Characters / Tanz der Vampire

Characters In All Productions

Alfred

Ein Mädchen das so lächeln kann, hab ich nie geseh'n.

Translation: A girl who can smile like that, I have never seen.

The assistant of Professor Abronsius, Alfred is a young, shy student from Königsberg. He reluctantly goes along with the Professor's plans, mostly out of respect. He becomes instantly infatuated with Sarah upon meeting her, and determines to rescue her from von Krolock's clutches.

• Adaptational Intelligence: The musical version makes Alfred more shy yet dependable as opposed to his movie-counterpart who was absent-minded to the point of being ditzy.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: In adaptation, he goes from a bumbling, pervy moron to a sweet, timid and innocent Nice Guy.
• And Then John Was a Zombie: And then Alfred was a vampire.
• Bad Liar: Implied to be this, especially in his interaction with Herbert. When the latter observed that Alfred was trembling with fear, he responds with "No, I never tremble!". Needless to say, that fails to convince Herbert.
• Break the Cutie: And how. If you don't feel sorry for this guy by the end of the first act, don't worry, you will soon.
• Betty and Veronica: The sweet, shy, Nice Guy Betty to von Krolock's Veronica.
• Butt-Monkey: Poor Alfred never seems to be able to catch a break from it. Most prominently when Sarah ignores his pleas to flee with him, then gets hit on (and nearly bitten) by Herbert and afterwards promptly berated by his savior and mentor Abronsius, who misinterpreted the scene he was entering.
• Captain Obvious: Alfred has his moment, after Herbert discovers his book ("A Guide For Lovers").
  Herbert (after taking the book): Pray tell, what are you reading?
  Alfred: A book!
• Counterpoint Duet: "Nie Geseh'n". He generally has the first line.
• Covert Pervert: Combined with Distracted by the Sexy, Alfred rather blatantly stares at Magdas chest.
• Declaration of Protection: In the song "Für Sarah" he vows to find and protect Sarah, at any cost.
  I'll be tough, I'll be sly,
  There is nothing I would not do or be
  For Sarah
  I will steal, I will lie
  There is nothing I won't try
  To find and save her.
• Determinator: For all his shyness, his determination to protect the people he cares about deserves some respect. His first scene has Alfred carrying the Professor and their bags whilst in the middle of a blizzard.
• Distracted by the Sexy: Hilariously so during "Knoblauch" where Magda washes Professor Abronsius frozen feet in hot water and her cleavage completely enraptures Alfred.
  Professor Abronsius: What do you think of those small, round things, boy?
  'Alfred: Small? They are huge!
• Dogged Nice Guy: Alfred is this towards Sarah.
• The Dulcinea Effect: "Für Sarah" is the theme song of this trope.
• Extreme Doormat: A toned-down version. Alfred simply accepts the blame the Professor lays on him (justified or not) and lets Sarah walk all over him. He only acts like that around the people he cares about, though, and the line is drawn at flirty male vampires with blond hair.
• Failed a Spot Check: After fleeing through the audience, Alfred gets to the other side of the stage, initially unaware that the vampire he just ran from is standing directly behind him. Once he does, he tries to run again, but this time, Herbert's faster.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Phlegmatic: the timid but dependable Nice Guy.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Some productions do cast a blond actor in the role, making Alfred much more of a well-meaning, awkward/adorkable assistant.
• "I Am" Song: "Für Sarah", anyone? Though one could argue that it's more of a What I Fancy Myself To Be Song, as all his self-proclaimed calmness and coldness went out the window when ordered to stake von Krolock in the very next scene.
• The Ingenue: He's actually a better example of this trope than Sarah.
• Love at First Sight: His reaction to Sarah.
• Nice Guy: A very compassionate and friendly, if a little shy, young fellow, who will go to great length to protect those he cares about. Infact, his kindness is what saves von Krolock and his son from having a stake driven through their hearts.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Let's just say, the musical would have been a lot shorter had Alfred just staked their undead hosts during "Die Gruft".
• Oh, Crap!: Has a hilarious one after he ran from Herbert (through the audience and to the other side of the stage), thinking he has lost him, only to find said vampire standing right behind him.
• Red Is Heroic: Never seen without his red jacket and bow; except at "Tanzsaal", where he knocks out a vampire and steals his pink coat to blend in with the rest of the vampires.
• Screaming Warrior: Attempts to be this with at the end of "Tanzsaal" with a candlestick. It doesn't work out as planned.
• Tenor Boy
• Vampire Bites Suck: Especially when they're given by your Love Interest.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: He acts like this throughout most of the show, only realizing the reality of the situation when Sarah is actually bitten.

Sarah Chagal

Draußen ist Freiheit. Dort, wo der Horizont beginnt, gibt es ein Land in dem alle Wunder möglich sind.

Translation: Outside is freedom. There, where the horizon begins, is a land in which all miracles are possible.

The daughter of Jewish innkeeper Yoine Chagal, Sarah is a restless young deconstruction of The Ingenue who longs for nothing more than freedom. Seeing the local vampiric count as her opportunity, she runs off to the castle just in time for the vampires' Midnight Ball.

