Jekyll & Hyde is a 1990 musical based on the 1886 novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Originally conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, it features music by Frank Wildhorn, a book by Leslie Bricusse and lyrics by all of them. After a world premiere run in Houston, Texas, the musical embarked on a national tour of the United States prior to its Broadway debut in 1997.
Many awarded international productions in various languages (more than 20 countries) have since been staged including two subsequent North American tours, two tours in the United Kingdom, a concert version, a revamped US tour in 2012, a 2013 Broadway revival featuring Constantine Maroulis, and an Australian concert version in 2019 starring Anthony Warlow.
Development Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden had written the score in the late 1980s, producing a demo recording in 1986 with Chuck Wagner, Christopher Carothers, Tuesday Knight and Gillian Gallant but it was not produced on Broadway due to financing. However, a concept recording was made featuring Colm Wilkinson as Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde and Linda Eder as Lucy Harris and Lisa Carew. The show was subsequently re-written by Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse and a world premiere production was announced for 1990 in Houston, Texas.
Production history
Pre-Broadway engagements / tour Jekyll & Hyde was first presented at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas, in May 1990 where it broke box office records, played to sold-out houses, and won acclaim from critics leading to the run being extended twice, finally closing in July 1990. Chuck Wagner played the title roles, with Rebecca Spencer as Emma Carew (then named Lisa) and Linda Eder as Lucy. Gregory Boyd directed the production. In 1992, there was a workshop starring Terrence Mann in the title roles.Filichia Features: Jekyll & Hyde - A New Life
After an almost three-year hiatus, the show returned to Houston, this time produced by Theatre Under the Stars. It ran from January 20, 1995, to February 19 for a limited engagement. It then played the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle from February 28 to March 19, 1995. Due to the success of both runs, the musical embarked on a national tour of the United States from August 1, 1995 (beginning in Dallas, Texas) through April 1, 1996 (ending in Baltimore, Maryland) The cast included Robert Cuccioli (Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde), Linda Eder (Lucy Harris), Christiane Noll (Lisa Carew), Philip Hoffman (John Utterson), Rob Evan (Standby Jekyll/Hyde), and Dave Clemmons (Bishop of Basingstoke).
Original Broadway production The musical premiered on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre (now known as the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre) on March 21, 1997 (previews), officially on April 28. Co-produced by Jerry Frankel and Jeffrey Richards, and directed by Robin Phillips, the original cast featured Robert Cuccioli as Jekyll and Hyde, Linda Eder as Lucy Harris, and Christiane Noll as Emma Carew, with Rob Evan originally cast as Cuccioli's alternate, performing the title roles at two performances per week (at matinees). The cast also featured George Robert Merritt as John Utterson, Barrie Ingham as Sir Danvers Carew and Martin Van Treuren as Spider, all of whom played their respective roles throughout the entire run. Raymond Jaramillo McLeod was originally cast as Simon Stride. He was later replaced by Merwin Foard, who in turn, was replaced by Robert Jensen. Coleen Sexton was a swing in the company before becoming the final Lucy Harris. Evan took over the title roles from Cuccioli on January 5, 1999 and Joseph Mahowald became the alternate Jekyll/Hyde. Jack Wagner took over the lead roles from Evan starting on January 25, 2000 and left the cast on June 11, 2000. Sebastian Bach played the lead from June 15, 2000 to October 15, 2000. Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff took over the lead on October 17, 2000 with Evan becoming the alternate again. The musical played an almost-four-year run and became the longest-running show in the history of the Plymouth Theatre, closing after 1,543 regular performances on January 7, 2001. The closing cast starred Hasselhoff, Evan, Sexton, Andrea Rivette as Emma, Merritt, and Ingham.Robertson, Campbell."Theater; A Royal Behemoth Stumbles To Broadway", The New York Times, April 22, 2007
DVD recording
The Broadway production was filmed live at the Plymouth Theatre in 2000 with the final cast consisting of David Hasselhoff as Jekyll/Hyde, Coleen Sexton as Lucy and Andrea Rivette as Emma. This is the only official video recording of the musical that exists; it was released in Region 1 DVD in 2001. There was also a performance that was professionally recorded as a rehearsal for the DVD version with Rob Evan in the title role and is currently available on YouTube.Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical (Broadway, 2001)
Later touring productions The second national tour of the United States began previews on April 13, 1999, in Wallingford, Connecticut, before opening April 21 in Detroit, Michigan."Tour 2" jekyll-hyde.com, retrieved June 16, 2010 The touring company was led by Chuck Wagner in the lead roles, with Sharon Brown as Lucy and Andrea Rivette as Emma. The final performance took place on April 30, 2000, in Houston, Texas, where the show debuted 10 years earlier.
The third US tour to run was a Non-Equity production featuring a Non-Equity cast. It ran from September 19, 2000 (in Evansville, Indiana), through May 20, 2001 (closing in New London, Connecticut). It starred Guy LeMonnier as Jekyll and Hyde, Annie Berthiaume as Lucy and Shani Lynn Nielsen as Emma.
