A DVD review and a stage review from The Movie Snob:

Dracula (C-). Yes, this is the 1931 original starring Bela Lugosi as The Count. A couple of years ago, the folks who made Van Helsing engineered the re-release of several old horror classics on DVD around the time of Van Helsing’s release, so I picked up the Frankenstein and Dracula sets. (Each comes with a handful of sequels to the original movies and other extras.) Anyway, according to the mini-documentary "The Road to Dracula," people actually found this film scary back in 1931. It’s hard to believe, since the movie involves no blood, no violence, and very little action of any sort. Lugosi made a good Count Dracula, but he’s just not given very much to do, and the ending is a big zero on the excitement-meter. I’d sooner recommend the Francis Ford Coppola remake, which I seem to remember capturing some of the suspense of the book. Better yet, just go back and read the book. It was years ago that I read it, but I remember liking it quite a bit.

Chicago. I’m a big fan of the movie, and last night I saw a local production by a group called the Repertory Company Theater at the theater on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas (which is actually in Richardson). It’ll run through June 26, and if you’re a fan, I would recommend this production. It’s kind of stripped-down (especially compared to the elaborate production the Plano Rep put on a year or two ago), and some of the vocals were a little weak at times, but the performers dig into the material with great enthusiasm. Among the principal characters, the actress who plays Roxie has a decent voice, and the fellow who plays defense lawyer Billy Flynn can really belt out a tune. (According to the program, he’s actually a lawyer in real life!) The actress who plays Velma Kelly was not their equal in the singing department, but she was very good-looking and gave an appropriately venomous performance. If you like musicals, it’s worth a look.