• Bathing Beauty: Sarah is introduced when her father Chagal barges in her bathtime while he is giving a tour of the shetl to Abronsius and Alfred. Later, still in Act 1, she flirts with Alfred to give her some space so she can bathe again. In Act 2, Alfred finds her in Krolock's castle while she is taking yet another bath, and she shows him Krolock's gift for her: a larger... sponge.
  Gleich stöhn ich vor Lust
  …in der Wanne voll Schaum.^note "Then I will moan with pleasure/in a tub full of foam."
• Cute Monster Girl: At the end.
• Damsel in Distress: Subverted - Sarah's perfectly happy in the castle.
• Face-Revealing Turn: During the reprise of "Draußen Ist Freiheit".
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: The tiny girl to von Krolock's huge guy. Her actress is usually petite.
• The Ingenue: She absolutely tears this trope down - young and innocent, but also fully willing to manipulate others to get what she wants, and wanting to give herself over to corruption.
• Innocent Fanservice Girl: Her first appearance has her completely naked. What? She's taking a bath!
• Interspecies Romance: Girl falls for vampire.
• "I Want" Song: Her parts of "Nie Geseh'n" and ""Draußen Ist Freiheit", as well as "Die Roten Stiefel".
• Kiss of the Vampire: What she spends the whole musical longing for.
• Pimped-Out Dress: The blood red gown she wears to the ball.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Only seen in a nightgown or naked for most of the musical, she descends the staircase in "Tanzsaal" in a Pimped-Out Dress and hairstyle.
• Tempting Fate: In the Broadway version.
  "And anyway, what's there to fear in a gloomy forest in deepest Transylvania three nights before Halloween?"
• Transhuman Treachery: Ironically a pre-turned example. She was more then willing to accept being turned into a vampire just for the heck of it. And ultimately gets her wish.
• Too Dumb to Live: Really, Sarah? So, you've spent your whole life living among people who completely fear this vampire, said vampire practically tells you he's going to eat you for dinner, and yet you still go to him? And then you completely ignore the person trying to rescue you?
  • Alternate Character Interpretation: But what happens to vampire victims after they're eaten for dinner? They live forever, always the age they were turned at and remarkably powerful. Maybe Sarah got what she wanted all along...
• Vampire Bites Suck: Tanzsaal suggests that von Krolock's bite wasn't quite as pleasant as she had hoped.
• Virgin in a White Dress: Until putting on the Pimped-Out Dress she wears to the vampire ball, she is nearly always dressed in a nightgown, The "virgin" bit is enforced by her father, who nails her door shut to prevent any lovers getting in.

Professor Abronsius

Logik! Logik! Wer fragt, dem sagt die logik: Wie und was und wer und wo und wann?

Translation: Logic! Logic! Who asks gets told by logic how and what and who and where and when?

Hailing from Königsberg, the professor ventures into Transylvania with his assistant Alfred to gather information on the bloodsucking fiends of the night. Mostly a Plucky Comic Relief character, he manages to exasperate almost everyone he meets, including Alfred.

