Led by Richard Bermudez in a commanding debut, this stylish revival embraces the musical’s dark allure with intention, grace, and standout vocal performances.
Jekyll & Hyde, the musical, debuted in 1990, almost 100 years after its inspiration, the novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The musical with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn is genuinely one of the underrated musicals. It is beautiful work with felt songs, featuring demanding vocal tones, a lot of sensuality, and drama. Set in London, Dr. Henry Jekyll (Richard Bermudez) is looking for a cure to save his father. The city is unsupportive and denies him a subject to experiment on. Desperate, he experiments on himself, bringing a dark and violent side, another personality, another man, whom he calls Edward Hyde. Jekyll is engaged to Emma (Dacara Seward), and while out on the town celebrating the last hurrahs as a bachelor with his best friend John (Tanner Vydos), he meets one of the “ladies of the night”, Lucy (Melissa Musial). As the experiment continues and Hyde becomes stronger, a parallel life takes place, one with Emma and another with Lucy. Terrible things start to happen in the city, and Dr. Jekyll loses control.
I worked on the 2012 revamp during its San Diego stop, starring Constantine Maroulis as Jekyll, Deborah Cox as Lucy, and Teal Wicks as Emma. It was a big deal because it had previews in La Mirada before debuting in San Diego and then going to Broadway.
Omri Schein directs the SDMT piece, and it is a solid production. The musical is long. It has always been long. Regardless, Schein and Richard Dueñez Morrison, in the musical direction, ensured it had a good rhythm, effective framing, and effective use of the stage.
It is my first time seeing Richard Bermudez on stage. His portrayal of Jekyll and Hyde is powerful, as is his voice, with impeccable timing, modulation, and delivery. My fandom for Tanner Vydos has been declared in the past. Vydos is one of those performers who, in any role he plays, delivers with intention and charm, a fantastic voice, and shows quality training.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the music in this piece features demanding and challenging tones. Both Dacara Seward and Melissa Musial also delivered. Dacara, in her SDMT debut, gave a sweet and knowledgeable performance as Emma, showcasing wonderful harmony with Melissa during the song “In His Eyes.” Melissa has an angelic voice with a great range. I love how she completely transformed from her role as Carole King in Moonlight’s 2024 production of Beautiful. Her makeup is flawless. Hermoso, with a wig to match, courtesy of Monique Hanson. I must admit that I would have liked to see more naughty, less cute during “Bring on the Men”, as it is such a powerful, revealing song. Still, the number worked out with Luke H. Jacobs’ choreography, which was fitting and dressed the other songs as well.
Great to see Ruff Yeager back on stage as Sir Danvers Carew. With just a mannerism, Yeager delivers. Seeing his work is a treat, as it is such a masterclass. Nick Siljander as Emma’s unrequited love, Simon Stride, gave a turning head performance. Analía Romero as the brothel mother, Nellie, was a delight. Sheira Stein, as the vicious Lady Beaconsfield, delivered laughs and a noteworthy performance, complete with impressive makeup.
Chong Mi Land’s period British costumes were detailed and colorful. I loved the long coats, the taffeta, and Lucy’s pieces, featuring stockings, bows, and lace.
Chiara Oyos-Haynes’s set effectively conveyed the atmosphere of London fog and humidity. The corners have portraits of Jekyll and Hyde with a cool “Disney Haunted Mansion” effect. Michelle Miles’ lighting had its own choreography, rapidly switching colors to emphasize the different scenes, especially during the song “Confrontation”, where I noticed and appreciated tints of blue.
Paul Peterson’s sound worked well during the songs. However, during the dialogues, the background music is too loud, making it difficult to discern the wording.
These British stories have evolved from format to format. North Coast REP gave us an outstanding straight play with the doctor and his alter ego around this time in 2023. I enjoy seeing the different takes on the same story.
In the case of the musical, specifically, and the SDMT production, it should not be missed, as love, care, and hard work are evident from beginning to end. Currently playing until November 2.
Other cast members include Sam Castillo, Riohn Jones, Danny Campbell, Cody Bianchi, Colden Lamb, Cameron Blankenship, Eve DeVault, Katie Flores, Andres Lagang, Victoria Patton, Josh Penrod, and Julianne Riddle.
Ron Christopher Jones is the Production Manager with Technical Director: Rogelio Rosales, and Property Master Jennifer Jones Glor.
Shirley Johnston is the Stage Manager.
SDMT also has a program called “You Give, We Give,” in which each production is tied to a specific organization. For Jekyll, it is the Fleet Science Center.
