Jekyll and Hyde DVD Version

[bwayto]

Ok, So I caught the tour in Toronto. My 2 cents are here (http://broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1053489#4349778), but It left me craving more so I picked up the Hasselhoff DVD with much skepticism.

Firstly, he really is a good actor. No one can take that from him. He portrayed the character and I believed him.

I didn't buy his singing, and don't think it's up too par. He has a good sense of pitch, as in hits the notes, and all that. His methods, I admit, are not great, and leaves him sounding unrefined in places. Then once in a while, a miracle occurs and he shocks you with a beautiful note, but these are rare, and most likely the result of emergency, pre-broadway vocal lessons.

His technique seems non-existent (voice) and am wondering if anyone knows how he fared with 8 show weeks. Did he call out often or did he go on with vocal damage/raspy vocals?


The production looks good though. I prefer the Laboratory from the DVD version, although I prefer the new facade scene sets, and I prefer the additions to Lucy's bedroom on the tour. I also like the way the father is presented better on the tour then in this version. Although, I still can't see why Bring on the Men was taken out of the Broadway show. I think it's the necessary show stopper missing in the first little bit of the show, and lightens the mood a little. It works amazingly well on the tour.

The rest of the cast on the DVD were fantastic. I really enjoyed watching Lucy, and again, my favorite performer in the show was the actress playing Emma, as it was Teal Wicks on the tour (she was my favorite in that cast). Emma is a tough, and thankless role, it seems.

Anyways, these are my 2 cents, and wondering how you guys felt about the DVD recording/how it compared to the original show (no one beats Linda Eder) before the replacements?

So... Discuss!

[Wynbish]

Yeah, you lost me at "good actor"

[bwayto]

His acting was good! Not over the top, very believable as a mad man. His singing is another story, but his performance was well delivered whenever he wasn't singing.

[philly03]

Jekyll/Hyde was a double-cast role in the original production, with Rob Evan doing the matinees (I believe it was, maybe one night performance) for Hasselhoff (they brought him back - he was the original alternate and had a great year before the celeb casting came).

The show got a bit more of a "tune-up" once Linda Eder left, and Coleen Sexton largely followed Luba Mason's (Eder's replacement) steps. While Coleen Sexton was terrific in the role, she was the one with the vocal troubles during the run, though her performance on the DVD is what history will show that she was fine.

"Bring on the Men" was cut by the Director (who also designed the sets), in favor of "Good & Evil" because for whatever reason they didn't want the Lucy-prostitute theme to be so prominent (.. LOL) and they wanted to hit everyone over the head with "this is a battle of good and evil." Still a catchy tune, but it pales in comparison to "Bring on the Men."

Hoff was OK in the role, but I'd say his acting in some pivotal moments made this campy show even MORE campy.

[bwayto]

I don't see why they would town down the prostitute thing, we're talking about the 90's here.

I walked out of the tour humming Bring on the Men, can't even recall what Good and Evil sounded like, watched it this morning. Sigh. Would love to have seen it in the original show.

The sets were a bit of an issue. The sitting room/laboratory were ok, everything else walk kind of like watching a black box. For a show so unbelievable, they did a poor job suspending my disbelief on the DVD version.

Surprising that Sexton had vocal issues, she sounds excellent and well trained on the DVD. Find that one odd. Maybe she was often ill?

@philly03 what do you mean by "tune-up" when Eder left? I assume the show was frozen?

Overall, direction seems off, as it does in many places on the tour. This show seems hard to direct. Easy for us to criticize on the outside looking in, but directors should really try to see things from an audience perspective.

Apparently Hoff was a big pop singing star in Germany during the 80s. Just found that out via Google. Go figure.

[philly03]

Coleen Sexton really sold "Good & Evil".. Great performance captured on the DVD.

Ask anyone (including her) Linda is not a great actress. When she left they changed a few poses/mannerisms of Lucy. Nothing dialogue or song wise, except I believe it was after Linda left was when they "cut off" the ending to "No One Knows Who I Am" (this may have been after previews).

Robin Phillips was very dedicated to the show (thus why it was far delayed after its Greg Boyd/national tour ended). He worked with every new Jekyll (mostly the celeb casting) to make sure they were comfortable in the role.

Personally, I think (and sure many "Jekkies" would too) that he did a service to the piece, particularly with elements that still remain in the show; though there are the obvious negatives he introduced too (ie: no Bring on the Men).

David Hasselhoff just released a Frank Wildhorn CD recently; Brandi Burkhardt makes two appearances as well.