Making the Magic: Jekyll & Hyde Opens at Theatre
Three
Blending familiar and new talents to create a dynamic
and exciting performance
(Part 3 in a 3-part series)
By Lisa Napell Dicksteen
Originally appeared in Times
Beacon Record Newspapers
I have spent the past 36 hours wondering how to review of the opening of Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical without sounding like a blithering idiot, or the mother of the three lead actors. Some may say it’s because I watched the cast as it became a group, a team, a troupe, and then a kind of a family. But that’s only a small part of it.
I skipped the last few rehearsals, wanting to assure myself (and you) of something new on opening night. And I was not disappointed.
The house lights dimmed and I imagined the cast taking their
places, offering each other final words of encouragement. Then it was dark, the
stage filled with fog, the cries of the
“Hmmm,” I recall musing as Dr. Jekyll (Steve McCoy) made his first entrance, “They gave Steve glasses. A nice touch. And he looks so dapper in that suit.” Moments later, I had forgotten who he was, so engrossed was I in the character he was playing and the extraordinary talent on display. The evening passed in a parade of fabulous moments, strung together with intelligent directing by Jeffrey Sanzel and Jean Sorbera, meticulously nonchalant choreography by Sorbera, and exacting ensemble work – all arrayed against Randal Parson’s elegant and inventive scenery and supported by a gifted orchestra led by Ellen Michelmore.
Watching “Façade,” I tried vainly to recall the initial attempts at this complex and quick-moving number. This was the first song Michelmore taught, the first number Sorbera and Sanzel blocked, and the last one to come completely together at rehearsal. Yet here it was, perfectly costumed by Brent Erlanson and Bonnie Vidal, and presented by the entire cast with the exactitude of a precision drill team, minus the stiffness. They walked past each other, lines of actors opening and closing, turning and crossing, again and again, each mouth moving in perfect synchronicity, the complex lyrics and harmonies complementing each other, an auditory mirror of the movements on the stage.
We are introduced to Sir Danvers Carew, father of the lovely Emma, father-in-law-to-be of Dr. Jekyll, at the meeting of the board of governors where they turn down Jekyll’s plea for a human subject. Stephen Doone exudes the confidence of the English aristocracy, and the uneasiness that comes from watching someone you care about publicly humiliated. Later in the play, this fine actor gives us genuine paternal affection and concern, and just the right touch of sly humor.
At the board meeting, we also meet the young Simon Stride, a pompous young man who serves as secretary and is in love with Emma. Jon Rivera is among the talents making his Theatre Three debut in this show. You will know immediately why he was cast; he’s dashingly handsome, with a great presence and a strong voice. Stride’s arrogance seems to come naturally – another sign of a good actor, as in real life nothing could be further from the truth.
The rest of the board, Lady Beaconsfield (Debbie Starker), The Bishop of Basingstoke (Odell Cureton), Lord Savage (John Hudson), and General Lord Glossop (George Lieberman) are also introduced here. Each actor inhabiting his or her part completely, and exhibiting what Jekyll refers to as what happens when you “mix anger with a touch of fear.” This talented group of actors quickly devolves from starched propriety to howling chaos – in perfect harmony.
If ever a person needed a friend, Jekyll needs Gabriel John Utterson, portrayed by the talented Steve Ayle, and Utterson does his best to meet his friend’s ever increasing, and increasingly bizarre, needs. Ayle gives us an Utterson who is smooth and self assured, the picture of a young man at the height of his powers when we meet him, and the picture of desperate confusion when the curtain falls. Ayle, who has performed more dramatic roles than musicals, is as fine a singer as he is an actor, which is saying quite a lot.
Moving from the stiff upper crust to the alcohol-sodden dregs, we enter the Red Rat, a seedy bar and brothel run by an unexpectedly elegant and exceedingly sadistic man called only “Spider.” Morgan Howell Rumble, another Theatre Three regular, was an ideal choice for this role, not because he’s mean, but because he plays mean so well. Costumed all in black by Erlanson, and wearing a perpetual sneer, even his long black hair seems to have menace as it curls around his face. This is not someone you want to work for. When Nellie (the multi-talented Sari Feldman) warns Lucy, “Spider’s in an evil mood tonight,” no one, least of all Lucy, is surprised.
Before we get to Lucy, there are a few other people who need
accolades. Chadd Michael McMillan is delightful as Jekyll’s patient valet,
And now, the lead actors as promised. McCoy’s gifts are not new to Theatre Three, and he’s only gotten better since last time you saw him. This part requires him to be on stage for every scene, in fact, nearly every moment. I was exhausted just watching him – when I was able to remind myself that this was the young man I’d been watching at rehearsal and not the conflicted Dr. Jekyll, or his mad sexual predator/murderer alter ego Mr. Hyde. His presence is utterly compelling, and his face, his demeanor, his presence, and his voice, even his singing voice, change utterly with his transformations. The strong musicality of Dr. Jekyll lowers to an impassioned bass, occasionally growling and snarling, always exulting in his fearsome freedom.
The object of the Dr. Jekyll’s affection is the strong willed and intelligent Emma Carew, brought perfectly to life by Tracylynn Connor in her Theatre Three debut. As a young woman, Connor possesses natural elegance and poise. A favorite scene has her, ever within the strict confines of class and politesse, quash the haughty Lady Beaconsfield’s disparagement of her beloved. Watch for it.
Throughout the show, Connor brings depth and humor to a character who might otherwise be dismissed as a stand-in for the gentry and a foil for Hyde’s Lucy. She is a talented actor with an easy-going yet compelling presence, and a wonderful sense of timing. And her voice, oh my, her voice. Clear and pure and sweet, it’s a joy to listen to.
While affection is far too mild a word for whatever Hyde feels for Lucy, or she for him, theirs is a connection deeply felt, and passionately portrayed. Young Jacquie Keeves’ Theatre Three debut is an unqualified success. Her crush on the elegant and unobtainable Dr. Jekyll, expressed in song as he dresses her wounds, is heartbreaking, as is her exploration of the idea of “A New Life” later in the show. As the girl everyone wants in “Bring on the Men,” she is delightfully bawdy and fresh, and her duet with Hyde, “Dangerous Games,” exudes heat and passion and fear. She dies exquisitely, too.
The duet between Connor and Keeve in Act Two is a perfect blending of these two talents. Sanzel opens with them on either side of the darkened stage, each with a glow of light around her; each blissfully unaware of the existence of the other. While the two characters never meet, the two singers cross the stage toward each other as they consider the selves and the futures they see “In His Eyes,” and their voices intertwine exquisitely.
Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical will be at Theatre Three through October 29. Don’t miss it. But don’t bring young children. This show, dealing as it does with madness, hypocrisy, murder, and rape, is for mature audiences. For tickets, call the box office (928-9100) or go to www.theatrethree.com.