Jekyll & Hyde the Musical - The first layout for the 1st National Tour
From The Complete Work CD
JEKYLL & HYDE
Act I
London, 1888. HENRY JEKYLL, a brilliant young doctor and research scientist, analyses the dual nature of Man- the good and evil (I NEED TO KNOW). He tears himself away from his work to attend a glittering if superficial social event. (FACADE/BITCH, BITCH, BITCH) celebrating his engagement to LISA CAREW, the eligible and lovely daughter of SIR DANVERS CAREW, an eminent and revered figure of London society, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the great London hospital to whom Jekyll is about to present the findings of his research. Jekyll expresses his fears and doubts to LISA. She reassures him that they will see it through together. (TAKE ME AS I AM).
Jekyll's fears, however, are well-founded. His radical proposals are totally rejected the following day by the St. Jude's Hospital Committee, chaired by Sir Danvers. (BOARD OF GOVERNORS). Jekyll insists he has found the key to separating the good and evil elements in man's nature, but needs to conduct a human experiment to prove his theories conclusively. His ideas are greeted with outrage and scorn by the high-minded but hypocritical governors. Their unanimous negativity crushes Jekyll's immediate plans, but not his determination to continue, with or without their support.
Consumed with anger and frustration, Jekyll walks the dark streets of London, consoled by his close friend and lawyer, JOHN UTTERSON. Jekyll recklessly decides to drown his sorrows in a bawdy London pub, "The Dregs," where he encounters and is drawn to LUCY, a sweet-and-spicy, seductive and sympathetic young lady of the night. (BRING ON THE MEN). They share a drink and a confidence or two, and an unlikely friendship is born.
Returning home with renewed confidence and determination, Jekyll convinces himself that the logical and only candidate for his revolutionary experiment is himself (THIS IS THE MOMENT).
Recording his every move in a journal, Jekyll prepares and consumes his formula HJ7. Within minutes it takes effect - disastrously - transforming the gentle, quiet, civilised Henry Jekyll into the vain, uninhibited, violent, libidinous monster Edward Hyde (TRANSFORMATION).
The many remarkable qualities we have come to admire in Jekyll now gradually give way to his basest animal instincts. In the persona of Hyde, Jekyll starts to display all the hidden and repressed evil characteristics of his nature, with even more devastating consequences.
An impulse guides Hyde back to "The Dregs." Lucy senses she knows him, but isn't sure (LUCY MEETS HYDE). She is cautious, but she likes him. Hyde buys her for the night, but quickly becomes violent. Lucy runs away, and a ferocious fight ensues between Hyde and the other men in the pub. Victorious, Hyde glories in the power and strength he feels running through him (ALIVE), and pursues Lucy into the night.
Back in Harley Street, Jekyll becomes reclusive. Lisa, Utterson and Sir Danvers are increasingly concerned about him (HIS WORK AND NOTHING MORE). Lucy, unaware that Jekyll and Hyde are the same man, visits Jekyll to show him the injuries she has received from a violent customer at "The Dregs." Jekyll treats her wounds. Lucy's feelings for the good doctor grow stronger (SOMEONE LIKE YOU). Little is she aware of the terror the good doctor's alter ego is about to inflict on London.
End of Act I
Act II
The terrifying other half of Jekyll now emerges in its full horror to wreak a terrible vengeance on society for its neglect and injustice towards Henry Jekyll. In swift succession, Hyde dispatches five members of the Board of Governors from this world in the most gory fashion imaginable (MASS/MURDER, MURDER!). Jekyll's frustrations are finally being resolved by his avenging devil, Hyde.
Elsewhere in London, Sir Danvers cautions his beloved daughter about Jekyll's recent unreliability, though he is motivated by his own reluctance to lose her (LETTING GO), while Lisa and Lucy pine for the man they both love (IN HIS EYES), unaware of the monster he has become.
The horrendous pendulum swings back and forth between Jekyll and Hyde, gathering momentum as Jekyll continues to gamble with death, risking everything in his desperate struggle to achieve his ultimate purpose, the isolation of good from evil in man. But it is driving him slowly but inevitably towards madness (THE WORLD HAS GONE INSANE).
At "The Dregs," (THE GIRLS OF THE NIGHT), LUCY also sees her dreams fading. (NO ONE KNOWS WHO I AM). The return of Hyde, and their irresistible attraction to one another, make her increasingly aware of the consequences of such a relationship (IT'S A DANGEROUS GAME).
Lisa visits Jekyll, incurring his wrath when he finds her reading the journal in his laboratory. She leaves, aware that their romance is disintegrating (ONCE UPON A DREAM-LISA).
Jekyll is in torment (NO ONE MUST EVER KNOW); the drama spirals relentlessly upwards, and he strives desperately within himself to reverse the implacable fates that threaten to engulf those nearest and dearest to him - Lisa, Lucy and himself! He persuades Utterson to revise his will in favour of Edward Hyde, in case he fails in his last efforts to regain control of the situation.
But fail is what he is doomed to do. He returns as Hyde to "The Dregs," where a disillusioned Lucy allows herself one last glimmer of hope (A NEW LIFE). She is reading a letter from Jekyll as Hyde enters. Jealous now even of himself, his other and better persona, Hyde stabs her to death and slits her throat in a fit of murderous passion.
Realising what he has done, Jekyll is in total despair (ONCE UPON A DREAM - Jekyll). He destroys his laboratory by fire. Utterson arrives, and meets Hyde. He demands to know where Jekyll is. Jekyll reveals himself and his terrible secret, tells Utterson of the death of Lucy, and sends him to "The Dregs" to retrieve his incriminating letter.
