Wicked Fun

Jekyll & Hyde, the Musical tunes up the classic morality tale.

Comments (0) By Juliet Wittman Thursday, Oct 10 2002

There are several satisfying voices and performances in the cast (including those of Mark Johnson as Jekyll's lawyer and Richard O'Brien as Emma's father), but there are also a couple of weak ones. The chorus is lively, appealing, and well-choreographed by Scott Wright. When Christian Nielsen sheds his fake Bishop of Basingstoke beard to join the ensemble and later officiate at the wedding, he wields a smile that could charm a hyena.

This show requires strong, clean direction, and Kurt Terrio provides it. In particular, the murder scenes are impressive. It's almost impossible to convince audiences that an actor is being killed in front of them. Stage murders tend to be forgettable at best and inadvertantly funny at worst. But the killings in Jekyll & Hydeare disturbing and grotesque. For a Colorado dinner theater, this is unexpectedly grown-up fare.

Kelby Thwaits sinks his teeth into his role, and Amy Madden, in Jekyll & Hyde, the Musical.

Details

1-970-225-2555

Carousel Dinner Theatre, 3509 South Mason Street, Fort Collins

More About

The sets, by the multi-talented Peter Frederick Muller, who also designed the lighting and created the orchestration, are first-rate. Muller has done wonders with his small space, creating a drawing room, a London street and Dr. Jekyll's lab, with its flickering oil lamps and array of potions -- settings that provide flexible, skilled and unobtrusive support for the action.

Though I thought the food fell somewhat short (a reservation not shared by my table mates), the Carousel provides a pleasant ambience -- not to mention an accomplished and exhilarating evening of theater.