There are certain musicals which are done so frequently that we don’t sometimes appreciate how difficult they are- particularly for community theaters to take on. Into the Woods (or nearly any Sondheim) is such an example but I would also put Jekyll & Hyde in that camp. It particularly asks a lot of its 3 leads but it also has challenging ensemble work with a lot of characters having lines and sung dialogue. Considering these difficulties I went to the new production of Jekyll & Hyde at The Empress Theatre with tempered expectations but to my delight they rose to the challenge, making for a wonderful night of community theatre.

When the musical first began I was honestly a little concerned because Danny Keetch, who is playing the titular character, took a bit to warm into the role. A lesser actor might have let that throw him but he soldiered on and especially once he becomes Hyde all of those nerves were gone and he is the mixture of calmness and mania needed for the role. Angela Warnock is probably the best singer of the cast as Emma. I especially liked her duets such as “Take Me as I Am” and “In His Eyes.” Joy Babcock Austin plays Lucy and I love how she brings a vulnerability to the character I don’t always see. It makes sense for the story because she goes to Jekyll in desperation with nobody to turn to but often times she is portrayed as only a strong Victorian woman.

Another unique aspect to this Jekyll & Hyde is how simple it is in staging and production elements. Of course there are some props but for a show I think of as a high spectacle experience it is refreshing to see what director Kylee Larsen has done. It is almost like it is in a black box with the only major set pieces being a few tables for Jekyll’s chemistry work. That’s about it. Keeping things simple helps focus more on the characters and let’s the acting be the spectacle.

I also enjoyed the ensemble. The biggest standout was Konnor Hafen as Lord Savage and Spider. He has great stage presence and I hope The Empress keeps giving him more roles after this. They did decide to do “Bring on the Men” and it’s a sexy number with lots of fun choreography by Hannah Sanders-Smith. The costumes by Kylee Larsen are also impressive in their period details and how they allow Keetch to quickly change from Jekyll to Hyde (even getting some blood involved at times.)

I know people are looking for dark and spooky shows to see during this time of year. I hope you will consider supporting the good folks at The Empress with their production of Jekyll & Hyde. Sure it had it’s flaws but I love seeing performers come alive as a night of community theatre unfolds and that’s what we had with this production. It is playing through October 17th and tickets can be purchased here.

Jekyll & Hyde features music by Frank Wildhorn with lyrics by Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse and Ste Cuden. It has a book by Bricusse and is based on The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. It premiered on Broadway in 1997 and had a revival in 2013.

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