Dracula: The Game of Love is a bold, ambitious premiere for the musical theater department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

        Fearless direction by Aubrey Berg, terrific performances, superb design and outstanding musical direction by Roger Grodsky come together in a work of art for Dracula creators and CCM alums Richard Oberacker and Michael Lazar. They couldn't ask for a better debut.

        The writing team has fashioned a musically lush romance of sexual obsession that puts usually proper and pale heroine Mina front and center.

        The adaptation follows the basics. Dracula (John-Andrew Clark) arrives in England with 50 crates of Transylvanian soil. In no time he is seducing Mina's best friend Lucy (a delightful Annie Leri) and then sets his sights on Mina, who is engaged to noble Jonathan Harker (Jason Patrick Sands).

        In this version, Mina is no longer a near-hysteric victim at the mercy of the men committed to protecting her from Dracula (including ace vampire hunter Van Helsing).

        In this game of love, Mina is a player. She is enthralled by the exotic Count and throws over poor heroic Harker, the better to delve into her darker desires.

        The role is a showcase for Angela Gaylor, who gets to run the gamut from self-possessed to obsessed and from unbridled to guilt-ridden, singing all the while. It's a gorgeous performance.

        Design defines the musical's sense of foreboding and sexuality. The action plays out against enormous, sinister swinging panels that transform from Dracula's castle to cathedral to crypt. It's wonderful work by Paul Shortt and beautifully lit by student Elizabeth Zernechel.

        Dean Mogle's costumes are a gothic palette of blacks, blood reds and grays (with the occasional flash of white and pink.) With atmosphere firmly established, one can revel in Dracula's greatest strength.

        Musically, Dracula is stunning. There are resplendent chorales (mostly for funerals). A counterpoint quintet,“When Did This Happen?”, late in the first act is nothing short of dazzling.

        Mr. Oberacker and Mr. Lazar are equally adept at soaring love duets, light and lyrical girlfriend banter, music hall turns and internal soliloquys.

        They do as fine a job of defining character through song as most of the composers working on Broadway, and the orchestrations for both songs and underscoring are perfection.

        Some of their songs are so good that it's noticeable when they settle for an easy rhyme, as they occasionally do.

        But there are real shortcomings in the script, black holes for the audience to fall into if we didn't all know the Dracula legend almost by heart.

        There are careless shortcuts: Dr. Seward (the local asylum director) takes one look at dying Lucy, and it goes something like: “I'll call my friend Van Helsing . . . he'll be here in two days . . . here he is!”

        There's also a central issue of motivation. It's easy to understand the lust, but how is it that Dracula and Mina fall in love?

        Nothing can take away from the overall glory of the production (although there has to be a better first-act finale than a dream ballet that is so 50 years ago.)

        The cast of principals is first-rate: Mr. Sands is compelling as Harker; Barry James makes the most of a big song and fly-eating as Renfield; there's strong support from Nicholas Belton, Josh Dazel, Blake Ginther and Will Ray.

        Dracula, through March 3, Patricia Corbett Theater, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. 556-4183.

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