• Absent-Minded Professor: He gets a little distracted when he discovers von Krolock's library. Also, he tends to forget the world around him when taking his notes. Even in the middle of a blizzard in darkest Transylvania. Lampshaded by Alfred.
  Alfred: Once the professor starts taking his notes, the world is dead to him. If only he hasn't died already!
• Adaptational Intelligence: Professor Abronsius is a little absent-minded, to be sure, but as opposed to his counterpart from the movie (who made one wonder, exactly how he became a professor in the first place), Abronsius in this version is basically a walking dictionary.
• Berserk Button: Trying to hide the truth from him. After the villagers went too far and blamed Chagal's death on the wolves, Abronsius gets really angry and gives them a "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
• Beware the Silly Ones: He may be the main source of comedy but he doesn't share the qualms of his assistant when it comes to staking defenseless vampires during daylight. Also, he quickly came up with the idea to build a cross from candle-holders, wich gave him and Alfred a chance to escape a bunch of very hungry vampires.
• Big Damn Heroes: Of the hilarious variety. He appears just in time to save Alfred from Herbert by whacking the vampires behind with his umbrella and lecturing the both of them.
  Abronsius: What do I have to see? Aren't! You! Ashamed! Of Yourselves?! Both of you! Hell and damnation! Yuck!
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: They are a given for a Mad Scientist look.
• Celibate Eccentric Genius: Professor Abronsius is the only main character (and apart from Koukol the only named character as a whole) to not have a love interest. Part of it might be due to his old age, but he never shows any romantic interest at all and actively scolds Alfred, whenever his assistant pays more attention to attractive females than to their mission. Even better, after rescuing Alfred from an over-eager Herbert, he promptly berates Alfred as well, having misinterpreted the scene he was entering.
  Professor Abronsius: And you! A budding scientist! I am very shocked. Did you provoke him?
• Comically Missing the Point: Alfred is urgently telling him that he needs to know how to rescue Sarah. What advice does the Professor give? "The answer to every question in the world can be found in a book." And then proceeds to repeat his song about authors.
• Determinator: He came with the goal to prove the existence of vampires and absolutely no one will stop him from doing just that.
• Einstein Hair: Professor Abronsius has white, rather wild looking hair, giving him Cloudcuckoolander vibes.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Choleric: the strong-willed, boisterous Insufferable Genius.
• Genre Savvy: Actually he is rather savvy, but unfortunately is too distracted to make good use of it. He isn't fooled a second by the villagers trying to convince him that there isn't a castle infested by vampires, predicts that worse things will happen if the villagers refuse to see the truth, and actually sees through the Count's attempt to charm them.
• Hot-Blooded: While the Professor claims to hate emotions he has quite a bit of a temper, which tends to explode at the worst moments imaginable.
• Hypocritical Heartwarming: Abronsius chides and belittles Alfred at every opportunity, but when his assistant is threatened he will always come to his aid.
• Insufferable Genius: His big solo "Wahrheit" is him singing about being an Insufferable Genius.
• Jerkass Has a Point: While the Professor is being completely tactless about staking Rebecca's dead husband, he is right, that doing so would have saved Chagal's soul (not to mention Magda's life). "The Reason You Suck" Speech that he gives to the villagers is well deserved, too.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Heavily depending on the actor, but while he can come off as rude and uncaring, it's implied that he does value Alfred. The new Vienna production has Abronsius desperately searching for his assistant when he finds him gone.
• Large Ham: Especially during his solo, but he generally likes to ham things up.
• Motor Mouth: Abronsius, almost every time he starts to sing. To emphasize it even more, Magda, Rebecca and Chagal suddenly begin doing their chores much faster, matching the Professor's singing pace during "Wahrheit".
• Never My Fault: He blames basically every mistake on Alfred. Whether it is justified or not.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Poor Abronsius never even realizes it. By dragging the newly transformed Sarah out of the castle, he didn't exactly save mankind from the vampire plague. He still walks off the stage singing about his "victory".
• No Indoor Voice: During "Die Gruft", where it would be a really smart thing to keep your voice down if you want to stake your enemy in their sleep. The Professor then shouts "Mutiny!" at the top of his lungs while the lids of the coffins are removed, and then shushes Alfred. Luckily for him and especially Alfred, who was just next to the coffins their hosts sleep like the dead.
• Parasol of Pain: Just ask Herbert.
• Patter Song: "Wahrheit" and "Bücher! Bücher!".
• Plucky Comic Relief: He provides most of the humour for the musical.
• Pragmatic Hero: Why bother thinking up an overly complicated scheme to sneak up on a vampire in the middle of the night, when you can just stake your defenseless foe during the day?
• The Professor: Well, duh. Abronsius is a well-read scholar, though it's never specified what exactly he studied, but became the laughing-stock among his colleagues for his belief in vampires.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to the villagers, after they blamed Chagal's death on the wolves.
• Too Clever by Half: Abronsius is very smart and very aware of it. Back at home he got ridiculed for his belief in vampires and just when he thought he had rid the world of vampires, he actually succeeded in spreading vampirism into the world. Way to go, Professor.

Yoine Chagal

Eine schöne Tochter ist ein Segen, doch ein Segen, der meschugge macht...

Translation: A beautiful daughter is a blessing, but a blessing that drives me crazy...

The Jewish owner of the inn where Alfred and the Professor stay, Chagal is Sarah's father. He has grown tired of his wife, and busies himself chasing after inn maid Magda. He is also very protective of his daughter.

• Abusive Parents: He keeps his daughter locked up in her room, forbids interaction with anyone else, and spanks her when she disobeys him. While his affection for her are genuine and his concerns not unfounded and thus understandable, the measures he takes to keep her safe are not.
• Abhorrent Admirer: To Magda.
• Anger Born of Worry: He chides Sarah quite harshly and gives her a spanking after disobeying her again. He goes a little overboard, to be sure, but then again his daughter had just been visited by a vampire.
• Dirty Old Man: Chagal chases after anything in a skirt who isn't his wife.
• Expy: He's supposed to be played as, essentially, Tevye, but with concern for his daughter hiked up to ludicrous and hypocritical extremes and all the gentle charm taken out.
• Fantastic Religious Weirdness: The cross that Magda tries to protect herself with has no effect on Mr. I'm A Jewish Vampire.
• Fat Bastard: Sometimes played as having at least a hanging beer belly, though this isn't a de facto part of the character.
• Hypocritical Humor: After singing an entire song about how men are perverted scum who will defile his daughter the first chance they get, he leaves his wife to go relentlessly hit on Magda.
• Papa Wolf: About the only trait (as a human, anyway) that made him at least somewhat sympathetic. After they discover Sarah gone, Chagal immediately chases after her to get her back (he fails, but still). Though the measures he took to keep her safe may have been a bit extreme, it's not like his concerns where pointless.
• Transhuman Treachery: Once he finds his daughter gone, he tries to go save her. He fails, is bitten by the count and returns as a vampire. Apparently not concerned with his daughter anymore, enjoying his undeath and focuses more on Magda.
• Vegetarian Vampire: What he promises to be to stop Alfred and the Professor from staking him.
• Yiddish as a Second Language: Downplayed, but Chagal likes to curse in Yiddish when angered.

