Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical (2001)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

When I heard of a musical version of jekyll and hyde I laughed. When I saw hasslehoff was going to play the lead I groaned. I am pleased to say In both cases my fears where unfounded.The music itself is one of the more aggressive, dark scores ever added to a musical. Although this does lead to a lack of shade in the play, the plot does demand a certain menace and therefore the aggression can be excused. I would like to make a special mention in honour of Coleen sexton who play lucy. She may have one of the best voices I have ever heard on stage. It also boasts some of the best acting I have ever seen in the confrontation as jekyll and hyde sing a duet.So... If it so good... Why only a 6? There is one flaw and it's a big one. Hasslehoff. As hyde he is perfect. He looks great, sounds great, and his acting is perfect. As Dr Jekyll though it's a different story. He acts brilliantly... However he is not a great singer... He isn't bad... But he just doesn't have the ability to sing the big songs to the standard demanded. If you can look past that it is worth a watch.

I'm not a great fan of "Jekyll & Hyde," but neither do I find Frank Wildhorn's cult-musical take on Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" completely unwatchable. There's a lot of problems with the work--particularly Leslie Bricusse's awkward lyrics (most egregious line: "What I choose to do is decided by me." Huh?)--but it can be entertaining in the right hands, the music theater equivalent of a fun but silly action movie. Unfortunately, the Broadway Television Network recording of the original New York production leaves us in the hands of David Hasselhoff, and both the show and the audience suffers as a result.Hasselhoff came in near the end of "Jekyll & Hyde's" Broadway run in an attempt to bolster flagging audience numbers with a little name recognition. Name recognition is about all Hasselhoff brings to the dual role of the well-intentioned doctor and his vicious alter ego. As Jekyll, his performance is distressingly wooden; as Hyde, he mugs so ridiculously that he inspires giggles rather than shudders. And then when you think it can't get any worse, he opens his mouth to sing--and his shaky, mediocre warbling sucks away all the life from what should be some of the shows most dramatic moments (particularly the climax, a neat little solo/duet between the title characters).It's unfortunate that Hasselhoff's presence irreparably damages "Jekyll and Hyde," because the rest of the cast is actually fairly decent. Andrea Rivette (as Jekyll's high-society fiancée) and Coleen Sexton (as a dance-hall girl who becomes a victim of Hyde's lust) are a delight to watch and hear in the female leads; their duet "In His Eyes" is the most dramatically effective moment in the production. Barrie Ingham and George Merritt also do nice work in roles they already immortalized on the cast recording. The rest of the cast makes do with what they can, but "Jekyll and Hyde" needs a strong lead in order to really work, and Hasselhoff ruins the musical's hope of succeeding on any level except an unintentional comedy.

Having seen this play on Broadway twice, I was excited to see that a taped performance of the play would be available on DVD. I was so disappointed in the choice of David Hasselhoff for the lead.I can see why the play closed soon after they hired him. His voice is too thin and his acting too wooden for this role. One of the times I saw the play Jack Wagner played the lead. He would have been a much better choice if they just wanted a well known TV actor in the film. Wagner did a good job on "This is the Moment". The best choice, of course, would have been the original star of the play. Still, I do love the play and music, and the ladies were fine choices. I guess it was better than nothing.

Jekyll and Hyde is one of my all-time favorite musicals. I've seen it on stage many times and have every recording made (even the old Colm Wilkinson-Linda Eder concept album!). I was given this video as a gift and when I read that David Hasselhoff was starring, I had the same reaction that I'm sure many of you did: "The Baywatch guy? You've got to be kidding me." ...but I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I think many people wanted so badly to hate David Hasselhoff in this that they automatically wrote him off and didn't give him a chance. Was he the best Jekyll/Hyde I've seen? Well, no. His singing voice was sort of inconsistent. There were times when it really reached out with dramatic power, and other times when it suffered from a little too much vibrato for my taste. Believe it or not, it was his *acting* (surprise, surprise!) that impressed me the most. I think that Mr. Hasselhoff's talent was perhaps wasted on screen. He does a fine job as a stage actor, and has obviously come a long way from his Baywatch days. He seems to be more at home in front of a live audience. His Hyde impressed me the most. He shows a skillful use of the eyes and body language. Hasselhoff is surrounded by a talented supporting cast. I like Coleen Sexton's rather cute, sweet portrayal of Lucy. It offers a unique contrast to Linda Eder's sultry rendition. My only criticism of Sexton's performance is a personal preference issue: she belts too much when she sings, and extends her belting range too high. It sounds painful to me. Andrea Rivette is a class act as Emma Carew, Jekyll's fiancee. Her voice is beautiful, and her poise perfect for the role. George Merritt and Barrie Ingham were outstanding as John Utterson and Sir Danvers Carew, respectively. I absolutely loved Merritt's voice. The rich, deep quality of it carried over to his speaking lines as well. Overall, a good effort by all.