Review: Powerhouse cast makes ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ sing

by Pam Kragen

The 1997 Broadway musical “Jekyll & Hyde” has always inspired passionate love-or-hate feelings from its audience.

The book by Leslie Bricusse is melodramatic, gory and sometimes awkwardly silly, but Frank Wildhorn’s pop-rock score is chockablock with great songs that showcase the talents of its actor-singers.

So, where does San Diego Musical Theatre’s production that opened Saturday in Kearny Mesa land in that divide? It’s an entertaining mix of both.

Director Omri Schein doesn’t shy away from the blood spatter, PG-13-rated sexual innuendo and innate black humor, and he incorporates audience interaction into this immersive show. And his cast — led by the gifted vocal powerhouses Richard Bermudez and Melissa Musial — sing the heck out of the ear-pleasing score.

The musical is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 gothic horror novella about the battle between good and evil, or the rational Ego vs. the animal-like Id, in every man’s soul. High-minded London physician Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments on himself with a homemade potion that allows him to transform physically into his evil alter-ego, Edward Hyde. Although Jekyll’s goal is to use his scientific research to rid humankind of evil, the dark side of his brain ultimately takes control.

Bermudez’s ponytailed Jekyll is gentle and sweet-voiced, while his wild-hired Hyde is predatory and gruff. Bermudez has a huge singing voice with impeccable modulation and control. Some of his best numbers are “This Is the Moment,” “I Need to Know” and the dual-character “Confrontation.”

Melissa Musial as Lucy Harris in San Diego Musical Theatre's "Jekyll & Hyde." (Carli Kadel) — Melissa Musial as Lucy Harris in San Diego Musical Theatre’s “Jekyll & Hyde.” (Carli Kadel)

Musial brings empathy and heart to her character Lucy Harris, the sexy, singing barmaid who falls for Jekyll (but ends up with Hyde). Her vocal performances of “Someone Like You,” “A New Life” and many other songs are exceptional.

Also strong in this cast, in both acting and singing, are Dacara Seward as Jekyll’s fiancée Emma and Tannyer Vydos as Jekyll’s best friend John. And Ruff Yeager is gentle and warm as Emma’s father, Sir Danvers Carew.

Luke H. Jacobs’ choreography is lively, eye-catching and detailed, particularly in the second-act opener “Murder.” Chong Mi Land designed the Victorian-style costumes and Michelle Miles designed the spooky lighting. Paul Peterson designed sound.

Coached by musical director Richard Dueñez Morrison, the show’s 22 actors do well with the demanding, almost operatic score. But the show is performed to recorded background music that was often overpowering at the performance I attended.

Chiara Oyos-Haynes’ scenic design is simple, but a very thoughtful touch is the large matching portraits of the dual-personality protagonist at either end of the stage. For once, the head-swinging back and forth between Jekyll and Hyde in the “Confrontation” song makes theatrical sense.

“Jekyll & Hyde” is not a subtle musical. It’s big, bold and unapologetically grisly.

Is it over the top? Yes. But Halloween is just a few weeks away, so why not have some fun with it?