FHSU University Communications
A classic case of good versus evil is coming to the FHSU campus this month.
"Jekyll & Hyde," the 1990 musical based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella, will run April 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and April 13 at 2:30 p.m. in FHSU’s Felten-Start Theatre. The cast of 22 actors/singers and 18 orchestra pit members has been rehearsing since early February.
“It is a complex show, but fun with great music,” said Dr. Terry Crull, professor of music and director of Jekyll & Hyde. “The music is the highlight of the show.”
The storyline of Jekyll & Hyde will be familiar to film, literature, and theatre buffs.
It follows the unfortunate life choices of Dr. Henry Jekyll, who wishes to develop a formula to cure his comatose father. Jekyll’s proposal to use a human subject (his father) to research the formula is rejected by his hospital’s board of directors.
After testing the formula on himself, Jekyll undergoes a painful transformation into Mr. Hyde, a sinister, violent man. The show contains some mature content and is recommended for ages 13 plus.
Much of the music will be familiar to those who enjoy musical theatre. Songs such as “This is the Moment,” “Someone Like You,” and “Once Upon a Dream” are just a few examples.
The show poses many new production challenges for Carl Sage, assistant professor of theatre, who is tasked with making the story come to life through his set design.
It will be the first time a projection system will be used to create large background scenes. The projection system eliminates the need for big flats that drop onto the stage.
“Whatever you do on stage must be conducive to storytelling,” Sage said. “It can be a challenge, especially for some of the more skill-heavy situations, like programming the light board, which can take hours or days to program. It’s a process. You can’t make things happen instantly.”
“It’s part of the collaboration.”
Crull said he is anxious to see how the sets come together. “It will be very exciting,” he said.
Main cast members include Garrett Cole, Hays, as Jekyll and Hyde; Allie Straub, Hays, as Lucy Harris; McKynlee Stecklein, Hays, as Emma Carew, Jekyll’s fiancée; and Quinton McGuire, Hays, as John Utterson, Jekyll’s friend and confidant.
FHSU’s Department of Music & Theatre will round out the season’s offerings with the following events:
• April 14, 7:30 p.m., Small Ensembles Concert (Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center).
• April 16, 10 a.m., 50th Annual High School Art Exhibition (Gross Memorial Coliseum).
• April 24, 7:30 p.m. Spring Jazz Concert (Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center).
• April 25, 7:30 p.m. New Music Festival: Compositions from students and alumni (Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center).
• April 26, 10 a.m. Carly Odegard, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Sculpture (Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art).
• April 26, 7:30 p.m. New Music Festival: Chen Yi (Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center).
• May 1, 7:30 p.m. Choral Masterworks, music of Ralph Vaughan Williams – FHSU choirs (Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center).
• May 3, 7:30 p.m. Hays Symphony Masterworks II (Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center).
• May 7, 7:30 p.m. Spring Percussion Concert (Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center).
• May 8, 7:30 p.m. Spring Band Concert (Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center)