Rebecca Chagal

Statt dem üblichen Gemecker, sagen alle "Es schmeckt lecker!"

Translation: Instead of the usual whining, everyone says "It [garlic] tastes delicious!"

The long-suffering wife of Chagal, Rebecca has to deal constantly with her husband's antics. Her refusal to stake her husband after the Professor warns her he'll turn into a vampire results in Magda's death.

• Abhorrent Admirer: She's become one of sorts to her own husband, with the young, busty Magda in the inn.
• Ascended Extra: In the Broadway production, she has a much bigger part than in the original. She sings "Death Is Such An Odd Thing" with Magda and also appears in the second act singing the reprise with both Magda and Chagal.
• Berserk Button: Suggesting to harm her loved ones (dead or not) is damn good way to piss her of, as Professor Abronsius has to learn.
• From Bad to Worse: A ton for poor Rebecca. As if losing her daughter wasn't bad enough, she promptly loses her husband too, and Magda (although it's unknown if, and to what degree she cared about her) not long afterwards.
• Improbable Weapon User: Rebecca keeps a sausage the size of a baseball bat in her bedroom and she certainly knows how to use it. One hit sends Professor Abronsius stumbling down the staircase back into his bed and she can knock her husband out, too.
• Lethal Chef: In the original, extended version of "Knoblauch" ("Garlic") Rebecca is implied to be one. But if she puts in enough garlic, everyone will eat it either way.
  Chagal: The very best chefs of Prague would be speechless after they had a taste!
  Magda: They would be sick and croak from flatulence the next day.
• Only Sane Woman: Even though her husband is the owner of the inn, Rebecca is actually the one in control.
• Staking the Loved One: What she refuses to do to Chagal after his death.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: She first comes across as tough and on occasion downright threatening, but she cares deeply about her family and is understandably devastated after she loses both, her husband and her daughter.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: She's never seen or heard from again once the first act ends.

Magda

Tot zu sein ist komisch!

Translation: To be dead is strange!

The maid in the Chagal's inn, Magda is very bitter and cynical. She is turned into a vampire by Chagal and enters into a sexual relationship with him. Even then, she seems to be more fond of the sex than him, and by the end of the show she's implied to have fully come into her vampiric power on her own.

• Buxom Beauty Standard: She has an impressive bust that gets her the attention of Chagal and occasionally Alfred.
• Cute Monster Girl: Usually, in the second act.
• Death Is Such an Odd Thing: Well, duh! Her song is the Trope Namer, as she reflects on her complicated feelings for Chagal after his death.
• Evil Costume Switch: After her transformation into a vampire, she wears a black costume with a much shorter skirt than it would have been appropriate during the time the musical takes place in.
• Fiery Redhead: She's this in the German and Austrian productions, but almost all non-German-language productions inexplicably turn her into a whimsy blonde girl. She was portrayed as a redhead again in Japan and France.
• French Maid: Her outfit in the first act appears to be the ancient-Transylvanian equivalent of this outfit.
• Hotter and Sexier: After being vampirized, she is very touchy-feely and amorous with Chagal in the castle's crypt, having let go of her inhibitions, and appears both in "Carpe Noctem" and in "Der Tanz der Vampire" in a sexy black dress.
• Impossibly-Low Neckline: No wonder Alfred can't help but be distracted.
• Letting Her Hair Down: Her braid is gone by the second act, and her hair's gathered into a messy half-updo instead.
• Meaningful Name: "Magd" is the German word for "maidservant". (Her full name might be Magdalena, but it's uncertain- "Lena" is a common German diminutive on its own, so Chagal may just be appending it onto "Magda."
• Ms. Fanservice: Wears very revealing outfits throughout the musical, which gets her the attention of nearly every male around. Whether she wants it or not.
• Scullery Maid: She works as a maidservant to the Chagal family in their shetl.

• Vampire Bites Suck: Judging by her shrieking, being bitten by Chagal wasn't too pleasant.

Koukol

Uuuhnghghnerrbhh!

Translation: (None needed)

Count von Krolock's faithful servant, Koukol is the first sign that Professor Abronsius is right about the vampires - he arrives to buy some candles, trying to communicate something to Sarah all the while.

• Dumb Muscle: He appears to be the physically strongest character in the play, but he certainly isn't the smartest. Being The Unintelligible doesn't help.
• The Grotesque: Shows shades of this. He's a hunchback with a deformed face and feet to large for any shoes to fit. The villagers fear him (though part of it is certainly due to his alignment to the Count), and Chagal mocks him cruelly for his speech impediment. While he's clearly on the Count's side and not above doing some dirty work, Count von Krolock is actually the only one to display some sort of kindness towards him on stage, which can serve as some sort of explanation for Koukol's Undying Loyalty.

• Spared by the Adaptation: Possibly. While he dies at the jaws of the wolves in the movie, his fate in the musical is often left unclear. The Count does order him to go after the Professor, Alfred and Sarah, but we simply just don't see him anymore after the chase, so it's possible he survived.
• Undying Loyalty: He will follow the Count's every order, even at the cost of his life.
• The Unintelligible: His grunting may resemble some words, but what he's really trying to say is anyone's guess.

