“Jekyll & Hyde”
“Jekyll & Hyde” retells a familiar tale, so the musical’s suspense might not be about the fate of Dr. Jekyll, but how the play will fare in its Lehigh Valley premiere. Fortunately in this experiment, unlike Dr. Jekyll’s, good triumphs.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story may not seem like an obvious source for a musical, but this work has the atmosphere of an old fashioned melodrama, and it includes incidental music that complements the gothic flavor.
The critics mostly panned “Jekyll & Hyde” when it was first presented in the early 1990s, but the public loved it. It is easy to see why. This may not be the best or most logical musical ever written, but it touches the emotions and is quite fun to watch.
This is a big production by MunOpCo Music Theater. It has a cast of nearly fifty and an excellent ten-piece orchestra. The first thing that commands attention as the curtain opens is the setting of Dr. Jekyll’s lab, which features an array of brightly colored liquids in various glass beakers and containers.
During the first song, “I Need To Know”, the set is transformed into the streets of London, where various social classes intermingle. There are a total of twenty-three different scenes.
This is less noteworthy, though, than the performances of the leading actors. Rob Clausnitzner as Jekyll/Hyde instantly captures your attention and does not let it go for the entire three-hour show. His Henry Jekyll radiates sincerity, but with an underlying tension that makes his later transformation into Edward Hyde believable.
His Hyde is evil, of course, but what is more important in this story, he really, really enjoys his wickedness. Besides all this, his voice has a power and range that is a joy to listen to.
In one pivotal scene, Clausnitzner has a dialogue with himself, as Jekyll and Hyde fight for control. Jekyll loftily points to the sky when he speaks, while Hyde turns the other way and menacingly crouches when he answers. Done badly, something like this might make you want to chuckle and hide. Done here, it is riveting.
Andrea Schneck radiates an obvious love as the ill-fated doctor’s fiancée. She also makes Emma just a little too proper and repressed, helping to explain her friend’s struggle (it does not seem like they are lovers yet, which makes Hyde’s wild pursuit of pleasure realistic).
Melissa Hensley may be a little too young and innocent to be hardened by the life of a prostitute, but she is definitely alluring. As her Lucy reaches out to the good doctor for friendship after their unexpected meeting, it is easy to see that he would have trouble resisting her even without the underlying presence of Hyde.
Both women are fine singers. Their duet “In His Eyes”, where both express their love for Jekyll, is a highlight of the show.
Russell George does a fine job as Jekyll’s loyal friend John Utterson, as does Matthew Geist as Simon Stride, Jekyll’s slimy rival for Emma’s affections. Actually Geist comes across as being as evil as Hyde. He just cannot do as much harm because of the fear and repression that come with his social position.
Unfortunately, some of the costumes are jarring. Many of the peripheral characters look as though they are dressed for Halloween instead of everyday life in Victorian England. In one notable exchange, the Bishop of Basingstoke is on the street dressed in full liturgical vestments as he pays a prostitute for her services.
The only weak scenes are at The Red Rat, where the entertainment by the ladies seems more fitting for Disney World than for a brothel. Luckily, the women get to redeem themselves (from an entertainment standpoint, anyway) during their beautiful singing on “Girls Of The Night”.
As an added bonus, many people get murdered in Act Two and there is a lot of suggestive sexual interaction. What more could you wish for? If you have been a good Dr. Jekyll at work all week, this show would be a great place to Hyde out this weekend.
“Jekyll and Hyde”, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1533 Hamilton St., Allentown. Tickets: $15-$18. A dinner buffet is available at 6 p.m. before the Friday and Saturday performances ($20). Sunday buffet begins at 12:30 p.m.($12) Buffets are at the Scottish Rite Center, directly across the street from the cathedral. 610-437-2441.
--Dave Howell, 2/03
(This article first appeared in The Morning Call newspaper.)
Robert Louis Stevenson’s short story may not seem like an obvious source for a musical, but this work has the atmosphere of an old fashioned melodrama, and it includes incidental music that complements the gothic flavor.
The critics mostly panned “Jekyll & Hyde” when it was first presented in the early 1990s, but the public loved it. It is easy to see why. This may not be the best or most logical musical ever written, but it touches the emotions and is quite fun to watch.
This is a big production by MunOpCo Music Theater. It has a cast of nearly fifty and an excellent ten-piece orchestra. The first thing that commands attention as the curtain opens is the setting of Dr. Jekyll’s lab, which features an array of brightly colored liquids in various glass beakers and containers.
During the first song, “I Need To Know”, the set is transformed into the streets of London, where various social classes intermingle. There are a total of twenty-three different scenes.
This is less noteworthy, though, than the performances of the leading actors. Rob Clausnitzner as Jekyll/Hyde instantly captures your attention and does not let it go for the entire three-hour show. His Henry Jekyll radiates sincerity, but with an underlying tension that makes his later transformation into Edward Hyde believable.
His Hyde is evil, of course, but what is more important in this story, he really, really enjoys his wickedness. Besides all this, his voice has a power and range that is a joy to listen to.
In one pivotal scene, Clausnitzner has a dialogue with himself, as Jekyll and Hyde fight for control. Jekyll loftily points to the sky when he speaks, while Hyde turns the other way and menacingly crouches when he answers. Done badly, something like this might make you want to chuckle and hide. Done here, it is riveting.
Andrea Schneck radiates an obvious love as the ill-fated doctor’s fiancée. She also makes Emma just a little too proper and repressed, helping to explain her friend’s struggle (it does not seem like they are lovers yet, which makes Hyde’s wild pursuit of pleasure realistic).
Melissa Hensley may be a little too young and innocent to be hardened by the life of a prostitute, but she is definitely alluring. As her Lucy reaches out to the good doctor for friendship after their unexpected meeting, it is easy to see that he would have trouble resisting her even without the underlying presence of Hyde.
Both women are fine singers. Their duet “In His Eyes”, where both express their love for Jekyll, is a highlight of the show.
Russell George does a fine job as Jekyll’s loyal friend John Utterson, as does Matthew Geist as Simon Stride, Jekyll’s slimy rival for Emma’s affections. Actually Geist comes across as being as evil as Hyde. He just cannot do as much harm because of the fear and repression that come with his social position.
Unfortunately, some of the costumes are jarring. Many of the peripheral characters look as though they are dressed for Halloween instead of everyday life in Victorian England. In one notable exchange, the Bishop of Basingstoke is on the street dressed in full liturgical vestments as he pays a prostitute for her services.
The only weak scenes are at The Red Rat, where the entertainment by the ladies seems more fitting for Disney World than for a brothel. Luckily, the women get to redeem themselves (from an entertainment standpoint, anyway) during their beautiful singing on “Girls Of The Night”.
As an added bonus, many people get murdered in Act Two and there is a lot of suggestive sexual interaction. What more could you wish for? If you have been a good Dr. Jekyll at work all week, this show would be a great place to Hyde out this weekend.
“Jekyll and Hyde”, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1533 Hamilton St., Allentown. Tickets: $15-$18. A dinner buffet is available at 6 p.m. before the Friday and Saturday performances ($20). Sunday buffet begins at 12:30 p.m.($12) Buffets are at the Scottish Rite Center, directly across the street from the cathedral. 610-437-2441.
--Dave Howell, 2/03
(This article first appeared in The Morning Call newspaper.)