Jekyll & Hyde
is a rousing gothic musical, with a score by Frank
Wildhorn and book and lyrics by Leslie
Bricusse. Based on the classic tale of good and evil by
Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Henry Jekyll must use himself as
a test subject in his quest to separate the two natures of man.
His dark side emerges as Edward Hyde, who begins spreading murder
and chaos through the streets of London. Caught up in the engaging
drama are Emma Carew (Dr. Jekyll’s fiancée), Sir
Danvers Carew (her father), John Utterson, and the ill-fated
Lucy Harris. Love and virtue stand strong in this evocative
thriller, which is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their
seats.
Jekyll & Hyde had its world
premiere in Houston, Texas in 1990 at the Alley Theatre,
where it broke box office records, played to sold out houses,
and won acclaim from audiences and critics alike. The show toured
in 1995, and has the distinction of being heard on two internationally
released concept recordings (one a double-album), prior to reaching
Broadway.
The show’s Broadway opening
took place on April 28, 1997 at the Plymouth Theater, where
it played for 44 previews and 1543 performances over a four
year run. Jekyll & Hyde holds the honor of being the longest
running show in the history of the Plymouth Theater.
The show was taped by the Broadway Television Network at the
end of its run, and was aired simultaneously on pay-per-view
throughout North and South America, and shown at seven specially-equipped
cinemas throughout the country on May 10, 2001. This exhibition
was the first time a non-film was distributed for digital cinema
showing. The final cast video is currently available on VHS
and DVD.
Jekyll & Hyde has seen three tours in the U.S. and over
a hundred regional productions, bringing the show to
46 different states, as
well as Canadian audiences. The show has been seen around the
world in such countries as Belgium,
The Netherlands, Germany,
Sweden, Spain,
Hungary, Austria,
Australia (in concert),
Japan, Greece
and Denmark. It has been translated
into eight languages, and five foreign-language recordings
have been released to date.
A few productions of note:
The German production of
Jekyll & Hyde opened in Bremen, Germany, where it played
952 performances from February 1999 to June 2001. The show moved
next to Vienna, Austria where it played two seasons of performances
and was voted Best Musical Production
of 2002 by the “Musicals” magazine. The production
then played in Cologne, Germany from March 2003 through April
2004.
The Spanish production began
at the New Apollo Theater in Madrid in September 2000, and played
324 performances there through May 2001. It was seen there by
over 220,000 people. The show went on to tour six cities in
Spain and The Canary Islands, including extended stops in Barcelona
and Valencia in the fall of 2002.
The Hungarian production
was first seen in Békéscsaba in February and March
2001. It has played three full seasons of performances in Budapest,
in 2002 and 2003. It has also toured to several other Hungarian
cities, playing both traditional and open-air venues.
The Japanese Production
premiered at the Nissay Theater in Tokyo, in November 2001.
It played in Nagoya in December and Osaka in January of 2002.
A return engagement took place in Tokyo, in January of 2003.
Songs from Jekyll &
Hyde have been featured at the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the
World Series, the WNBA Championships, Miss America Pageants,
the 1996 Democratic National Convention and the Inauguration
of President Clinton (sung by Jennifer Holliday). Selections
such as "Someone Like You," "A New Life,"
and "This Is The Moment" have been performed and recorded
in a variety of musical styles and arrangements, by artists
such as Liza Minelli, The Moody Blues, Dennis DeYoung, Alice
Ripley and Emily Skinner, Donny Osmond, Lea Salonga, and many
more. |
