Hopebox JEKYLL & HYDE: a Monochromatic Masterpiece (silver cast)

KAYSVILLE — As we creep into October and stalk toward Halloween, we search for a bit of spooky entertainment. The Hopebox Theatre knows that many of us crave a bit of the macabre as strongly as pumpkin spice and satisfies this hankering with a remarkable production of Jekyll & Hyde, a dark musical that delves into the complexities of human nature, morality, and the duality of man. Director Sadie Day double-cast the production and I saw the Silver Cast as they captivated the audience with powerful performances and stunning production design.

Jekyll & Hyde, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, tells the story of scientist Dr. Henry Jekyll who seeks to understand and separate the dual nature of man—good and evil. When Jekyll’s theories are rejected, he resorts to conducting an experiment on himself which results in the creation of his dark alter ego, Edward Hyde, who begins to wreak havoc on London. Making a Broadway debut in 1997, it features the book by Leslie Bruicusse, music by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Frank, Wilkhorn, Leslie Bricusse, and Steve Cuden and received four Tony nominations.

Day’s direction is a masterclass in restraint and precision. Day keeps the pace brisk and engaging, ensuring that the show never drags, even during its more emotionally heavy moments. Day’s vision for the production extended beyond just the narrative—her role as production designer tied together the visual and thematic elements of the show with elegance and sophistication. The production has a striking monochromatic black-and-white aesthetic. This bold design choice for all the technical elements of the production emphasizes the stark contrast between good and evil, light and dark—central themes in the story. The introduction of red as a symbolic accent—whether in costumes, lighting, or projections—was carefully utilized. The layering of these visual elements resulted in a cohesive, stunning production design that was visually beautiful and thematically rich.

The Silver Cast is led by Dugan Brunker in the title role. Brunker’s portrayal is nothing short of mesmerizing, as he masterfully transitions between Jekyll’s idealism and Hyde’s raw, uncontrolled violence. His physical and vocal transformations are remarkable, making each persona distinct. The costumes, designed by Torrey Woolsey, give a lot of information about each character on stage. At the top of the show, Jekyll has a white shirt, black pants, and a period appropriate grey jacket, making him a standard mix of good and evil. However, throughout the show, he changes his costume in subtle and telling ways. As Jekyll he peals back layers to only his white shirt on; then as Hyde, he dons a black coat that covers every bit of light. In his white shirt, Brunker’s rendition of “This Is the Moment” was a standout, as he conveyed Jekyll’s hope and ambition before his descent into madness. I appreciated Brunker being entirely in the moment and drawing the audience in with his powerful vocals and sincere portrayal of the hope and light that Jekyll radiates. Then with the simple release of a hair clasp, letting his long wig locks down around his face, a physical transformation changes him into Hyde, who is strikingly different in how he walks, talks, acts, and feels. This difference is most notable in his interactions with the two female leads of the show, who are just as commanding as the leading man.

Lucy Harris, portrayed by Chelsea Campbell, is a lady of the night and entertains at a seedy establishment dressed in a beautiful and complex mix of patterns in black, white, and grey. Campbell delivers a heartbreaking performance of the tragic character who finds herself drawn to both Jekyll and Hyde. She is filled with vulnerability and emotional depth, particularly in “Someone Like You,” where her longing for a better life is palpable.

While Lucy’s lot is to play the whore, Jekyll is engaged to a sweet virgin, Emma Carew (Kayleigh Eagle) to provide a counterbalance to Lucy’s darker storyline. Dressed throughout the show in nothing by stark white, she is a Madonna and the embodiment of goodness and understanding. Eagle’s portrayal was filled with grace. Her performance in “In His Eyes,” a duet with Campbell, was a poignant moment, showcasing the two women’s contrasting relationships with Jekyll and Hyde with gorgeous vocals and tight harmonies.

Bradley Johnson as Gabriel John Utterson, Craig Hovorka as Sir Danvers Carew, and Tyler Bagley as Simon Stride all delivered strong performances, each contributing to the world of Jekyll’s London with authority and gravitas. The ensemble as a whole is strong and does a good job filling out the intricate harmonies, making songs like “Murder, Murder” captivating to watch as they rush about the stage resembling a bustling London street.

The ensemble choreography was simple and well executed, but choreographers Dylan Watson and Kelsey Turner excelled most as they craft small vignettes that beautifully match the emotional intensity of the music and helped to tell the story. In “Dangerous Game” the dancer’s pas de deux put me on edge as they simulated abusive relationships in eerie red lighting. This vibe is sharply contrasted a few numbers later with “A New Life” as the dancers show the blossoming of gentle romance.

All of Woolsey’s costumes fit the aesthetic symbolism of the story perfectly. There are of course challenges to costuming such a large ensemble in Victorian clothing, thus there are quite a few articles that are obviously outside of the Victorian setting, but nothing distracts from the story. I caught on early to the subtle clues in the costumes that each of the murder victims has a small splash of red somewhere on their costume, marking them for death in the monochromatic world they inhabit. The bishop has jewels on his cross; the general has a metal; Lady Beaconsfield has a red necklace, and so on. This clue makes the final deaths even more tragic as you see them ominously foretold.

The minimal set design by Curtis Dalton, Trevor Wirth, and Lacie Cook is restrained and allows the focus to remain on the characters and their emotional journeys. It feels like looking at an old daguerreotype of Victorian London. James Boley’s video projection designs add a haunting, almost surreal layer to the production. The projections manipulate old photographs, like inmates in Victorian insane asylums, by removing subjects from their backgrounds or changing the scale and perspective in ways that bend reality. The best use of projections is in Act 2 during Lucy’s solo “A New Life,” which made me tear up as the symbolism of a growing red rose blossoms with hope despite the grey world all around, but later withers and dies.

The lighting by Alice J. Remley uses only white lights and shadow, with strong moments accented with red gels. The interplay between light and darkness mirrored Jekyll’s fight to contain Hyde, offering visual clues to the audience about the shifting dynamics within the character. The lighting of Jekyll’s lab was like looking into his mind. What starts as a splash of red contained in a small bottle grows until the end when the red lighting engulfs the lab and strangles the weak white lamp shoved to the side.

While the production was overall stunning, there were some minor issues with sound balancing and microphone malfunctions that detracted from the performance in a few places. The quodlibet of “His Work and Nothing More” was not balanced well with the track playing too loud and Emma being drowned out. Given the intensity and complexity of the production, these moments were only small blemishes on an otherwise excellent night of theatre.

Hopebox Theatre’s Jekyll & Hyde is an exemplary community theatre production with strong design and performance. The director’s clear vision for the production, combined with the extraordinary talents of the Silver Cast, created an unforgettable evening of theater that brings the classic story to life in a way that feels both timeless and fresh.