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 19^th 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.

 

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