Split in two: ‘Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical’

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David Begelman , Theater Critic

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote about good and evil personalities coexisting in one man in his popular 1886 novella, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Others expanded on the same idea, like Sigmund Freud, who took a crack at it about a decade later. Both were late comers to a similar theme scooped earlier—and surprisingly enough—by the Bible: “If I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it” (Romans 7:20).

Stevenson’s tale—supposedly rewritten under the influence of cocaine—was popularized in stage adaptations and movies, like the 1941 film starring Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman. But converting the story into a musical, like the one created by the team of Leslie Bricusse (Book and Lyrics) and Frank Wildhorn (Music) is something else entirely. Maybe some adaptations push things a little too far.

“Jekyll and Hyde” originally opened on Broadway in 1997, and despite being the longest running show in the history of the Plymouth Theatre with 1,543 performances, it was panned by many critics.

The show is currently being staged at the Westchester Broadway Theatre for a second time. Director Robert Cuccioli, who was the original Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde in the Broadway production, had directed it at the Elmsford dinner theater in 2001.

The musical boasts several good numbers, like “This is the moment,” “Once Upon a Dream,” and a credible quartet, “His Work and Nothing More.” But the show betrays all the signs of strain in its attempt to wrap a gothic narrative around a slew of musical interludes encumbered by an often trite or overly sentimentalized script.

The resultant effect sometimes verges on soap opera, with characters voicing corny sentiments like, “You never promised the journey would be easy; only that we would take it together,” or “Rest now, my tormented love,” or dialogue between Dr. Jekyll’s fiancé, Emma (Jennifer Bariak) and her father, Sir Danvers Carew (James Van Treuren) that seems mired in platitudes.

Efforts to jazz things up, like the brash and seductive numbers staged in the Red Rat Café visited by Henry Jekyll, only come across as overreach. The conceit of providing a bevy of high-kicking chorus girls to entice the handsome stranger who is out of his element in such surroundings is by now a shopworn one.

The current production is one in which its cast seems more impressive than the vehicle they find themselves in. Aside from the capable acting of the principals, and the cohesive quality of group numbers, a high point of this staging is the accomplished vocal talents of many in the cast. Special mention should be made of the two female leads, Jennifer Babiak (Emma) and Michelle Dawson (Lucy).

At the performance this reviewer attended, the leading part of Jekyll/Hyde was taken by its understudy, Benjamin J. McHugh—with impressive results. McHugh was up to the role’s exacting vocal and dramatic demands. If many audience members were clueless about the substitution, they would probably assume he was a natural for the role in any case.

Cuccioli’s direction made the most of a less than substantial script, and Leo P. Carusone’s musical direction, Steve Loftus’ sets, Gail Baldoni’s costumes, and Jonathan Hatton’s sound design all served to enhance production values.

‘Jekyll and Hyde’ runs until Nov. 28, resuming Dec. 29 to Feb. 6 at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, 1 Broadway Plaza, Elmsford, NY. Performances are Thursday through Sunday. Dinner theater schedules are Thursday matinees 11:30 a.m. lunch and 1 p.m. show; Sunday matinees 12 p.m. lunch and 1:30 p.m. show; Thursday to Saturday, 6:30 p.m. dinner and 8 p.m. show; Sunday 5:30 p.m. dinner and 7 p.m. show. Tickets are $52 to $75 plus tax inclusive and may be purchased by calling the box office at 914-592-2222 or contacting  www.BroadwayTheatre.com.