburg carriages/hearses.

So what exactly do the new changes bring to the table?

Der Tod's veil is stripped away and replaced with a meme-worthy toy. He went from having 4 stunning well-crafted outfits to ONE painfully boring fit in the entire show.

Tod and Rudolf's relationship is diminished to the point where it no longer represents its original depth or significance.

Rondo is a misfit and doesn't even appear anywhere else in the show unlike the intended Japanese/Hungarian versions.

There is no glitz, no glamour, and most importantly the storytelling is compromised. Literally everything the musical stood for is reduced to nothing.

Most upsetting of all is the clear disregard VBW shows for the audience, who adore the musical and deserve more than this cheap execution, and for the immensely talented cast, who deserve a production worthy of their skills.

Elisabeth Lithuanian Production (2022)

Costumes by Kotryna Daujotaitė

Fellas, this gem of an edit needs to be appreciated 🤌🏻🫂✨

credit

🔮 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝐸𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑏𝑒𝑡ℎ 𝑃𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 🔮

Rudolf: Mama I'm seeing someone

Elisabeth: As in dating or hallucinations?

Rudolf: YES!

𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐞𝐧, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟒 (𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝)

Maya Hakvoort (Sissi), Steven Seale (Der Tod), André Bauer (Franz Joseph), Else Ludwig (Sophie), Jesper Tydén (Rudolf)

Der Tod: You called for me.

Rudolf: I didn’t call you!

Der Tod: (tilts head) Oh? Who else were you whispering to at 3 a.m.? Your imaginary friends?

Rudolf: …

Der Tod: (slow smirk) thought so!

The Mayerling Kiss

Made by Midjourney (cr. 洛蕾Gallery)