JEKYLL & HYDE THE MUSICAL to Stalk Into Spencer Theater, 1/15

Highly dramatic, heart wrenching and romantic, "Jekyll & Hyde" is the Broadway musical phenomenon that haunts patrons long after the creepy Victorian fog clears. This award-winning production, with surging melodies & such popular hits as "This Is The Moment," "Take Me As I Am," "Bring on the Men," and "Someone Like You," is filled with throat-thrashing challenges, dangerous affairs and romantic appeal. Indeed, the highly acclaimed revival appearing on the Spencer Theater stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 15 will stun patrons with its powerful cast of players, passionate musical score -- and its seemingly impossible range as one man becomes two in an allegorical struggle of the human soul.

So, what happens when the quietly intense, sophisticated intellectual Dr. Henry Jekyll persists in unlocking the secrets of the divided human psyche? Why are there such unfortunate consequences for his mental hygiene and for the women who love him -- one graceful and trusting, the other a fetching good-girl-gone bad? Well, the potion that the altruistic Dr. Jekyll devises to rid the world of evil, and which he quietly tests upon himself, unleashes the hidden devil within (Mr. Edward Hyde, or hide if you will), an alter-ego that is charismatic, aggressive and very deadly. Before our eyes, Dr. Jekyll evolves from a self-absorbed scientist into the pompous and abusive Mr. Henry Hyde in scenes that will never leave your mind.

This is deep, entertaining stuff based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 imaginative tale. "Jekyll & Hyde" stars a mesmerizing cast of 25 singers, dancers and orchestra musicians with Columbia Artists Theatricals, which kicked-off their national, multi-city tour from New York earlier this month.

The cast is directed and choreographed by Paul Stancato, who recently served as the Resident Director for Disney's "The Lion King," and the cast's many outstanding players are Aleks Knezevich (Jekyll/Hyde) who recently performed in a PBS national broadcast of "HMS Pinafore"; Laura Helm (Lucy) who has performed in such stage favorites as "Young Frankenstein," and Bob Marcus (Sir Danvers Carew) who has twice toured Europe with "Evita" and in three national tours of "Fiddler on the Roof."

Excellent seats ($39-$72) are available for the January 15 performance of "Jekyll & Hyde." Call the Spencer Box Office at 575.336.4800 or go online to www.spencertheater.com for tickets. A pre-show parmesan chicken buffet ($20) is also available in the lobby at 5 p.m. Visit www.spencertheater.com for more cast and show information.

Spencer Theater is a world-class performance hall located in the Sacramento Mountain settlement of Alto, about 12 miles north of downtown Ruidoso. Unique architecture, outstanding acoustics, intimate seating, and excellent artistry are the Spencer's celebrated features. The elegant, award-winning hall, which first raised its curtains in 1997, seats 514, with no seats farther than 67 feet from the 4,770 square-foot stage. The Spencer also has a 964 square-foot outdoor stage that can seat 1,500. From its Spanish mica-flecked limestone face to the crystal lobby, the building itself is a work of art. Free public tours are offered at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year. Donations are accepted!

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