Jekyll & Hyde

This is the Moment

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Kokandy Productions is on a roll. This excellent theatre company seems to get better with each new show. They recently impressed Chicago audiences with their magical and wonderfully whimsical production of AMELIE, a musical that didn’t fare particularly well in its Broadway production. But this company’s mission statement is to “tell complex and challenging stories.” So they seem to include in that goal, injecting their Award-winning creativity into shows that have potential, despite not doing quite so well on Broadway. Examples of their expertise include Chicago productions of AMERICAN PSYCHO, CRUEL INTENTIONS and ALICE BY HEART, to name just a few. It must be said that Kokandy also has had great critical and popular response with other more more successful New York hits, like INTO THE WOODS  and SWEENEY TODD, as well.

Their latest offering is an impressive presentation of JEKYLL & HYDE, Frank Wildhorn’s magnum opus, that has been around in some form or other since 1990. In 1886, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a popular Gothic novella entitled The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Wildhorn’s musical version of that tale of terror made its Broadway debut in 1997, followed by several national and international tours and many local presentations. As a result, the musical has developed a true cult following. A pre-Broadway tour of a revised production returned to Chicago a few years ago, prior to opening in New York City. Once it set down in the Big Apple, however, the new production drew a disappointingly small audience and closed earlier than expected. 

But Kokandy Productions has, as usual, taken a musical and put its own stamp on it, making the show all its own. JEKYLL & HYDE is definitely a musical for fans of melodrama and the loud, all-out, no-holds-barred style of vocal performance. It’s the kind of singing found nowadays in TV shows like ”American Idol” and “The Voice” and usually performed by most pop artists today. Enthusiasts of this kind of singing will love everything about this production. The show features two-and-a-half hours, mainly of music. It sports songs that have become pullout hits, especially with cabaret and club singers, such as “Someone Like You,” “Once Upon a Dream,” “A New Life” and Dr. Jekyll’s epiphany number, “This is the Moment.” 

David Moreland, who plays the contrasting roles of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is a very talented young actor. He’s already demonstrated his theatrical brilliance all over the Windy City, such as at Paramount in WAITRESS and THE FULL MONTY, at Music Theater Works in LEGALLY BLONDE, at Mercury Theater Chicago in ROCK OF AGES, as well as in previous Kokandy productions. The handsome Mr. Moreland’s powerful vocal prowess, the actor’s athletic physical resilience and his ability to artfully morph from Jekyll to Hyde, without relying on special effects, is a testament to his talent. As the story progresses and Henry Jekyll ingests more of the drug that transforms him into Edward Hyde, Moreland’s portrayal of his character’s evil side gradually grows more visual and intense. The performer’s talent, both as a vocalist and as an actor, is formidable, and his superb mastery in playing this dual role will undoubtedly inspire more directors to cast him. David Moreland gives everything in this performance and the contrast between his two characters is stunning. His stamina alone is worth praising, not to mention Moreland’s handling of the challenging vocal demands of these two diverse characters.

For this reviewer, the story is overly histrionic. Except for Emma Carew, Dr. Jekyll’s sweet and gentle upper class fiancee (in a gorgeous performance by Emily McCormick), and his lawyer and best friend, John Utterson (the magnificently gifted and multi Jeff Award-winning Kevin Webb), there are no other redeeming characters in the play. Even Lucy, Jekyll’s love interest from the other side of the tracks (sensitively portrayed and exquisitely sung by Ava Lane Stovall), is a promiscuous  prostitute who earns her living satisfying the lust of London’s low-lifes. 

All the other characters are pretty much one-note: bad. The rest are corrupt, arrogant or just plain depraved. At best, a few of the them are aloof or extremely narrow-minded. Emma’s father, Sir Danvers Carew (nicely portrayed by Nathan Calaranan), falls into this category. But with few exceptions, the ensemble consists of despicable villains and adversaries, and there’s really no one with whom theatergoers can identify. They include the two-faced Bishop of Basingstoke (nicely undertaken by Jon Parker Jackson); the aptly named Spider and smarmy Simon Stride (both played with equal relish by gifted Quinn Kelch); the lascivious General Lord Glossop (portrayed with agility and antagonism by the talented Quinn Rigg); Sir Archibold Proops (potently portrayed by Gabby Sauceda -Koziol); Lord Savage (depicted with smug enjoyment by Ismael Garcia); Nellie, the town tart, and Poole, Jekyll’s devoted servant (both beautifully brought to life by Quinn Simmons); and snooty Lady Beaconsfield (portrayed with a stiff upper lip, and a hairdo to match, by Maiko Terazawa).

As Lucy Harris, the prostitute who dreams of a better life, Ava Lane Stovall is clearly the star of this production. Ms. Stovall has a powerhouse pop-rock vocal quality that soars to the back row. The talented actor/singer, who finds Henry Jekyll’s gentle kindness a welcome change from her usual clientele, eventually falls victim to the savage brutality of his alter ego, Edward Hyde. Both Ms. Stovall and Ms. McCormick have the vocal chops that make them naturals for this pop rock style of musical, while also demonstrating a much welcome Broadway blend in their powerful duet, “In His Eyes.”

This production is supported by Musical Director and Conductor, Nick Sula, and boasts a 15-piece orchestra. Derek Van Barham, the company’s capable and clever Producing Artistic Director, once again Directs with shrewd thoughtfulness and an eye for creating stunning stage pictures. The ensemble’s electrifying movement and  dynamics come from Brenda Didier’s organic Choreography. Derek draws passionate performances out of every single cast member, while magnificently utilizing each stairway, platform and door frame of an alluring and versatile Scenic Design. The impressive stage setting was created by Sotirios Livaditis and masterfully Lighted by the always reliable G “Max” Maxin IV. The characters have the appropriate Grand Guignol look, thanks to Rachel Sypniewski’s Costume Designs, Keith Ryan’s Hair and Wig Creations and Syd Genco’s expressive Makeup Designs.

Be prepared. JEKYLL & HYDE is a masterful production featuring a cast of passionate professional performers who will mesmerize and move the audience. The sheer vocal power of the ensemble, not to mention the talent of each individual actor, is simply astounding. As one theatergoer uttered at intermission, “Where does Kokandy Productions find all these gifted actor/singers? But Frank Wildhorn’s musical, in my opinion, could dial back the sound, just a little bit. One theatergoer complained that his ears were ringing afterward. The musical could have also used a bit more warmth and humor to alleviate the story’s constant darkness and depravity, but this is the melodramatic masterpiece for which Frank Wildhorn is best known. Many audiences love this kind of story. And for them, “This is the Moment.” 

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented October 9-December 21 by Kokandy Productions at The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago.

Tickets are available at the door or by going to  kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/AmelieChicago

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.