Graf von Krolock

Gott ist tot. Nach ihm wird nicht mehr gesucht.

Translation: God is dead. He is sought after no more.

The dark, seductive vampire lord with a (possible) crush on Sarah, von Krolock lives his life in an old castle in the wilderness. He welcomes Sarah to his home, and later Alfred and the Professor, knowing at least one of them will become vampire chow at his Midnight Ball.

• Adaptational Attractiveness: Went from a sharp-dressed but otherwise plain aristocrat to Mr. Fanservice extraordinaire. Getting played by a variety of handsome musical actors certainly helps.
• Aristocrats Are Evil: What else could you expect from a vampire count?
• Badass Bookworm: He owns an impressively vast private library, of which he is rather proud.
• Badass Longcoat: He gets one in the new ending's finale.
• Being Evil Sucks: Watching your loved ones die while you live forever already sucks, but being the cause for their death is even worse.
• Betty and Veronica: The dark, mysterious, seductive Veronica to Alfred's Betty.
• Big Bad: The dark and very deadly undead leader of the Vampire Ensemble.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: At the end of "Unstillbare Gier" he turns to the audience and proclaims that they too will be all too soon corrupted by insatiable greed.
  Graf von Krolock: To you, the mortals of tomorrow, I'll now predict this: Before your next millenia has even begun, there will only be one god everyone serves: The Insatiable Greed!
• Broken Ace: Elegant, intelligent, seductive lord of the night. Except that he's also harboring loads of guilt and despair, culminating in the Villainous Lament "Die Unstillbare Gier", where he practically melts in his own misery.
• Cape Swish: The Count is very fond of doing this and thus, it's required of every single actor in the role.
• Classical Movie Vampire: Except with long, ragged hair instead of a Bela Lugosi-style sleek coif.
• The Corrupter: Acts as one to both Sarah and Alfred,:
  • For Sarah, he invades her private bathtime and tempts her, by saying that she always believed that her family's teachings about danger and sin were a great lie to her. As shown later, during "Die roten Stiefel" (a number that was inserted after the original production), Krolock goads her into doing what reason forbids and ask questions later, and Sarah answers she wants to let temptation have her.
  • For Alfred, during "Wohl der Mann" (Finale Erster Akt), the vampire bids Alfred break the chains of morality and accept his hidden urges.
• Dark Is Evil: This should go without saying.
• Deadpan Snarker: On occasion. Depending on the actor portraying him.
• Disney Death: He appears to be crushed in the collapse of the ballroom, but appears again in the finale. Not in every production, though.
• Dissonant Laughter: Towards the end of Act I.
  • Not Quite Dead: He does it again towards the end of Act II.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Unsurprisingly, since being a vampire requires a certain amount of eeriness and paleness by default. Complete with long, flowing, black hair (albeit with grey streaks).
• The Eleven O'Clock Number: "Die Unstillbare Gier".
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He and his son seem to have a very good relationship and his Villainous Breakdown indicates that he did feel somewhat strong for Sarah.
• Evil Eyebrows: Most notably in the German production.
• Evil Sorcerer: He appears to be able to teleport short distances, at least, and self-describes himself as a mage toward the end of Act I.
• Evil Sounds Deep: Oh yes. Von Krolock usually has the deepest voice of the cast.
• Exposition of Immortality: His eleven o' clock number, taken at face value, is this: he recalls previous victims he killed during his vampiric existence: the first from a summer in 1617, the pastor's daughter in May, 1730, and even Napoleon's page from 1813.
• Fangs Are Evil: Obviously.
• Faux Affably Evil: He's an impeccably polite and talkative host when Alfred and the Professor arrive at the castle, but he pretty much throws Alfred to Herbert as a plaything and viciously mocks the Professor before the ball.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Melancholic: the manipulative, cynic Broken Ace.
• High Collar of Doom: Not in every performance, but in most of them he Sports one.
• Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: The huge guy to Sarah's tiny girl. His actor is usually the tallest one around.
• Interspecies Romance: Vampire meets village girl.
• Lean and Mean: He's made up to look extraordinarily gaunt regardless of his actor's build.
• Named by the Adaptation: In all productions his first name is never given, except in the Broadway production in which he is named "Giovanni".
• Nice to the Waiter: The Count treats Koukol with something resembling kindness, and Koukol in turn is fiercely devoted towards him.
• Ominous Opera Cape: Usually accompanied by the high collar, he will always have a heavy lined cape, which is of particular use in "Gott ist tot" (a song lit using a spotlight from below) as he can swirl it to block out the light and vanish.
• Our Vampires Are Different: While the ball guests are clearly evil and almost zombielike, Krolock is capable of being a perfect gentleman, and there is a touch of sympathetic melancholy about him as well.
• Perpetual Frowner: Par exellence. There never seems to be a moment where he's not frowning.
• Pretty Boy: Played with. Between his long hair, slender hands, and costumes intended to make his legs appear to go on forever, it's a fair guess to assume he used to be one of these. However, his face is now heavily lined, said hair is now gray-streaked, ragged and just the slightest bit receded, and his hands are clawlike and arthritic in their thinness.
  • And then the Vienna 20th anniversary plays it straight. Mark Seibert is the youngest of the principal Krolocks, and the makeup made him very pretty indeed.◊ Compare to his earlier turn in Berlin.◊
• Really 700 Years Old: At least 300 or so.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: He's the calm, melancholic Blue to his son's Red Oni.
• Romantic Vampire Boy: For a given value of "romantic" and "boy". The heroine falls hard for him, he (possibly) doesn't use mind control to get her to that point, but he's also far from young, physically speaking (let's not even get into his real age) and is torn between loving her back and seeing her as a Happy Meal.
• Scary Flashlight Face: "Gott ist tot" plays this up using lighting from below. It's the first song he has, and it establishes him as dark and scary.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: But it never seems to occur to the count that Sarah sitting in the bathtub might feel a little underdressed next to him.
• Shipper on Deck: Seems to be a low-key one for Herbert and Alfred, stating that his son is probbaly delighted to make Alfred's aquaintance (he is) and that they will soon be friends.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Very tall, very dark, and, depending on the actor, more or less snarky.
• Tragic Monster: Very much so. Von Krolock is acutely aware of the misery he brings over himself and others, but can't stop himself from doing so, anyway.
• Vampires Are Rich: Never actually stated but heavily implied. The Count refuses to pay any of his bills, though.
• Villainous Breakdown: At the end of the ball, where he gets confronted with a makeshift cross, while Abronsius and Alfred flee with Sarah, which seems to devastate him.
• Villainous Lament: The above-mentioned "Die Unstillbare Gier", von Krolock reminiscing about all the lovers he's killed during his time as one of the undead.
• Villain Love Song: "Totale Finsternis". Actually, it goes for any of his musical parts with Sarah.
• The Von Trope Family: Well, guess.
• Who Wants to Live Forever?: The Eleven O'Clock Number is essentially Von Krolock saying, "Don't live forever, you'll kill everyone you love." It includes recitations of dates from 300 years back, lamenting how he still can't forgive himself for killing people way back then.
• Wicked Cultured: His extensive library makes Prof. Abronsius Squee. In the American version, he even shows his large Encyclopedia Krolockiana, containing "every book ever written", and Abronsius sighs over the loss of the formerly human Krolock, who was "a scientist, a philosopher, a poet".
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds

