DETAILS UNDERMINE THE DRAMA OF WP'S JEKYLL & HYDE
Theater Babe Says: Go … and Explore the Duality of the Human
Condition.
What works in The Williamsburg Players’ Jekyll and Hyde works really, really well -- there are some
extraordinary performances which rank with the best of any the Theater Babe has
ever seen professionally or otherwise. But all too often, director Jonathan McCormick’s
vision for this production is marred by execution errors which prevent this presentation
from rising to the full level of its immense potential.
The plot is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous
novella. Set in late 19th
century London, the story pivots around Dr. Henry Jekyll, a respected scientist
determined to use chemistry to cure mankind of the madness which afflicted and
doomed his beloved father. Convinced
that he is on the brink of bifurcating evil and madness from the good in a
human soul, Dr. Jekyll appeals to the Board of Governors of the local hospital
to permit him to use an inmate from the mental ward as a test subject. When the Board denies his request, Jekyll
elects to take the potion himself. The
experiment succeeds, with disastrous consequences: the evil lurking within the good doctor which
was previously suppressed by his nobler instincts emerges as a full-fledged,
sociopathic separate entity that names itself Edward Hyde. Whether Jekyll can contain and control his
inner Hyde and the impact that struggle has on his engagement to the lovely,
aristocratic Emma Carew is the essence of the tale.
Although the title roles are occasionally played by two
different men, Mr. McCormick wisely chose a single actor to play both parts,
reinforcing the notion that both good and evil are inherent within the same
soul. As the extremely demanding dual
characters, Geoffrey Klein displays a singing voice of uncommon power, richness
and range seldom seen in community theatre.
In particular, Mr. Klein’s rendition of “This is the Moment” is
spellbinding.
Overall, however, Mr. Klein’s performance is diminished by continuous production problems which prevent us from truly vesting in or caring about his character. The single biggest disappointment is the lack of effective sound board management. Composer Frank Wildhorn’s score is rife with emotional ballads, the intensity of which often vary widely within a single song. Mr. Klein’s enormous sound constantly blows out his body mike, causing his beautiful tone to become unpleasantly distorted, and his diction to be muddied to the point of incomprehension. In a show where much of the plot and virtually all of the character development is presented in song, that’s a real problem . . . and it is eminently fixable by adjusting his microphone levels throughout the show.
Similarly, his characters’ styling does not enhance Mr.
Klein’s performance but rather gives him additional barriers to overcome in
what is already a ridiculously challenging role. From the outset, Dr. Jekyll’s appearance is disheveled
even when he attends two of the most important occasions of his life: the Board of Governors meeting and his
engagement party. Perhaps it is intended
to present as absent-minded-professor-ish, but it comes off as merely sloppy and
we are left wondering why, in a class-conscious era where a fastidious
appearance was deemed to be a sign of competence and virtue, Jekyll would
expect to be afforded the respect of his aristocratic “betters.” Additionally, because his appearance is
unkempt from the beginning, later in the show there is no obvious outward
depiction of Jekyll’s deteriorating condition.
As Hyde, Mr. Klein is perennially hampered by over-the-top efforts to
conceal his identity – most conspicuously by his long black wig. While the Theater Babe applauds Mr. McCormick’s
choice to portray Hyde as man instead of a supernatural monster, completely
covering the character’s face with yards of hair reminiscent of Cousin It
deprives the actor of the opportunity to convey his villainy through any facial
expression, and watching a figure fully shrouded by cape, hat and hair is just
not as interesting as seeing his face.
Simply trimming the wig to slightly shorter than shoulder length would
be a significant improvement, as it would permit Hyde to conceal himself when
he faces off against another character, but could be tossed back so we can see his
features when he is alone. As it is, because
the wig completely covers his face and his costume envelops his body, Mr. Klein
has only his voice to portray his emotions . . . and that voice is rendered
largely unintelligible by the amplification issues. The talented Mr. Klein’s impassioned
performance deserves to be better showcased, audibly and visually, than it is
here.
As Emma, Laurel Christensen possesses a pretty singing voice
with a crystalline upper register best displayed in her exquisite “Once Upon a
Dream.” Although there is little
discernable chemistry between she and Jekyll, Ms. Christensen’s Emma is steadfast
and loyal to her fiancée. The show’s
structure is such that Emma and Jekyll spend little time together, so different
blocking of their romantic duet, “Take Me As I Am,” to place the couple in
closer physical proximity would help make her devotion seem more plausible. Emma’s interactions with her father, played by
Martin Bussert, are credibly warm and loving and Mr. Bussert is pleasingly
genuine as a concerned, protective parent who fears losing his cherished
relationship with his child. “Letting
Go,” exhibiting Mr. Bussert’s fine singing voice, is not the biggest moment of
the show, but it is among the most poignant.
Erin Hannon’s outstanding portrayal of Lucy, the hooker with
a heart of gold, takes the trope and turns it into something truly
memorable. From the moment she steps onstage,
she smolders with a sensuality that is cynical but not tawdry and throughout
the show, her performance is uniformly captivating. Ms. Hannon’s belt is lush and gorgeous in tone
and is shown to advantage in “Someone Like You,” while her impeccable control
and emotional range is best displayed in the haunting “Sympathy, Tenderness.” The Theater Babe only wishes that lighting
director Scott Hayes would have chosen different effects during “A New Life.” When the number begins, Ms. Hannon is lit so
that her lovely face appears ghoulishly skeletal. That lighting horribly detracts from her
accomplished performance and it pulls us out of the drama developed by the
music. It is only when Ms. Hannon steps
downstage and escapes the relentless spot that we are able to fully appreciate
and enjoy the entirety of her performance.
