During the Halloween season, people of all walks of life tend to consume many forms of "spooky" media. From haunted houses to horror movies, spookiness tends to have a common appeal. For example, Robert Louis Stevenson's story The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been adapted over all sorts of mediums. Originally published in 1886, Stevenson's novella provides not only "cheap" thrills, but also pertinent commentary on the duality of human nature. One of this spine-tingling tale's most well known adaptations is Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Briscusse's musical, Jekyll and Hyde. Originally produced at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas in 1990, it has since become a popular choice for amateur and professional theatres the world over.
Jekyll and Hyde began life as many musicals of the era did: as a concept album. The concept album was a popular means for composers to put their musical in front of potential investors. Frank Wildhorn took advantage of this precedent set by Andrew Lloyd Webber with Jesus Christ Superstar in 1970. The concept recording featured Chuck Wagner as the titular role(s), Tuesday Knight as Lucy Harris, and Gillian Gallant as Miss Carew (later to be named Emma Carew). A second concept album was released in 1987 with Chuck Wagner reprising his role and Linda Eder coming on board as both Lucy and Lisa Carew. From there, it premiered at the Alley Theatre for its out-of-town tryout in 1990.
It began its next chapter on Broadway, where it premiered in 1997 at the Plymouth Theatre. It boasted Robert Cuccioli as Jekyll and Hyde, Linda Eder as Lucy Harris, and Christiane Noll as Emma Carew as the three leads. The production received a proshot (Jekyll & Hyde: Direct from Broadway). This was released in 2001, towards the end of the production's run, and it featured David Hasselhoff, Coleen Sexton, and Andrea Rivette as the three leads. After the production closed, Jekyll and Hyde enjoyed success in the international arena.
One of the most well-known international productions was the concert that was performed in Australia last year (2019). While Anthony Warlow sang the role on the "Gothic Musical Thriller" studio cast album, he never sang the role of Jekyll/Hyde in a full production until that concert. Another well-known production from that particular decade was the Broadway revival in 2012, which came as the result of a national tour. The production featured Constantine Maroulis (late of American Idol and Rock of Ages), Deborah Cox (The Bodyguard), and Teal Wicks (Wicked) With a revamped score and design and a star-studded cast, it was hoped that it would prove commercially fertile. However, the revival only ran for 29 regular performances and 15 previews, which proved to be a flop by anyone's standards.
Overall, Jekyll and Hyde had a rich history and continues to chill and thrill all over the world. Songs from the show have been performed in many cabaret performances (Hello, "Bring on the Men" and "Someone Like You"!). The production continues to be performed with great audience reception to this day. Generally speaking, horror fans who also like musicals will definitely enjoy this show!