Herbert von Krolock

Du musst zu mir nett sein.

Translation: You must be nice to me.

Count von Krolock's son, the Camp Gay Herbert becomes infatuated with Alfred as quickly as Alfred does with Sarah. Unfortunately, what could have been a beautiful romance is ruined when the vampire tries to sink his teeth into our hero's neck, and his humorous exterior may be hiding someone even more dangerous than his father.

• Abhorrent Admirer: Of the homosexual male variety, to Alfred.
• Affably Evil: Contrasting his father's Faux Affably Evil nature. Herbert, while being spoiled rotten to the core, seems genuinely friendly and charming due to his sociable nature, as long as he gets his way. As soon as people don't comply with his wishes, he starts showing his nastier side. And as creepy as Carpe Noctem is (especially to poor Alfred), Herbert didn't necessarily conduct the nightmare out of malice. The whole number even starts out with some sort of a lullaby. Out of a vampire's perspective who heartily embraces his own nature, there's nothing wrong with that dream at all.
• Agent Peacock: Word of God says that his flamboyance is at least partially a front, and that he has some ability to control minds. "Carpe Noctem" is his doing.
• Camp Gay: Almost everytime he appears on stage he's wearing a different (lavish) costume. Which is remarkable, considering his small amount of stagetime. His mannerisms are appropriately flamboyant as well. And it's one of the reasons his fans love him.
• Cheshire Cat Grin: After Alfred realizes that the vampire he is trying to flee from stands directly behind him, he turns to face Herbert grinning wickedly at him. Depending on how it's played, this sometimes borders into Slasher Smile territory, especially considering what nearly happens after that grin.
• The Dandy: Whether he's welcoming you into the castle, dancing with you at the Midnight Ball or giving you the nightmares of your life, you can be sure Herbert's always appropriately dressed for the occasion.
• Depraved Homosexual: It never seems to cross his mind that Alfred might actually not be interested in him. That, or he just doesn't care, as he still lunges at Alfred, after the latter makes his (lack of) feelings very clear.
• Desperately Craves Affection: Implied, Herbert seems to crave affection of the romantic variety. Which may explain his Yandere tendencies, once Alfred turns him down.
• Did Not Get The Guy: Though it's Played for Laughs. To anyone but him it was quite clear that he didn't stand a chance against Sarah.
• Double Entendre: He makes great use of them in the Broadway production, stringing together one after another... and then he doesn't even bother.
  Oh, those are my bats. You wanna see my balls?
• Drama Queen: If his final reaction at the end of "Wenn Liebe in dir ist" is any indication.
• Dreamweaver: Appears to be this, as he constructed Alfred's nightmare in "Carpe Noctem".
• Eating the Eye Candy: Just about every time Herbert and Alfred both appear on stage. Culminating in "Wenn Liebe In Dir Ist", where he compliments Alfred's butt while staring approvingly at it.
• Everything Sounds Sexier in French: Herbert calls Alfred "mon chéri".
• Evil Eyebrows: Even if he's just portrayed as highly morally questionable, his eyebrows are usually very arched.
• Fangs Are Evil: Nicely done during his duet; his fangs only start showing at the end of the song, when he's about to bite Alfred.
• Mr. Fanservice: You bet.
• Fanservice: What his dancing with Alfred easily is, upped drastically from the original film where all they do is sit together. And then there's some of his shining tight leather costumes over gyrating hips in the finale...
• Femme Fatalons: Some actors who play him have these. Some just have the nails attached to gloves, however, and sometimes, his hands just look exquisitely manicured.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Sanguine: the excitable, impulsive Agent Peacock.
• Genki Guy: Prominently so during "Wenn Liebe In Dir Ist", where he gleefully forces a not quite as enthusiastic Alfred to dance with him. See also Red Oni, Blue Oni below.
• Glamour Failure: Being a vampire, he lacks a reflection. Significant, because Alfred first discovers that fact during "Wenn Liebe In Dir Ist".
• Horror Hunger: Herbert's got his act together right up until his first attempt to bite Alfred ends with a book in his mouth. After that he completely loses it and gets much more animalistic in his second attempt.
• I Kiss Your Hand: Not in the traditional way, Herbert places a light kiss on the palm of Alfred's hand, after stating that the student is trembling with fear.
• I Hate You, Vampire Dad: Completely averted. From what we can see, he and his father have a perfectly functional relationship.
  • Overlord Jr.
• Kiss of the Vampire: Attempts one on Alfred, whom Herbert had a huge crush on. Alfred, being much too scared (and in love with Sarah) prevents it from happening, after which Herbert seems to get consumed by Horror Hunger.
• Lesbian Vampire: Herbert is a gender flipped version of this trope.