The musical made its UK debut, when a national tour launched in Eastbourne on August 24, 2004. The tour, which featured Paul Nicholas as Jekyll/Hyde, alongside Louise Dearman as Lucy and Shona Lindsay as Emma, ran through May 21, 2005, and closed in Sunderland. "UK tour" jekyll-hyde.com, retrieved June 17, 2010 A second 6-month tour, mainly of the UK and Ireland began on January 20, 2011, in Bromley and ran through July 30 in Leeds, with Marti Pellow as Jekyll/Hyde, Sarah Earnshaw as Emma and Sabrina Carter as Lucy, under the direction of Martin Connors.Jekyll mayflower.org.uk The tour also played a month in Abu Dhabi.
A re-vamped North American touring production, featuring a more contemporary rock score, officially began performances in San Diego, California, on October 2, 2012, following previews from September 7 in La Mirada, California. Constantine Maroulis played the lead roles and was joined by Deborah Cox as Lucy and Teal Wicks as Emma. The tour, which had various changes to the orchestrations and arrangements of the original score, closed March 31 in Los Angeles in preparation for a pre-planned transfer to Broadway."Broadway Bound Jekyll Hyde Tour Launches Fall 2012" broadwayworld.com, January 29, 2012"Teal Wicks Set for Broadway Bound Jekyll Hyde Starring Constantine Maroulis Deborah Cox" broadway.com
From 2016 to 2017, there was a world tour starring Diana DeGarmo as Lucy with Kyle Dean Massey and Bradley Dean alternating in the title roles.
Broadway revival The revival opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on April 5, 2013 (previews), officially on April 18. Originally scheduled to play a limited engagement through June 30, 2013, the production announced shortly after opening that it was to close early, on May 12. It closed that day following 29 regular performances and 15 previews, an unusual occurrence for a Broadway show. Maroulis, Cox, and Wicks reprised their respective roles as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Lucy, and Emma.
Jekyll & Hyde: In Concert The musical was adapted into a concert version which toured North America and South Korea with Rob Evan playing Jekyll/Hyde. He was joined in the US by Brandi Burkhardt as Emma and Kate Shindle as Lucy and by Julie Reiber as Emma and Mandy Gonzalez as Lucy in Korea.Concert jekyll-hyde.com, retrieved June 17, 2010BWW News Desk."'Jekyll & Hyde: The Concert' in Seoul" broadwayworld.com, April 13, 2006 The musical played two try-out engagements in June and September 2004 in Marlton, New Jersey, and Uncasville, Connecticut, respectively, before touring the US from September 10, 2005, in Birmingham, Alabama, until February 25, 2006, in Atlanta, Georgia. The Korean leg began in Seoul on April 7, 2006, and ended on May 3, 2006, in Pucheon-si. The production did, however, play two additional runs, one in Blacksburg, Virginia, on November 30, 2006, and a second engagement in Seoul from May 5–6, 2007.
Regional and international productions Performance rights have since become available in the US and UK following the closure of the Broadway production, leading to many regional productions being produced each year. Most notably was a staging directed by original star Robert Cuccioli in Elmsford, New York, which ran in 2001 and 2010.Listing broadwaytheatre.com
Many international productions have been staged over the years which have translated the book and score into different languages. The first such production was in the Netherlands (September 1997). Subsequent productions were in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Hungary, Austria, Canada (English-speaking), Japan, Finland (twice), Greece, Switzerland, Denmark, Mexico, the Czech Republic, New Zealand (English-speaking), Russia, Italy, Malta, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, Poland, Slovakia, Argentina, Israel, Ireland (English-speaking), China, and Turkey.
The first professional production in Australia (English-speaking) was a concert version in 2019. The first staged Australian production was by Hayes Theatre Company in July-August 2022, directed by Hayden Tee in a setting revised to the post-World War II era, with chamber orchestration by Nigel Ubrihien and the casting of actress Madeleine Jones in the role of Utterson.
Jekyll & Hyde: 25th anniversary concert (Australia) The first Australian professional production was staged in October and November 2019. The production marked the 25th anniversary of Anthony Warlow's The Complete Work recording. It starred Anthony Warlow performing Jekyll & Hyde and Jemma Rix as Lucy. Amanda Lea LaVergne played Emma. It was presented at the Arts Centre Melbourne in October 2019, with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and at the International Convention Centre Sydney, November 2019 with the Sydney International Orchestra.
Film adaptation On January 21, 2013, it was announced that Mike Medavoy, Rick Nicita and his production company RPMedia had secured the rights for a feature film version of the musical to be made. According to reports from The New York Times, Wildhorn and Bricusse will play a major role in the casting of the film. In addition to finding a director, the producers had hoped to release the film by 2015. In March 2019, it was announced that Alexander Dinelaris will write the script and produce the movie through his Lexicon banner with Richard Saperstein's Bluestone Entertainment after Medavoy and Nicita's attempt fell through. On May 19, 2019, Dinelaris announced that the script was completed and that he and the producers began to negotiate with studios to produce it. They hoped to have had filming begin in the Fall of 2020, but no report was made since then, even with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry.
Synopsis The majority of the show's story has not changed from production to production, but many of the songs have been altered, cut or replaced since the show debuted.
Act I