History TearJerker / Elisabeth

* The cue to begin the Mayerling Walzer is Rudolf's line [[IronicEcho "So now you've abandoned me"]] delivered to now absent Elisabeth after she refuses to help him. It's the same line she said to Franz Josef early on in the musical when he refused to tell his mother to back down. To add extra sadness? The Mayerling Walzer itself is the same song that played during Franz Josef and Elisabeth's dance at their wedding ball. You know...what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives.

* Oh god, where do we start? Most characters die (and since they're all historical figures, it's safe to say that ''all of them'' died), there are tons of child-parent-conflicts, tons of dark looks at society, future etc. Really, it'd probably be easier to write down the scenes that ''aren't'' heartbreaking.

* Meta moment: Asumi Rio (2009 Rudolf, 2014 Death) did a photoshoot in her Rudolf costume. One of the pictures has Death's disembodied hand [[note]]belonging to Tamaki Ryou (2018 Death)[[/note]] draped across Rudolf's body, [[HoYay suspiciously close]] [[NightmareFuel to his throat]]. The concept is repeated in another picture, with Rudolf's eyes closed and the hand being that of Manaki Reika (2018 Sisi), gently touching his cheek. The implication is that, as an adult, he can only receive the tender love of a mother in his dreams (his ImagineSpot coronation sequence, for example), or after he's ''dead'' (Totenklage).
* Musical meta: Rudolf's harmony in "Die Schatten werden länger" borders on a CreepyMonotone, drowned out by Death's melody. No matter what he thinks, the prince is a helpless cog in the machinations of the plot (and of Death, depending on the production), just a pawn to further things along.

** Meta: Pia Douwes remarking that it's now easier for her to play the older Sisi, weighed down with cynicism after all the tragedies in her life... because she has gone through her share of sorrow.

* "Mama, wo bist du?" is a rare case of an already dark song getting a ''[[UpToEleven Darker]]'' [[DarkReprise Reprise]] in "Rudolf, wo bist du?" Especially heart-breaking is Elisabeth begging Death to take her... only for him to [[IronicEcho throw her own words back at her]].

---> He was so handsome and lay there so peacefully, the white sheet pulled up to his chest and flowers strewn all around. The narrow bandage on his head did not disfigure him-—his cheeks and ears were still rosy with the healthy glow of youth-—the restless, often bitter, scornful expression that was often characteristic of him in life had given way to a peaceful smile-—he never seemed so beautiful to me before-—he seemed to be asleep and calm, happy.

** The Takarazuka choreography has Death and Rudolf freezing at the climax of the music, with Death's hand on Rudolf's forearm, guiding/forcing the gun to the Prince's temple. Rudolf's actresses either go for terrified (Akatsuki Chisei), eager (Serika Toa), or flat out ''dead-looking'' (Akizuki Saya) as his final expression. In the 2018 shinjin kouen performance, Ayaoto Sena manages to makes it even worse by having Rudolf ''smirk'' in a manner terribly similar to Akatsuki Chisei as Death.

* In "[[DarkReprise Wie du (Reprise)]]", Elisabeth [[BrokenPedestal realises her father, even as a ghost or a dream, cares more about himself than her]]. In "Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär", which in most productions comes ''immediately after'' "Wie du (Reprise)", Elisabeth shows [[NotSoDifferent she cares more about herself than Rudolf]]. ''Ouch''.

** The Takarazuka production plays Death as happy to take a despairing Elisabeth. He leans in for the kiss, then the look in her eyes caused him to erupt: furious, stunned, (and even sad in some interpretations) that she still doesn't love him and only wants to use him. "Death is not an escape!" The stage rotates away, taking Sisi with it - as a broken, sobbing mess on the floor. Death launches into another reprise of "The Rondo of Love and Death", wondering why this human woman affects him so much.

* Mari Hanafusa's utterly broken, ear-piercing scream of despair and pain as Sisi flees from the Imperial Crypt after Lucheni snaps a photo of her and Death after he has rejected her.
* On that note: Maya Haakvort's rendition of the "Totenklage" on the 2005 Vienna recording has her begging Death (played by Mate Kamaras) to come to her...before keening "Free me!"...this leads [[KickTheDog Death to reject her as she did earlier in the musical]],[[IronicEcho using the same words to boot]].

* The first time we hear "Die Schatten werden länger" is after Elisabeth's daughter, Sophie, dies of a fever. Death confronts her and warns her that more is coming and that it's useless to reject him further. A rough English translation is below:

** The Takarazuka choreography has Death and Rudolf freezing at the climax of the music, with Death's hand on Rudolf's forearm, guiding/forcing the gun to the Prince's temple. Rudolf's actresses either go for terrified (Akatsuki Chisei), eager (Serika Toa), or flat out ''dead-looking'' (Akizuki Saya) as his final expression.

** Some productions have Elisabeth off-stage or behind a mirror during most of "Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär". Others have both her and Rudolf on-stage for the whole scene, so in at least one version Rudolf tries to take her hand... and she turns away. Takarazuka and Toho up the ante by having Rudolf bend down and hug Sisi around the waist, but she's unresponsive. The 2018 Zuka production made it even worse - Akatsuki Chisei's Rudolf stumbled as Manaki Reika (Sisi) peeled herself away, indicating that he was clinging to her with no intention to let go.

** Some productions have Elisabeth off-stage or behind a mirror during most of "Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär". Others have both her and Rudolf on-stage for the whole scene, so in at least one version Rudolf tries to take her hand... and she turns away. Takarazuka and Toho up the ante by having Rudolf bend down and hug Sisi around the waist, but she's unresponsive.

** The 2016 Toho production turns Mayerling into a series of "right-in-the-feels" stabs for fans. The MoreThanMindControl subtext is ''incredibly'' strong between Death and Rudolf, and their final scene takes this to its natural conclusion. Rudolf grows increasingly deranged-looking as he gets tossed around by the Todesengel, begging Death for the gun. At one point, the Prince (looking terrified out of his mind) tried to make a break and run for his life, but Death appears to telekinetically pull him back. The music reaches a climax and silence [[note]]The point where the gun goes off in other productions.[[/note]] as Death does give the Prince the gun. Rudolf looks out at the audience, his eyes snapping from the ThousandYardStare he's been sporting on and off throughout the show to [[DyingAsYourself fiery with purpose]], and he strides over to kiss Death himself, full on the mouth. ''And Death kisses him back. GENTLY.'' Rudolf then fires the gun.