Theatre fans packed the Kelowna Actors Studio on Wednesday evening for the opening night of Jekyll and Hyde the Musical.
Adapted from the 1886 novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” the musical tells the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll, a brilliant doctor in London, England, who is distraught over his father’s mental illness. Jekyll becomes completely obsessed with separating the good and evil within every human being.
When the doctor’s plan backfires and he downs a mouthful of chemicals, Edward Hyde, his evil alter ego is born.
Randy Leslie took on the roles of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. Minutes before the transformation into Hyde was about to take place, a number of technical difficulties happened, stopping the show. Leslie handled the situation like a true actor, and even played up the difficulties a bit on stage.
Kelowna residents sat in their seats with their fingers crossed and their breath held wondering if the show would be able to go on. After four or more tries, the technical difficulties were sorted and Kelowna got its first glimpse of the red headed evil man.
Leslie embodied the lovingness of Jekyll and the pure creepiness of Hyde perfectly.
The play was a tad on the darker side, with a slew of murders carried out by Hyde to London professionals who did not agree with Jekyll’s scientific experiments. Even though the performance didn’t make you leave the theatre happy, production did make sure to add a few musical numbers to lighten the mood.
One of the stand-up performances was done by Denise Wolfe, who played Lucy Harris.
Lucy is the main attraction at The Red Rat, a rather adult drinking establishment. She is also part of a sort of love triangle between both Jekyll and Hyde.
During the very first encounter of with Jekyll, Lucy sang “Bring On The Men,” which left the audience in stitches. The slightly lighter performance included some risqué costumes and number of lap dances. It also however included several notions about violence against women and human trafficking.
After a night at The Red Rat, Jekyll keeps the desire he has for Lucy at bay, but Hyde takes advantage and allows the desire to take over. For Lucy, Jekyll is the dream man, but Hyde is all she believes she deserves.
Wolfe’s embodiment of the confused Lucy creates a hope to see her succeed in both life and love. Wolfe’s voice stole the show and left the audience cheering whenever she finished a number.
Another incredible voice that left the audience gobsmacked was Leslie’s. The actor, who noted on social media that Jekyll and Hyde has been the most challenging role of his career, performed several solo numbers. During these numbers his voice echoed through the theatre brilliantly.
Although there were several star roles in Jekyll and Hyde, several roles did fall short. During a number of scenes the music overpowered the lyrics to the songs, which left the audience not exactly sure what was going on and why.
In addition to the music, the technical difficulties caused the audience to detach in a way, at the most critical part of the performance: the transformation.
Although these hiccups were noted, it was a lovely evening and the audience cheered for the actors who did an incredible job handling what live theatre is all about.
The Kelowna Actors Studio’s version of Jekyll and Hyde debuted on Wednesday, April 6, and will continue its run until Saturday, April 23.
To check out some of the other prior productions from the Kelowna Actors Studio, click on the following links:
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