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fitzrove · 2 years

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Hi, it's me again. Did the show do anything different in terms of Elisabeth's "character"? I loved those details for La Mort but it also feels like people aren't great at a balance between them and Elisabeth.

I fully admit that Elisabeth isn't my favourite character, and hence I haven't deep-dived into her characterisation in different productions the same way I have into Der Tod/La Mort, so I'll be much less eloquent when describing her. However, I really liked how they approached her character!

First of all, you should know that Bruxellons (a small production with no understudies for anyone) ran into some trouble right before the premiere, because Marie-Pierre de Brienne (principal Elisabeth who had rehearsed the role and already played it in the previews) couldn’t perform. They had to cancel three shows (incl. the original premiere) and were desperately looking for someone who could cover the role on extremely short notice. Enter Romina Palmeri, who agreed to do it on a Sunday night, had to fly in from another country, first rehearsed with the rest of the cast on Wednesday and was on stage for the premiere on Thursday. So four days of preparation in total. I was there at the premiere and she knocked it out of the park - you seriously couldn’t tell she came in on short notice.

I only got to see Romina’s performance, so this writeup will be based on her acting choices - don’t know if it was different with Marie-Pierre, who was fortunately able to return to the role after a week or so. (However, as the show’s run was extended because of the cancellations and MPdB wasn’t available for the new dates, Romina got to play the role again for the last few weeks of the show’s run, including the derniere.)

Elisabeth at Bruxellons

To me, what most characterises Elisabeth in this production is that she has some rebellious, strong-willed and spirited teenager energy throughout. She’s so lively and sweet at the beginning - in Wie Du, Max gives her a book as a parting gift, and she’s extremely excited about it; in Bad Ischl there’s a really funny moment where she slumps down on a chair without much care for ladylike manners and Ludovika struggles to get her (Sisi’s) hoop skirt to settle properly, it keeps flipping up.

At the risk of this turning into a Brussels Franz Josef appreciation post: god, he’s the best FJ to ever FJ. First time I’ve ever cared so deeply about the character. He’s perpetually anxious and conflicted over his duties and his wish to be gentle and good, and the reason he picks Sisi, to me, seems to be that it’s his one act of choosing his own happiness (acting according to his secret wish to be a compassionate free spirit) over the pressure he faces from his mother and the court around him, his one attempt at escaping the stifling social order he’s been raised to navigate within. Sisi seems to see this and Nichts ist schwer is so good because of it - they genuinely care for each other on a deeper level than “love at first sight”. FJ is so shy when he first takes Sisi’s hand and Sisi is happy to encourage him, and most of Nichts ist schwer has them stand together in a world of their own, happy. She loves him and thinks they can really make it work!!

And then it’s interrupted by Alle Fragen. Elisabeth seems a bit frightened by the ceremonial procession around her - well, I guess anyone would be with that organ music - and both her and FJ are equally anxious at being gawked at from all sides. When they stand together and family members come to congratulate them a few interesting things happen: Max reaches out to take Sisi's hand in his own and say something to her (maybe to plead with her or to offer words of encouragement) but Ludovika slaps it away; Sisi frightenedly reaches out to Helene but she (clearly bitter about Bad Ischl) recoils and bows to her with a cold smile instead, making it really clear that she's empress now and it makes her isolated. She seems devastated by this. So, along these lines, it really makes FJ’s refusal to side with her after/during Eine Kaiserin muss glänzen - even though he really wants to be free, but seeing the realities of the world around him, he feels like he can’t - feel like an even stronger betrayal.

Ich gehör nur mir has her take on a somewhat colder, more contemptuous and cynical attitude. It’s maybe even the beginning of her starting to harden herself to the world around her to survive. Of course, she’s still sweet and triumphant - but the way she turns her back at the audience and stares contemptuously at the giant anchor at the side of the stage (the only major, fixed setpiece) for the duration of the instrumental verse is very poignant. She’s turning her back on the power of the empire and choosing herself.

In Spiegel, she’s downright cold to Rudolf. She enters the stage only at the end of the song - Rudolf is too anxious about speaking to her to even approach her directly, he’s singing the song all alone and Elisabeth only walks in right before her lines happen, in her nightgown, reading a book. The line in the translation is “What are you doing here? What is it? You’re bothering me”. She doesn’t really struggle to make a choice between staying completely independent and helping Rudolf, just walks off after dismissing him. Of course, this makes Totenklage even more devastating - she’s very distraught - especially because the actor playing small Rudolf stands to the back of the stage during the number, listening to her, dressed in the veil of the dead.

Schleier fällt: She’s very happy about it, no undercurrent of sadness. She even jumps into La Mort’s arms when he picks her up.

Uhhh... what else? I feel like this will be a bit disappointing. Romina Palmeri is my favourite Elisabeth among all of the different productions for sure, but I still don’t have very deep analysis to give out :’D Mostly I think she’s really pretty and her acting is so good/the choices so interesting that for the first time I actually care about the character and her journey adhajdkjhaj (I’ve been known to skip Elisabeth’s songs, especially nichts nichts gar nichts, while watching bootlegs. Here I wasn’t the least bit bored, which is high praise!)

I actually recommend asking @szabadmadar about Sisi, they’re more well-versed in the character :D (Hope it’s okay to tag you!)

#elisabeth das musical #elisabeth #musicals #theatre #elisabeth bruxellons

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