Lyricist Leslie Bricusse will never win an award for clever, thought-provoking lyrics if Jekyll & Hyde is an example. Case in point, the second act song "Murder, Murder", with this memorable refrain: "Murder in the night air/Murder is a nightmare." That's about as good as it gets in this Frank Wildhorn tuner. The book isn't much better, with enough exposition to drag the audience through most of the first act. Fortunately, like the gentle Dr. Jekyll and the nasty Mr. Hyde, the script does occasionally wake up and actually do something. This is also the case of Theater League's production, helmed by Michael Jaeger and based on the 1999/2000 Tour Direction of David Warren.
This version of the famed Jekyll and Hyde tale has fittingly split its audience fifty/fifty. Some people are rabid supporters of it, and others, like myself, pine for a day when songs that do more than talk about anticipation, but actually delve into a character's psyche were the norm. Dr. Jekyll, kept from his cutting-edge experiments (by 19th century London standards) into split personalities by a sanctimonious hospital board, decides to test his serum on himself, exposing the darkly evil side we come to affectionately know as Mr. Hyde. While Jekyll is betrothed to supporter Sir Danvers' daughter, Emma, Hyde develops as sadistic affinity for a desperate prostitute with a heart of gold, Lucy. Hyde exacts Jekyll's revenge on the hypocrites of the hospital board, murdering each with an unseemly delight. Jekyll and Hyde struggle for control, while fiancée Emma and his best friend, John, give what support they can.
Messrs. Jaeger and Warren's blocking is unimaginative, though the pacing is suitable. The casting of this production is generally solid, though one bad choice jumps out from the loves of Jekyll and Hyde. As the tormented two-face, Guy Lemonnier really holds down both parts well. While his accent is about as British as Yankee Doodle, he definitely is having fun with both roles, and has a very good voice. As tender trollop Lucy, Annie Berthiaume is wonderful. She has a full and deep voice, which, while sometimes too modernly used, is still a joy. There's a lot of golden heart in her character. The biggest disappointment is ingénue Emma (Shani Lynn Nielsen). Granted, it's hard to play the sap, but her voice is always too modern and thin for her character. At one point in the show, the two women sing a duet that sounds more appropriate for a battle of the Divas on VH-1 than a touring production. David Grimes fares better with his central role as Jekyll's friend and solicitor, John.
On the positive side, the ensemble is great. They sing with conviction the laughable lyrics, and add a great sense of the ominous to the evening. The members of the board are also well-presented, especially local favorite Jason Watson, who brings a devious gleam and strong voice to the character of the Bishop.
For a touring production, James Noone's set, Kirk Bookman's lighting, and Gregory Meeh's special effects are quite effective. Mr. Bookman's lights, especially, bring depth to the script more than the authors cared to. Problems were prevalent in the run of Jonathan Parke's sound design, though these may be cleared up through the remainder of the run. Ann Curtis' costumes are hit and miss, with consistent period for the collective, but questionable choices for Lucy and her chorus girls. Greg Pliska leads the six-piece orchestra well, helping them to sound better than their small number would indicate.
Here's a final split for you: The audience gave the opening night a standing ovation, while I remained seated. If you're not as picky as I, this should probably be an enjoyable evening for you. If, conversely, a book that awakens a little earlier than 8:45 and songs that propel the script rather than halting it should balance good performances, you may not find yourself rising to your feet with the more forgiving theatergoers.
Production Details:
Jekyll & Hyde Book and Lyrics
by Leslie Bricusse, Music by Frank Wildhorn
Theater League
The
Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix (For
a map to location, click this
link)
(602) 262-7272 or (800) 905-3315
March 13th - 18th, 2001