The lighting design also is not entirely successful during
the show’s climactic “Confrontation.” The
intended effect is amazing and dramatic in the best sense of the word, but the
implementation permits us to clearly see the mechanics behind the magic and it
prevents us from becoming immersed in the moment. The sound design by Kasey Gilder, Mr. Hayes
and John Trindle is equally problematic in that scene. We appreciate the attempt to expand Hyde’s
voice until it virtually engulfs Jekyll’s protestations, but the sound effects so
garble the lyrics of both characters that anyone unfamiliar with the show is
left guessing at what is going on, and the emotional impact of the powerful
lyrics is lost.
This production enjoys the benefit of excellent performances
by several actors whose characters have relatively limited stage time. As Jekyll’s best friend, John Utterson, Alvan
Bolling is convincing and, although it could use a bit more volume, his smooth,
mellow singing voice is an attractive contrast to Mr. Klein’s, particularly
during “His Work and Nothing More.” Mr. Bolling’s monologues are a tad fast; a
slightly slower pace would more easily enable those unfamiliar with the show to
understand the expositional narrative.
Marcia Dadds is wonderfully snooty as Lady Beaconsfield. John Cauthen is persuasively sleazy as Lucy’s
pimp, Spider. And the uncredited
ensemble member who plays the swaying madwoman in the opening scene delivers a
subtle, consistent performance which, while not distracting from the main
action, silently reinforces the sense that Jekyll is visiting his father in a mental
hospital.
The two level set, a stone bridge designed by Brian Agor, is
very large and is seldom augmented by chairs or other set pieces. That limits the blocking options and the cast
frequently just stands center stage. The
bridge is constructed of “stones” which appear to be three dimensional and are quite
beautiful, but there is only a single set of stairs connecting it to the
mainstage and those steps are so narrow and steep that the cast members are noticeably
wary as they ascend and descend. When a
group of actors crosses the bridge to exit stage left, there is an obvious
delay while the first navigates the unseen stairs in the wing and the other actors
just stand in line waiting to leave the set instead of remembering that they
are still visible to the audience. Perhaps
because of the difficult access points, the second story of the set is often
empty, with the result that it is nice to look at but does not help to tell the
tale. Additionally, the bright white backdrop
behind the bridge sways every time there is the slightest movement behind
it. Because the bridge is often
exclusively lit from the front, it casts a big, dark shadow directly center
stage which then waves whenever the scrim moves, far too often distracting our
attention away from the hard working actors.
Conducted by music director Nerissa W. Thompson, the
orchestra has a harmonious blend as it attacks this challenging score. Ms. Thompson does an exceptional job of
keeping the instrumentalists and singers coordinated although they are in
physically separate places, and she is adept at negotiating the hundreds of
musical cues throughout the show. The
ensemble is composed of numerous strong singers who are well-rehearsed and ably
execute the dissonant harmonies typical of a Wildhorn score, but their diction
as a group is not consistently clear.
Occasionally, and especially in “Murder, Murder,” the voice parts are
unbalanced; the top notes are shockingly shrill and overpower not only the
other vocalists, but the orchestra. That
severe imbalance detracts from what is usually a beautiful, full choral sound.
The fight choreography, designed by Christopher Bernhardt,
is inventive and varied though its execution would be improved if the actors
were closer together so that the action would appear more realistic and
spontaneous. The dance choreography by
Dana Margulies Cauthen is not as successful.
This strong vocal cast is not shown to advantage by the circle dance
during the engagement ball and having a few couples just waltz might have been a
better choice. And while the idea of
having the ensemble freeze into various positions during “Take Me as I Am” is
intriguing, because the entire ensemble moves together at specific times during
the song, the motion repeatedly pulls our attention away from the lovers’
duet and undermines the song’s purpose in depicting their relationship.
The Theater Babe notes that Mr. McCormick wears many hats in
this production. In addition to making
his directorial debut, he is the assistant music director, plays in the
orchestra during the performances and served as the rehearsal pianist. Mr. McCormick is astonishingly talented and
this production benefits from his creativity, energy and dedication. The Theater Babe hopes that Mr. McCormick
will continue to direct, but perhaps in future productions a judicious editing
of his responsibilities might permit him to focus on the totality of the whole
so that the execution of the details may promote rather than detract from his remarkable
vision.
Bottom line? The Williamsburg
Players’ Jekyll and Hyde is an
extremely ambitious production that covers a lot of new ground and if the
journey is not always completely satisfying, it is still well worth the time
and ticket price.
Remaining performances are September 29th - October 1st at 8 p.m.
and on October 1st at 2 p.m.
at the Williamsburg Players, 200 Hubbard Lane, Williamsburg, Virginia
Tickets are $20 for adults, with discounts for students,
and can be obtained online at www.williamsburgplayers.org or
by calling the box office at (757) 229-0431.
© 2016 Hampton Roads Theater Babe. All Rights Reserved.