• Light Is Not Good: A mild version. Herbert inexplicably has white-blonde hair and, when not in mood for some Carpe Noctem performances, dressed in considerably brighter colours than his father (and the entire cast for that matter). Still, it's quite clear that he's far from a good guy.
• Like Father, Unlike Son: Herbert is the exact opposite of his father's personality. He is cheerful, playful and enjoys being a vampire, while his father is serious, melancholic and has ambiguous feelings about being one of the undead. His appearance is also different, he's blonde and almost always dressed in bright colours, unlike his father who has black hair and dresses in black.
• Lonely Rich Kid: Possibly. His family's wealth is never directly addressed, but the castle and the impeccable taste when it comes to clothes suggest that the von Krolocks weren't exactly poor people (that said, the count doesn't bother to pay any of his bills). And if Herbert's first line is anything to go by, the viscount has been bored out of his mind until Alfred came along.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Older productions had him with a shoulder-length ponytail, but almost everything after the Hamburg production gives him long, loose, flowing blond hair.
• Love at First Sight: He falls for Alfred just as fast as the latter falls for Sarah.
• Messy Hair: Usually Herbert keeps his hair neatly tied up in a huge bow, but in Carpe Noctem he wears his hair open and rather scraggly looking. Probably done to emphasize Herbert's more dangerous nature.
• No Sense of Personal Space: Towards Alfred, much to the latter's dismay. It only gets worse after Alfred rejects Herbert's advances.
• No Social Skills: An odd case, because Herbert is very sociable, self-confident in his interaction with other people and blissfully unaware that his way of approaching the object of his affection really drives said object to get the hell away from him. Justified, since it is implied that Herbert has spend all his life and, uh, unlife in the castle, where everyone with a little sense left wouldn't dare pissing off Count von Krolock's son.
• Not Good with Rejection: It's clear that Herbert doesn't accept Alfred's rejection.
• Ominous Opera Cape: He wears one at the end of Act I, during "Carpe Noctem" and in the "Tanzsaal" scene. While his father never appears without one, Herbert only seems to be wearing it to add some dramatic flair.
• Pretty Boy: The actor's makeup and the flowing blond hair usually invoke this trope. Of particular note are: Tim Reichwein's portrayal, Máté Kamarás' portrayal, Kirill Gordeev's portrayal in the Russian production, Dávid Pirgel's portrayal in the Hungarian production and Sinan Bertrand's portrayal in the French production◊. Probably runs in the family, seeing as his father looks like "pretty boy + a lot of aging".
• Psychopathic Manchild: Herbert is impulsive and unpredictable and his page-quote implies that there is a certain immaturity towards him. Some actors milk this for all it's worth, adding a generous bit of creepiness to the character.
• Queer People Are Funny: "Wenn Liebe In Dir Ist" is generally regarded as one of the funniest parts of the whole show.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: He is the vivid and excitable, but impatient Red to his father's Blue Oni.
• Royal Brat: To an extent. Herbert can be quite charming when he wants to be, but as mentioned above the Count's son is also very spoiled, walking through the castle with a heavy sense of entitlement. The latter might explain why he's Not Good with Rejection, too.
• Screams Like a Little Girl: As Abronsius proceeds to whack the vampire's behind with his umbrella, Herbert shrieks decidedly high-pitched and unmanly.
• Sissy Villain: While the degree of his villainy is debatable and highly dependent on the actor, Herbert still remains a bloodthirsty vampire. A very, very flamboyant bloodthirsty vampire.
• Tom the Dark Lord: Let's face it, only the Count himself and possibly Professor Abronsius would know that Herbert means "the shining/brave warrior". Anyone else might wonder why the vampire overlord of Transylvania didn't give his son a more fear-inspiring name. Then again, we are never given the Count's first name; perhaps it's something even worse.
• Villain Love Song: His part in "Wenn Liebe In Dir Ist", though the villain part is really depending on the actor. Sometimes his part of comes off more as a Poorly Socialized Ball of Woob Love Song.
• Villainous Crush: The American version is even more pronounced: instead of Alfred finding the "Ways to Win Over a Heart" book in Krolock's library, it is Herbert who has it on his shelf and shows it to Alfred, all the while flirting with him.
• White Hair, Black Heart: Fits this trope to a T. Woobieness and giddy teenager-behaviour aside, he is one of the few undead who thoroughly enjoys being a vampire. And Herbert did tackle Alfred to the ground after the latter didn't comply with his wishes.
• Woman Scorned: A rare male version and very much Played for Laughs. Herbert's visibly unhappy at having "A Guide for Lovers" shoved between his teeth, but won't let such a thing like an obvious rejection stop him in his pursuit after Alfred. Even if he has to wrestle Alfred down to get what he wants.

