Jekyll & Hyde

[zamedy]

Saw the show at Shea's. My quick thoughts...

-Very cool to see a show HEADING to Broadway, knowing that the cast I saw is the cast that will open this show in the Richard Rodgers come April
-It's a very dark musical, which I personally do not prefer. But the material moved along at a very brisk pace. It never slipped into 'this is really boring' mode for me.
-Constantine and Deborah are powerhouse singers. Her beautiful voice reminded me of Whitney's. With that said, I wouldn't say they have out-of-this-world chemistry either.
-I wish the show had a 'comic relief' song (this coming from someone who prefers the more fun, campy stuff). Sure it risks breaking apart the building tension and plot and would probably seem out of place, but perhaps not if done right. Something in the vein of 'Master of the House' perhaps. Wake the audience up a little.
-Is it just me or is there next to no choreography?
-Show deserved better than the 2 and-a-half star review it got in the paper
-Maroulis and Cox will both get nominated for a Tony. He just may win. His role is incredibly demanding. I'm in awe of the fact that he does this 8 shows a week.
-Saw Constantine and Deborah after the show at stage door. Both were INCREDIBLY nice and generous with their time (and it was freezing cold!!). This was so great to see. Constantine could not have been sweeter.
-It was great to see the cast raising money to help the hurricane victims in NYC/NJ, and was also great to hear the cast appreciate the beauty of Shea's Performing Arts Center.

[Bettyboy72]

Constantine has been out a few times this week in Charlotte.

[Quiche2]

My mom saw the matinee today here in Charlotte, NC and said it was fantastic. She buys season tickets every year, and said it was one of the best in the past few seasons.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Constantine has been out a few times this week in Charlotte.

Jason Wooten has been playing Jekyll/Hyde and according to FB he's playing the entire weekend.

Photo he posted at FB of himself as Jekyll/Hyde

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10151247456776842&set=a.27390781841.34527.595056841&type=1&theater

[My Oh My]

Are they really officially calling the new recording a "concept" album? Really?

I thought this reinvention by way of switching one's weave for a cowboy hat a-la Material Girl was a pop thing? How is the concept of this Jekyll any different than before? It's still a musical about a split-personality, Sybil type.

Like Showboat, with its extensive trunkload of ditties to choose from, one doesn't really have much of a choice and MUST select songs as well as omit some in the interest of time. Sure, it can allow you to shape the plot somewhat to your liking, which isn't exactly what I'd consider to be a reinvention or a so-called "complete revisal."

It's an abridged version of a lengthier whole. Are they really hoping to convince people this is a completely different animal now? :S

[Enjolras77]

Saw the production on Saturday night...here are some of my thoughts -- SPOILERS.

To me the show was hit or miss. For every new element that worked there was something that didn't.

I liked having the Board of Governors singing "Facade" rather than it being a chorus number, I felt it helped to solidify their place in the story better. The Stride subplot is completely gone, which took away any drama from his murder at the wedding in the last scene. He should have just been killed in the "Murder, Murder" sequence (speaking of which they should go back to the old melody - the new one makes the song drag when it should be frenzied). I had hoped the final scene would have been redone and the awful "Go to sleep my tormented love..." line eliminated - but it was still there and the scene was mostly the same as before.

A lot of recit sections and reprises from past versions have been cut. The loss of all of the Facade reprises was welcome, some of the others were not. The relationships of Lucy and Emma with Jekyll/Hyde are poorly set up and a lot of it may be because of the loss of some of the dialogue/recit sections - especially Lucy and Hyde's "Here's to the Night". Also, the set-up to "This is the Moment" was practically non-existent - so it just sort of starts from thin air right after Jekyll leaves Lucy's club. I know the placement of "No One Knows Who I Am" has always been problematic, but I think it's excision has hurt the development of Lucy.

I also liked the set/staging for the most part. The color scheme and lights around the proscenium helped to amp up the horror/mood element. Loved having each of the Governors displayed on a slab after they were murdered. The projections worked well most of the time, although I felt they were a bit over the top during "Confrontation" with the flaming skulls and dissolving Hyde silhouettes. It turned what should be serious moment into something almost comical.

I hated Jekyll using the syringe to become Hyde in the OBC and had hoped they would go back to him drinking a potion. Well...in this version they ramped it up tenfold by having Jekyll hook himself up to multiple dangling IVs and throwing a switch.

I loved that both "I Need to Know" and "Bring on the Men" were added back in - although I didn't like the staging of "Men". All of the rubber bands seemed to detract from the song and looked cumbersome. In case anyone is wondering "Confrontation" is done with Jekyll singing to a track of Hyde while images of him are projected - not with the actor singing both parts live as on Broadway.

I can go either way on the rock element. Constantine was out the night I saw it, so maybe he brings more to it. Wooten was good on the power numbers, but unable to finesse the softer more lyrical moments. Both Cox and Wicks were good - although I did find that I missed Linda Eder's voice.

All in all it was very entertaining even if flawed (it still is J&H). I think if I had my way I would have kept the new set and some of the changes, but with the original orchestrations.