Alejandro Camacho stars as Count Vlad de Dracula in a new staging of Dracula, which opened Sept. 3 at Mexico City's Teatro Mexico, located at the Manolo Fabregas Theatrical Center.

This new staging of Dracula is based in the original Bram Stoker's novella, unlike the previous Mexican productions which were based in the 1924 play by Hamilton Deane and John Balderston. According to Camacho, this Dracula will also differ from other stage adaptations of the famous horror novella because it features a strong erotic content.

Also in the cast of Dracula are Ignacio Lopez Tarso (Moon Over Buffalo, Harvey), Mayte Embil (Placido Domingo's nephew), Yadhira Carrillo and Juan Ignacio Aranda, all directed by Enrique Pineda (Aventurera).

Designing Dracula are Arturo Nava (sets and lights), Cristina Sauza (costumes) and Fernando Mora (make-up).

Antonio Calvo, who created the visual effects for the current hit musical Houdini, The Magic of Love, designed spectacular special effects for Dracula, which is produced by Alejandro Camacho and Rebecca Jones. Coincidentally, a musical based in the same horror novella is scheduled to open later this year at Mexico City's Teatro Lirico with music by the rock group Cristal y Acero (Kuman) and with soap-opera star Mauricio Islas in the "bloody" leading role.

The Camacho-Jones production of Dracula runs at the Teatro Mexico on Thursdays at 8:30 PM, Fridays and Saturday at 7 PM & 9:30 PM and Sundays at 5:30 PM & 8 PM. For information and tickets call Ticketmaster Mexico at (52-5) 325-9000.

-- By Claudio Carrera
Mexico Correspondent