The Vampire Ensemble

Sei bereit!

Translation: Be prepared!

The ancient fiends of the night who awaken, eager to attend the Midnight Ball and see what's on the menu this year.

• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Ewigkeit ends with them walking through the aisles and lunging out at the audience members, and "Der Tanz Der Vampire" is them saying to the audience, "We're going to eat you next!"
• Card Carrying Villains: During the finale we get this:
  We drink blood and have zero morals
  We don't give a shit about this world.
• Clown-Car Grave: How the vampires appear during "Ewigkeit".
• Creepy Changing Painting: During "Totale Finsternis", the vampires appear as paintings in the castle's gallery. As the song changes verses, the pictures move and change position.
• Crowd Song: "Ewigkeit".
• Gorgeous Period Dress: Subverted - while the vampires do attend the ball in costumes like this, the outfits are decaying and dusty.
• Gratuitous English: A small bit in "Der Tanz Der Vampire"
  We drink your blood and then we eat your soul
  Nothing's gonna stop us, let the bad times roll
• Hell-Bent for Leather: Their outfits in the finale.
• Holy Burns Evil: The vampires all react violently when Alfred and the Professor construct a cross in the ballroom. Except for Herbert, who simply faints.
• Vampire Dance:
  • Three words: Act II Finale.
  • Two words: Carpe Noctem.
• Villain Song: "Ewigkeit", again.
• Villainous Breakdown: When Alfred and the Professor ready their makeshift cross, the vampires scream in horror, and some even faint at the holy sight.
• Who Wants to Live Forever?: Once again, "Ewigkeit" is the vampires saying "Eternity sucks!"
• Zombie Gait: When the vampires leave their graves during "Ewigkeit", they lurch around to shake off their rigor mortis.

Characters Indigenous To The Broadway Production

Nadja And Zsa Zsa

Hi, Sarah...

Sarah's best friends, who are abducted by vampires two minutes into the show.

• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: Nadja eating the mushrooms and getting high. It isn't talked about again throughout the scene.
• Disposable Woman: Nadja and Zsa Zsa's only purpose in the show is to get kidnapped and bitten in the very first scene.
• Evil Costume Switch: Near the end of Act 2, Sarah begins to have a change of heart and tries to follow after Alfred, but she is stopped short by her former friends, who have become vampires wearing black dresses with a leg slit and cleavage.
• Original Generation: The girls were created for the American version and did not exist either in the Austrian original, nor in the Hungarian production and its replicas.
• Those Two Girls

Boris

Just trying to be helpful.

A worker in Chagal's inn, Boris is bitten by Bat!Krolock and runs off to his castle, replacing Koukol's role.

• The Announcer: Boris announces Von Krolock's presence in the Midnight Ball, in a Large Ham manner.
• Ascended Extra: Boris is the one to direct the Nightmare Vampires in the "Seize The Night" sequence, instead of Magda and Herbert, who are Adapted Out of the scene.
• Brought to You by the Letter "S": After the transformation, he wears some sort of a valet/doorman apparel with a large "K" emblazoned on his chest, representing his subservience to Von Krolock.
• Evil Costume Switch: After Krolock (as a bat) hypnotizes Boris into being his servant, he changes his peasant attire for a black ensemble with a hat and a large "K" emblazoned on the shirt, a visual nod that screams that he has become one of the vampire's thralls.
• The Renfield: Unlike Koukol's role as The Igor, Boris takes the part of Renfield to Von Krolock.

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