Welcome to another journey through the sights and smells of the Great White Way—better known to the rest of humankind as Broadway! I hope to share my passion for music theatre with all of us in Engineering, especially some shows that may be lesser known, or better yet, get you hooked on the catchiness of showtunes or obsessed with their reflection of certain parts of reality. Last issue took a bit of a personal twist, as I focused on life lessons that I have learned from having been involved in Music Theatre in high school. This week, we’re back with regular scheduled programming—another show!
In honour of All Hallow’s Eve, we’ll be delving into the freaky world of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!
Jekyll & Hyde is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. If you’ve read it, you would have an idea of what goes on in the musical. But, of course, a great show needs some romanticizing, which is done through the introduction of two female characters, Emma (Dr. Henry Jekyll’s fiancée) and Lucy (a kind-hearted prostitute who Jekyll meets on the night of his bachelor party).
The Plot
The premise of the story is Jekyll’s obsession of understanding the cause behind his comatose father. He believes that the evil in his father’s soul is behind his malady, so he is set on finding out why man is both evil and good, and how to separate the good from the evil.
Jekyll presents his research proposal to the Board of Governors of St. Jude’s Hospital, most of which is comprised of pompous, rich hypocrites in conservative, 19th century London. Naturally, his proposal to test his chemical formula on a human subject does not go through.
Determined to learn the secrets behind the human mind, he tests his controversial chemical formula on himself, despite his fiancée’s concern over his obsession for his work…
The Music
The theme of human duality is reinforced by London’s richest and poorest in my personal favourite chorus number of the show, “Façade”. A snippet of my favourite libretti from this number pretty much summarizes it:
“Man is not one, but two,
He is evil and good,
And he walks the fine line
We’d all cross if we could!”
With the exception of the last line, these lyrics accurately illustrate the lot of us in society. Most of us have the tendency to behave differently based on our company, how comfortable we are with them, and numerous other reasons that make us complex beings. I’d be lying if I said that I was always good,—as seen by my lack of motivation to study during academic terms—but the majority of people—myself included—do a decent job of controlling our desires, like not loafing around all day. Did I mention that this number is a great shower song to belt along with? Because I can personally attest to this.
“Good N’ Evil” is another great number that features Lucy. The lyrics are feisty, and the rhetoric is interesting, despite all the clichés:
“But as I peruse,
This world we abuse.
It’s hell that we choose,
And heaven must lose!”
With the use of contrasting good versus evil and irony, it’s evident that Lucy has resigned herself to evil—hell, she even enjoys it! Besides, if you can’t beat them, join them, right?
The Cast
As always, the original Broadway cast recording is a fantastic place to start listening to this lovely musical. It features Robert Cuccioli in the title role of Jekyll and Hyde; Cuccioli also played the role in the first U.S. tour of the show in 1995. He is definitely a crowd favourite for this particular role; hence his Tony Award nomination for “Best Actor in a Musical”.
Opposite Cuccioli in both productions was Christiane Noll, who played Emma, and Linda Eder, who played Lucy. In addition, Eder also originated the role of Lucy in the Houston World Premiere of Jekyll & Hyde in 1990.
Another actress who’s had experience playing both female leading roles as the Broadway understudy is Coleen Sexton. She also played Lucy in the final Broadway production in midtown-Manhattan’s Plymouth Theatre in 2000, which was recorded and became the only official video recording of the musical. If you’re curious, you can actually watch the entire recording on YouTube. Although David Hasselhoff doesn’t do the title role justice, Emma (Andrea Rivette) and Lucy (Coleen Sexton) save the show.
The Last Word
Jekyll and Hyde lives up to my personal opinion that the majority of musicals that are based on literary works all turn out, at the very least, pretty well. If you’re like me and enjoy a plot that focuses on one or two main themes, this show would likely be right up your alley.
If you appreciate a good old love triangle, it’s interesting to observe the chemistry between Jekyll and Emma, Jekyll and Lucy, and Hyde and Lucy—or would that be a love square…?
Thank you for joining me on another musical adventure! Join me next issue for a not-so-secret secret corner of Broadway!
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