Downtown Melbourne theaters offer different versions of a gothic classic
Support local journalism by subscribing at Special Offers - USAToday Network.
The world’s favorite split personality monster visits Brevard at Melbourne Civic Theatre and Henegar Performing Arts Center. The two theaters in Downtown Melbourne are each producing vastly different versions of the Jekyll and Hyde story in the next few weeks.
'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'
Melbourne Civic Theatre begins first with a new and shocking version of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale. The play overflows with depravity, lust, love and horror as good guy Henry Jekyll’s experiments with exotic “powders and tinctures” transforms him into Edward Hyde, the quintessential bad boy and chick magnet.
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” the MCT version opens Oct. 7 and runs through Nov. 13.
The straight-arrow Jekyll is not that keen on ditching Hyde, perhaps taking teeny tiny subconscious pleasure in Hyde’s immoral and sensual pursuits. But when Hyde is attracted to a particular lady, Jekyll, fearing for her life, opts to end the experiment. It may have been too little, too late, since Hyde has no interest in paying Jekyll any longer as the two battle each other in a deadly game that will determine who is master and who is slave.
“I came across this version of Jekyll and Hyde around this time last year and knew right away I wanted to stage it around Halloween this season,” said director Peg Girard.
“Then I read the original Robert Louis Stevenson novella, the first chapter was titled, 'The Story of the Door.' The door is a key part of our set and figures prominently in the story as dramatized by Jeffrey Hatcher.”
In Hatcher’s version, all but two of the actors in the ensemble cast play Hyde at various times, determined by who is holding his cane at any given moment.
“In my version, the roles are somewhat reversed, as are some aspects of Jekyll and Hyde themselves,” stated Hatcher.
“One of the arguments I’ve never quite believed, and I suspect Stevenson didn’t believe it either, is that Henry Jekyll is wholly good while Edward Hyde is wholly evil. I’m trying to have fun with the notion that Jekyll and Hyde play a cat-and-mouse game with each other, and with the question of who we should be rooting for.”
The San Francisco Chronicle noted that “Hatcher has fashioned a play that seem truer to Stevenson, but hipper, sexier and more intense.”
'Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical'
The epic struggle between good and evil continues at Henegar Performing Arts Center, which will stage “Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical” Oct. 14 to 30.
Originally conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, the musical made its Broadway debut in 1997. The show portrays Jekyll as a passionate and romantic man of science, while Hyde is a terrifying madman who is nevertheless attractive to women.
The musical features a love triangle, as opposed to the single love interest of the play version. Those elements didn't exist at all in the original 1886 novella.
“This version of the Stevenson classic is a darker twist on the material, touching on issues such as mental illness and the disparity between social classes,” said Dominic Del Brocco, executive artistic director for the Henegar.
While Melbourne Civic Theatre’s version has a modest cast of six, the Henegar’s large-scale production, directed and choreographed by Del Brocco, counts on 25 actors to deliver the story.
The Henegar is fresh off a renovation project that has refreshed the historic 103-year-old building throughout.
Girard explains why both shows are worth a look.
“I’ve observed over the years that there is a duality in theater goers,” she said. “Some define theater exclusively in terms of musical and rarely if ever attend a nonmusical play. In the other camp are playgoers who cannot bear musicals."
"I’m a theatrical omnivore myself, equally happy watching or directing either," she said. "Downtown Melbourne has something for everyone in October, with a double helping for those like me who have one foot in each camp.”
If you go
'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' (the play)
Where: Melbourne Civic Theatre, 817 E. Strawbridge Ave., Melbourne
When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 13
Tickets: $30
Info: 321-723-6935
On the web: mymct.org
'Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical'
Where: The Henegar Center, 625 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne
When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 30. The Henegar added a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, Oct. 29.
Tickets: Start at $34
Info: 321-723-8698
On the web: henegarcenter.com
Whether you're interested in music, theater, festivals or other local entertainment, FLORIDA TODAY has got you covered. Support local journalism by subscribing at Special Offers - USAToday Network.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: MCT and Henegar stage different versions of gothic Jekyll and Hyde tale
