Written by orange• September 16, 2024• 8:57 pm• Camino Real Playhouse, Musical, Review, San Juan Capistrano, Theater, Uncategorized

Jekyll & Hyde The Musical @ Camino Real Playhouse – Review

photo credit: Leslie Eisner

Written by Daniella Litvak

Perhaps you have heard of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The story, by Robert Louis Stevenson, is about how the good Dr. Jekyll experimented with trying to remove the evil within himself. In doing so, he unleashed his murderous alter ego, Mr. Hyde, upon 19th-century London. This well-loved tale has spawned numerous adaptations and inspired countless stories about evil alter egos.

Generally, the Jekyll character is the one to root for, but while watching Jekyll & Hyde The Musical, I wanted Hyde to stay around. He’s murderous, but he’s entertaining.

Story:

Jekyll transforms into Hyde around the last third of the first act, and it’s slow going getting there. When he does arrive on the scene, the show picks up. “Murder, Murder,” the song depicting Hyde’s murder spree and the people of London’s reaction to it, is the best musical number in the show. Performed by the Ensemble — it was dramatic, dynamic, and fun. There were some other good musical numbers: “Bring on the Men,” “This is the Moment,” and “Confrontation.”

Direction:

However, too often, characters are just standing or sitting as they sing. There are too many power ballads. Plus, the show seems to lose momentum between scene transitions, and there are a lot of scene transitions. As a result, the show comes across as static.

Still, the actors give good performances. Winston Peacock[1] captures both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This is best exemplified during “Confrontation.” I have heard “Confrontation” described as a “torturous masterpiece,” which is apt. Serving as the show’s climax, it’s a demanding song, and actors who can pull it off, like Peacock, deserve praise. Lauren Belt (Emma Carew, Dr. Jekyll’s fiance) and Roni Dvir (Lucy, the pub girl Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are attracted to) also deliver strong vocal performances. Christopher Vournas plays Simon Stride, a rival of Dr. Jekyll. Even though the character seems set up to play a more significant part than he ultimately does, Vournas was a stand-out.

Set/Costume Design:

A large part of the set comprises a digital backdrop. At the beginning, the screen simulated streams of blood running down. It was good way to kickoff the show, but it created an expectation that the digital backdrop would be more interactive than it was. Lighting is a crucial component for the all-important “Confrontation,” sequence, and it was executed well here.

Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical, features characters from many different stations in life, and the costuming does well in reflecting this. There’s some glamor, some fan service, and some capes. The costuming provides some fun to the show.

[1] Winston Peacock alternates with Eric T. Anderson in role of Dr. Jeykll/Mr. Hyde, and Peacock performed the night I went.