Jekyll & Hyde

Jekyll & Hyde
Aurora Fox Theater
Aurora, CO 
September 18 - October 11, 2015

Jekyll & Hyde is a show I am very familiar with. I saw the original pre-Broadway tour in 1995 and the revival tour in 2013. I even own the original concept album. It’s a difficult and imperfect show, so I was interested in how it would translate into a regional production.

The set was well conceived – clearly demonstrating a dark, Industrial-age backdrop. The main set worked well as the streets of London and easily transformed for interior scenes. Jekyll’s laboratory was a large set which appeared to move by a manual crank was a nice touch. Creating Lucy’s room was more tedious, but the crew handled it smoothly.

The music was intriguing. The band had only five members, however this team created a complex sound. Each act began with haunting organ music and transitioned into violin and electric guitar during the performance.

The cast sparkled in this production. Even the smaller parts were created by talented actors with strong voices. The ensemble sequences were well-choreographed and sung perfectly.

Lauren Shealy, portraying Lucy, is clearly a star. She showed style in the dance sequence for the risqué “Bring on the Men.”  But it was her voice that captivated the audience.  “Someone Like You” was stunning, but it was the lesser known “A New Life” which demonstrated her command of the audience.

Not to be overshadowed, Jenna Bainbridge, as Emma balanced the complex love triangle. While playing the “good girl,” her Emma was strong and determined.  Emma’s best songs are duets. “Take Me As I Am” with Dr. Jekyll was warm and genuine. The haunting song “In His Eyes,” a duet with Lucy in Act 2, set the mood for the tragedy to come.

Naturally, the show hinges on the performance of the actor playing the title roles. Jeffrey Parker was up to the challenge. His Dr. Jekyll is well meaning and disorganized. I was a bit disappointed in “This Is the Moment” – the tempo was too fast and it seemed to be difficult for him to sing. But the next song, “Being Alive,” the initial appearance of Mr. Hyde, took the show to a new level. His face twisted into a grimace which completely changed his face. His voice deepened for both Hyde’s speech and singing. The transition was complete and mesmerizing.

The 2013 Broadway production used a recorded Hyde for “The Confrontation.” This production didn’t shy away from the nearly impossible task of having Parker switch from Jekyll to Hyde and back during this strange duet. The audience was helped by lighting cues for each character and his posture changed, but even without these aids, the transitions were clear – the almost angelic face of Jekyll was replaced with the twisted grimace of Hyde and back again.

The show as a whole is stunning. The script is not perfect, yet some of the moments I felt were the weakest in previous productions become strengths here. It was an ambitious endeavor, but the Fox was up to the challenge.