Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical
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DVD details
Actor: n/aBrand: Image Entertainment
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 134 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-11-14
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAIN
DVD Reviews of Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical
DVD Review: The performance is pretty good; the problem is the vehicle.
Summary: 3 Stars
Despite much negative opinion, this performance is in many respects not half-bad. I must confess that a good deal of negative criticism focussed on David Hasselhoff seems a lot more like grudge fulfillment. Still, others have turned in better performances. The question is, performances of what? Aye, there's the rub.
"Jekyll and Hyde" occupies the musical and dramatic world of "Phantom of the Opera" and "Sweeney Todd" - without being anywhere as good as either. Dramatically, although the musical follows a fairly single-minded and coherent line, it seems jumpy and fragmented because of the jumpy and fragmented changes of sets. We might go over the plot at this point - except that here we have classic of English literature which ought to be familiar to every person who gets into high school. If you haven't read Stevenson's tale, go read it and don't expect a Cliff's Notes version of it here.
Musically, "Jekyll and Hyde" is, in a word, boring. The music gropes in vain to achieve melody but in every instance fall short to one degree or another. The notes meander within traditional tonality, but fail to leave a lasting impression. That some of the numbers achieved a fleeting popularity is more a tribute to marketing than to any inherent musicality. No amount of belting or breathless intensity can give these tuneless tunes any more than an underachieved dramatic impact.
It's not an uncommon opinion that the problem with this version of the musical is that it stars David Hasselhoff. This is, to a large extent, a bum rap. I will admit that comparing the sound track here with the CD of the original Broadway production (starring Robert Cuccioli), there's no doubt that the original version is more satisfying. That doesn't mean that Hasselhoff doesn't turn in a solid performance - he does - nor that he doesn't have moments of chewing up the scenery. In fact, in many respects, Hasselhoff is the best thing about the whole production.
The star invests his rle(s) with sincerity and authenticity. I suspect this gets past some viewers who let themselves get distracted by surfboards and talking cars. This part has been better played and will be better played, but Hasselhoff gives the audience their money's worth nonetheless. He clearly delineates Hyde from Jekyll, although his bag of tricks is rather limited - he sometimes manages a really chilling manic look to Hyde, but not as often as he should. Cuccioli's command of his voice serves him sell in this regard, but Hasselhoff's voice shows little difference between his 2 characters. His singing voice, as it happens, isn't bad. It's certainly up to the singing-in-the-shower sort of voice that we often hear in American musicals.
Hasselhoff's part dominates the musical, so that all the other characters are relatively minor. They are, however, played professionally in all cases, giving Hasselhoff a firm backing. I don't see, however, any one performer to single out as being anything but good-but-not-great.
I have already alluded to the physical presentation of the production. The many sets tend toward darkness rather than brightness. As a continuing factor, this becomes dreary. One wonders why we didn't start with well-lighted sets and gradually move toward darker ones. In addition to the less-than-useful dimness, the frequent set changes make the musical seem fidgety. Fortunately, the musical itself shows a single-minded devotion to its story line and manages - barely - to preserve a sense of unity and linear development.
On the whole, "Jekyll and Hyde" is entertaining on one hand and a bit of a chore to watch on the other. It tries very hard to ingratiate itself, succeeds in part, but in the end fails owing to the grisly nature of its development and ending. Nonetheless, it's a fine effort and worth seeing. Even the flaws are instructive.
Description of Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical
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