Arguably, however, none have contributed to English literature quite like the unique tale of Dr Jekyll and his monster, Mr Hyde.īest known for his roles in The Hobbit, Hannibal, Captain America, Robin Hood, Spooks and North and South, Richard Armitage has established himself as one of the greatest British actors of our time. Hailed by the Detective Club as 'one of the most amazing crime stories ever written', Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde was met with immediate critical approval, ensuring its success and popularity for years to come.Ī highly accomplished Scottish novelist, poet and travel writer, Robert Louis Stevenson is also credited with stories of Treasure Island, A Child's Garden of Verses and Kidnapped. However, in keeping with true gothic tradition, Dr Jekyll must now face a race against time as damning evidence is uncovered, and the investigating detectives and interested parties are brought right to his door. Upon bearing witness to the extent of Mr Hyde's violent nature, Jekyll is horrified by his callous disregard for the welfare of others and greatly ashamed by the unstoppable nature of his ambition.Įager to redeem himself, Jekyll sets out to capture and stop the bloodthirsty Mr Hyde, by any means necessary. Do the clichés in the lyrics outnumber the exclamation points, or vice versa? But I’m afraid I’d rather leave that one to those with a deeper interest in textual analysis of Frank Wildhorn musicals.Robert Louis Stevenson presents the suspenseful, eerie and captivating story of a ruthless scientist who sets out to liberate his inner demon from the firm clutches of his conscience. The music’s mixture of styles - there’s even a bit of “Carmina Burana”-type shrieking tossed in for good measure - does make for a bizarre combination, but the variations are somewhat smoothed over by the unyielding stream of banalities in the lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, who also wrote the book.Ī cursory reading of the libretto gives rise to yet another urgent question. Cox let loose during their impassioned solo songs. I’ll cop to a happy goosepimple or two as Mr. Wildhorn’s score is probably his most appealing, as it mixes equal parts Hammer horror, Andrew Lloyd Webber-style pseudo-operatics and adult-contemporary-radio anthems. Jekyll all perform their chores with flavorsome relish, and Teal Wicks, as his ladylike love interest Emma Carew, suffers with noble fortitude as her hopes for happy matrimony begin to grow dim indeed. The actors portraying the sniveling or snobbish enemies of Dr. Unfortunately there’s no way to digitally airbrush away the hokum that pervades the whole show, like the ample stage smoke puffing away throughout the proceedings, giving a most commendable featured performance as the fabled pea-soupy London fog. A quick YouTube trawl brought forth a priceless, speeded-up version of David Hasselhoff performing the song in this style, sounding like a crazed chipmunk.) (In the original, Robert Cuccioli flicked the switch between personas by flinging his own ample tresses from side to side. If anything, this innovation reduces the campy histrionics of having the same actor engage in a singing duel to the death with himself. Maroulis to give his voice a rest by having the evil Hyde appear (via video) as a flame-haloed, glowering devil in a giant mirror, his half of the duet having been prerecorded. Hyde makes clear he will not go gently into that good night (“Can’t you see, you are me!”), I register no objections to allowing Mr. Jekyll attempts to forever do away with his other persona (“Damn you, Hyde, set me free!”), and Mr. So let us give a warm welcome back - or maybe just a shrug, a sigh and a tip of the bowler hat - to the return of “Jekyll & Hyde,” the Victorian-gothic pop-opera that started it all.Īs for that tense climax, in which Dr. Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that, just as weeds will crop up wherever lawns are laid, Wildhorn musicals are an inevitable part of the wildlife of Broadway, where even more noxious flora appear with some regularity. This, even though not one of his shows turned a profit during its Broadway engagement. Wildhorn’s Broadway output is unmatched by any other composer in the same period. Although they have been liberally sprayed with herbicidal reviews ever since the first, “Jekyll & Hyde,” opened in 1997, they have continued to sprout every few years: “The Civil War” and “Dracula,” “Wonderland” and “Bonnie & Clyde.” Oh, and let’s not forget “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” a production that opened on Broadway not once but twice (long story).Ī half-dozen original musicals in a little more than 15 years may not sound like a staggering achievement - or a virulent outbreak, depending on your taste - but Mr. Frank Wildhorn musicals: the crab grass of Broadway.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |