We review Steve Steinman’s Vampires Rock Eternal Love – The Musical at Newark Palace Theatre

Just when you thought the Steve Steinman Productions couldn’t get any better, along comes Eternal Love.

The latest in the Vampires Rock franchise, which has already seen the wildly successful Vampires Rock, and Vampires Rock: Ghost Train garner a huge following and rave reviews, and Eternal Love is guaranteed to receive the same acclaim.

Eternal Love continues the story of the vampire Baron Von Rockula, played by Steve himself, as he searches for eternal love and find a new bride after the loss of his love Pandora.

When he returns to his rock club, to find his sycophantic assistant has turned it into a cheesy diner, in comes wide-eyed innocent Zena who bares more than a small resemblance to Pandora — could the Baron be lucky in love at last?

But danger comes as old adversaries return to bring the Baron down.

I honestly don’t know where to start, I have so much praise for this show. I absolutely loved the two predecessors in the series and if anything, Eternal Love has upped the ante.

Steve is simply sensational as our love-lorn vamp — whose accent varies between Oldham and Transylvania — his stage presence and magnetism is something only the few stars possess and his ability to switch from the commanding Baron to making quips in his native accent had the audience in stitches.

His backing dancers are very slick in their movements in their sexy vampire get-ups, and Zena and rival for the Baron’s affections, Medusa, both boast some impressive vocals as well.

The show is a send-up of other rock shows and vampire tropes and doesn’t take itself too seriously, and have a look out for the “paintings” of the Baron’s ancestors, who look surprisingly similar to Mick Jagger, Ozzy Osbourne, and Alice Cooper…

I also loved the nicely placed local gags (apparently there’s no virginal brides in Newark, they’re all in Lincoln!) — it is not only full of incredible singing and dancing, but is genuinely funny as well.

The set was fairly simple but the spectacle came with the lighting and pyrotechnics, with a well used screen to offer atmosphere and background changes, and having the live band onstage as part of the set was a nice touch.

There are still a few tickets left for tonight’s show (Saturday, April 19) at the Palace Theatre so hurry and get your ticket now — you won’t regret it.

If you like your shows to bring the rock ballads hard and fast with silly, naughty humour and incredible singing and dancing, you won’t be disappointed.