Jekyll resolves to make one final supreme effort to overcome Hyde. He drinks the last of the for- mula HJ7, looks at himself in the mirror and sees... Hyde. They engage in a final desperate battle (CONFRONTATION). Who has won?
A month passes (THE WEDDING RECEPTION). Jekyll marries Lisa. All seems well, but at the wedding reception, the indestructible Hyde emerges yet again, and in a final scene of utter mayhem, when Lisa's life is threatened, Utterson shoots and kills him. The goodness of Henry Jekyll finally drowns in the ocean of evil of his own creation - Edward Hyde.
I love for The World Has Gone insane so much, and I will forever be mad that most productions choose just to remove it (what I wouldn’t give to see Coccioli perform this). Luckily some productions do keep it.
These productions are only from European productions. I’m not sure if this is a coincidence or if it's only ever been included in European shows, since it was cut Pre-Broadway.
Either way, I find it interesting to see how differently the scene is made.
The Vienna and Copenhagen productions really focus on the hallucinatory/nightmare aspect. Whereas Sweden is focusing more on Jekyll losing it. And tbh I think they’re all great in their own way.
I think it’s worth noticing that in the Copenhagen show the “old friends” are on stage and that it’s Utterson in the straitjacket, and Emma is wearing the bloodstained dress and her hair has been cut off.
I also really love Anders Ekborg singing in the Swedish show; it sounds like he is on the verge of crying.
I like to see the struggle Jekyll is going through, and I think TWHGI is a perfect place to showcase not only what he feels, but also how the whole thing screws with his mental state and his ability to sustain Hyde within. All of Jekyll's songs post-Transformation are, more or less, him questioning his life choices, and just overall having a terrible time. But I feel like TWHGI shows the more “I’m losing my marbles” aspect of it.
What I think would make a perfect version Jekyll & Hyde The Musical
I Need To Know. I don’t have anything against Lost In the Darkness I Need to Know has to be there or i’ll commit arson.
The Complete Work Prologue. I love the dialogue BUT I’m also okay with Utterson and Sir Danvers as a narrator.. but the Prologue is just so nice. It could probably work if both was combined somehow.
Only Jekyll and Utterson are going to The Red Rat after the engagement party. For Henry and John to have some man time together (and celebrate his bachelor time) and for Henry to drown his sorrows at some random bar they came across. And as Henry say in some productions: As your doctor John, it is my duty the inform you that I need a very large drink. Which is valid after the whole event at St. Jude’s.
Bring On the Men.
Lucy Meets Hyde. I prefer this over Lucy Singing Dangerous Game in the middle of Alive, and I also prefer it to whatever is going on on Broadway between Hyde and Lucy. I actually love the Lucy Meets Hyde scene. Hyde trying to buy some time with Lucy, and then ending up “playing” a bit too rough with her (and then starting a bar fight). I also like that Alive (reprise) continues after this interaction. “Predators live by the prey they pursue, this time the predator is me!” And then Lucy running away.
The role of Simon Stride should return to it’s former glory. I think it's a shame that some productions totally reduced his role to zero. Firstly, keep the love interest with Lisa, and the jealousy of Jekyll. Secondly I like that whole thing about him being the secret benefactor of The Red Rat (and The Spider) and give him back Good N’ Evil, and with that also bring Hyde’s line during the wedding back “What would you have done with her, Stride? Put her in one your Camden Town whore houses, and rented her out a shilling a time?”. No I don’t think Stride would do that to Lisa, but rather just Hyde exposing Strides dirty side job. I do have mixed feelings about the whole Stride’s Sabotage thing, as much a I like the idea, I’m still divided about it. I might feel like cutting it because i feel like there would be some things that would collide with it . Lastly, him stealing Lucy’s letter and planting it for Lisa to see. I totally think he would do that (I will get back to this later)
The chairs during Dangerous Game
The whole gun situation
BRING BACK THE WORLD HAS GONE INSANE!
Hyde switching back to Jekyll after Lucy’s death. I love how dramatic Lucy’s death is in the 1st National tour. Hyde saying “Come on out, Henry. Take a look!”. I feel like Jekyll is aware of what Hyde does.. to an extend. But seeing the consequences of Hyde ‘s actions with his “own eyes”, makes him totally lose his shit.
Confrontation. I prefer the: It's over now, I know inside part, rather than Lost In the Darkness.
Utterson retrieving the letter from Lucy’s room. I quite like the whole interaction with Utterson giving and reading the letter to Lucy. But I also quite like the idea of Jekyll asking Utterson in utter panic to get the letter from Lucy’s room so he won’t get framed for her murder. This also brings me back to Stride planting the letter for Lisa to see. Utterson agrees to get the letter, but Stride got it before John had a chance to. But I also think the whole grabbing the letter (and planting it) is one of those scenes that should just pass without audience seeing it. And besides i don’t think Lisa seeing the letter really does much for the story, because either way we need to end up with a wedding.
I know Broadway tried to be more Family-friendly, but come on give us some blood!
Kinda connected to what I just mentioned but let's briefly mention Lady Beaconsfield’s head. I find it quite funny that Hyde chops her whole head of and throws it to Lord Savage as I gift.
Bonus Hyde crawling through Lucy’s window when entering her room.
Bonus Hyde flashing a random crowd.
In other words: This was more or less perfect to me
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