Karen and Gill and I saw the show on stage during my first time in New York, and these are some of my thoughts on that particular performance! I didn't get to see Robert Cuccioli in the lead role, but instead we had the understudy Frank Mastrone, who was very good!
"Lost in the Darkness" was a good scene...it really set up the idea that Jekyll was doing all his research for the sake of his father. I don't know if I like that whole theme, but this song did a good job of establishing it. :-) Frank did a nice version of this...he had really nice higher notes. He was a good Jekyll overall, believable as the young doctor.
Am I the only one who finds that all the reprises of Facade get a little tiresome? I mean, I like the song and everything, but it just bothers me when they have the whispering voices repeating every line. I don't find that enjoyable to listen to!
"Take Me as I Am" was very nice...I loved the costumes for this scene, and I just ADORE Christiane Noll's voice! It just sounds so natural and sweet. And Linda Eder has an amazing voice as well, though a completely different type. "Good 'n Evil" was pretty good, and I understand why the song was added, but I still kind of think "Bring on the Men" was a little more fun. :-)
"This is the Moment" is my favourite song from the show, so it served as the test of Frank's Jekyll, and I think he passed. :-) The whole song was very nice, especially his "Damn all the odds", which he did differently. He did take a big breath right before the final note, but they can't all be Anthony. :-)
The Transformation was very neat to see on stage. I've heard Robert Cuccioli's transformation is unbelievable, and Frank did a really good job as well!
I liked the effect when Lucy sang "Sympathy, Tenderness"...as if she was singing it in her head, and Jekyll was unaware of her thoughts. It almost reminded me of when soap opera characters talk to themselves, but I still liked it. :-)
The special effects during Hyde's murders were really well done, and surprisingly, the murder scenes provided most of the humour for the show!
"In His Eyes" was probably the best musical moment of the show...Linda and Christiane just sounded incredible together!! They are both really, really talented.
I have a major complaint to make, however, and that is with the song "It's a Dangerous Game". I *loved* this song on the complete recording...it was very dark but sensual. On stage it was just disturbing. Lucy is repulsed by Hyde, and scared of him. I didn't like that at all!
The Confrontation was the song I was most looking forward to, and Frank did a good job of it, though I was a little disappointed with how it was staged. I heard about the mirrors and stuff that they used on the tour, and people said they didn't like that, but I think it sounds a little better than the way they do it now. I actually found it difficult not to laugh during this scene!
Now, from all this, it probably sounds like I didn't enjoy the show. On the contrary! I rather enjoyed it, but I think the fact that I'm such a huge fan of the Anthony Warlow recording made a difference in how I saw it. Would I recommend it for an entertaining evening? Definitely!
"I'm really sorry if people ask you this all the time, but...what's Anthony Warlow like?"
Me, to poor Linda Eder :-)
"The show was really great!"
My "Robert Cuccioli" line :-)
The Pictures:
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The cast: (in order of appearance)
| John Utterson | GEORGE MERRITT |
| Sir Danvers Carew | BARRIE INGHAM |
| Dr. Henry Jekyll | FRANK MASTRONE |
| An Old Man, in the mental hospital | DAVID CHANEY |
| Mental Patients | DAVID KOCH, BILL E. DIETRICH |
| Doctor | PETER JOHL |
| Attendants | PAUL HADOBAS, CHARLES E. WALLACE |
| Nurses | CORINNE MELANÇON, JODI STEVENS |
| Kate, a cockle seller | LEAH HOCKING |
| Alice, a scullery maid | CORRINE MELANÇON |
| Molly, a fish gutter | ERIKA GREENE |
| Bet, a scullery maid | JODI STEVENS |
| Polly, a scrubber woman | BONNIE SCHON |
| Mike, a clerk | JOHN TREACY EGAN |
| Albert, a barman | PAUL HADOBAS |
| Davie, a barrow boy | DAVID CHANEY |
| Ned, a sailor | DAVID KOCH |
| Bill, a docker | BILL E. DIETRICH |
| Jack, a beggar | CHARLES E. WALLACE |
| Mr. Simon Stride | RAYMOND JARAMILLO MCLEOD |
| Rupert, Bishop of Basingstoke | MICHAEL INGRAM |
| The Right Honourable Archibald Proops | BRAD OSCAR |
| Lord Savage | MARTIN VAN TREUREN |
| Lady Beaconsfield | EMILY ZACHARIAS |
| General Lord Glossop | STUART MARLAND |
| Emma Carew, Jekyll's fiancee | CHRISTIANE NOLL |
| First Gentleman | PAUL HADOBAS |
| Second Gentleman | BRAD OSCAR |
| Manservant at Sir Danvers' | DAVID CHANEY |
| Under Footman | CHARLES E. WALLACE |
| Grooms | BILL E. DIETRICH, JOHN TREACY EGAN |
| Housemaids | CORINNE MELANÇON, JODI STEVENS |
| Guinevere, manageress of "The Red Rat" | EMILY ZACHARIAS |
| Lucy, the main attraction at "The Red Rat" | LINDA EDER |
| Three Toughs, of "The Red Rat" |
BILL E. DIETRICH DAVID KOCH CHARLES E. WALLACE |
| Two Whores | CORRINE MELANÇON, BONNIE SCHON |
| Siegried, The Pianist at "The Red Rat" | STUART MARLAND |
| The Spider, proprietor of "The Red Rat" | MARTIN VAN TREUREN |
| Sir Douglas | MICHAEL INGRAM |
| Sir Peter | BRAD OSCAR |
| Lord G. | PETER JOHL |
| Poole, Jekyll's manservant | PETER JOHL |
| Edward Hyde, Jekyll's "other half" | FRANK MASTRONE |
| A Young Girl, managed by Gwinny | JODI STEVENS |
| A Newsboy | BILL E. DIETRICH |
| A Priest, at the Bishop's funeral | PAUL HABODAS |
| Mr. Bisset, an apothecary | DAVID CHANEY |
| Policemen | MICHAEL INGRAM, STUART MARLAND |
| A Maitre d'Hotel, at a social club | DAVID CHANEY |
| A Doorman, at the same | CHARLES E. WALLACE |
| Barrow Boys |
MICHAEL INGRAM BRAD OSCAR STUART MARLAND |
| Boy Soporano, at the wedding | LINDA EDER |
| Bridesmaids | CORRINE MELANÇON, JODI STEVENS |
| Priest at wedding | DAVID CHANEY |
| Curate | CHARLES E. WALLACE |
| Choir Doy | BILL E. DIETRICH |