A thrilling drama of suspense and Gothic romance will unfold when the Tamaqua Drama Club performs "Dracula the Musical" this weekend.

The production will be held at 7 p.m. Friday and at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday in the Tamaqua Area School District Auditorium.Tickets are available at the door, and costs are $10 for adults and $8 for students, although parents should note the show is not suitable for children younger than sixth grade due to the dark subject matter.Based on Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula the Musical" is set in Europe at the end of the Victorian Age, and follows the famed vampire Dracula as he lusts for new blood and a new life in London. Preying on newlyweds Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray, he develops an obsession for the young bride, and he sets out to make her his own.Jonathan and Mina, along with Doctor Van Helsing and a group of loyal friends, set out to fight Dracula's supernatural powers, vowing to save Mina's life before it's too late."I chose Dracula because we are blessed with very talented vocalists, and the music in this show is absolutely beautiful and very powerful. The score showcases their abilities so well," Drama Club director Adriane Drum said."We also continue to try to perform different styles and genres, and this is our first dark musical. Last year we put on 'Seussical,' so I wanted to do something that would be completely opposite of that in order to keep things fresh and new for our audience."Cast members include senior Hannah Betz as Mina Murray; senior George Hegedus as Dracula; senior Alec Roseland as Abraham Van Helsing; sophomore Emily Barrett as Lucy Westenra; eighth-grader David Hull as Renfield; senior Ryan Murphy as Arthur Holmwood; senior Josh Gordon as Dr. Jack Seward; and senior Zach Deem as Quincey Morris, among others.Drum said the students have taken rather well to the production."The students have embraced the show wholeheartedly, and have put their all into creating their characters," she said."Their dedication and hard work will be evident to audience members."Drum said she believes the audience will like what they see."I hope that the audience will appreciate this musical retelling of a truly exceptional piece of classic literature, and that they will enjoy the fact that we attempted something darker and more challenging as our spring show," she said."We also have many new special effects and scenic elements that we are using in a production for the first time, so I am excited to see how the audience reacts to those."