LITTLE GIRL…LITTLE CURL

16. June 2011 by admin.

F. J. Hartland

Surely everyone knows the story of Jekyll and Hyde, but for those of you who don’t…

Dr. Henry Jekyll is a mild-mannered physician who feels he has found the link between good and evil.  He drinks his chemical concoction and turns into the evil Edward Hyde…a murdering sadist.  In short each of us possesses a good side and an evil side…

So it is with Jekyll & Hyde, the musical, now playing at CLO.  It’s like the little girl with the little curl.  When she was good she was very, very good.  But when she was bad, she was horrid!

In the title role, Kevin Gray has an amazing voice and incredible stamina.  This is good.  Gray is also wonderfully menacing as Mr. Hyde—also good.  Where he doesn’t fair as well is with Dr. Jekyll.  There is a stiffness about his performance that keeps an audience from really liking the good doctor.  And if you don’t like Jekyll, the thrust of the show is lost.

To his credit, Grey does an amazing job as he transforms rapidly between the two roles in “Confrontation.”  (And manages not to look silly as David Hasselhoff did he played the role).  Too bad the light changes didn’t keep up with him during the number.

Also good: Brynn O’Malley as Emma (Jekyll’s intended bride) and Elizabeth Stanley as “bad girl” Lucy.

Both women are stunningly beautiful on stage…and talk about powerhouse voices!  WOW!O’Malley gives a soaring rendition of “Once Upon a Dream.”  Stanley performs the moving “Someone Like You” and “A New Life.” 

And when the two sing the duet “In His Eyes,” it brings down the house!

Not good:  Act One.  Slow and boring.  And director Robert Cuccioli creates some odd stage pictures.

Good: Act Two.  Not only is it shorter, but the tempo (and the songs) are better.

Good and bad: the set.  James Noone’s set features some gorgeous black-and-white drops.  Some of the other set pieces look cheap, though.  And it looked like not Dr. Jekyll’s entire lab made it on stage during Act One.  When the missing set pieces showed up in Act Two, I thought, “Did Mr. Hyde force him to re-decorate?”

Also good and bad: the ensemble.  When they have energy (like in Act Two), they are good.  Can’t say the same for the energy in Act One.

I had never seen Jekyll & Hyde live before, so I am glad to say I say it.  But like all of us humans, it has two sides, too: good and bad.

Jekyll & Hyde continues through June 26 at the Benedum Center.

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