MAGNA – There is perhaps no better time to bring Jekyll & Hyde to the stage than October. With its themes of deceit, murder, desire, and darkness lurking beneath respectable surfaces, Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse’s gothic musical is tailor-made for Halloween season. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1997 and has become known for a score filled with soaring anthems, beautiful love songs and chilling melodies that do more than accompany the story—they help tell it.
Director Kylee Larsen’s production embraces that darkness while finding something very human beneath it. Larsen’s director’s note observes that “there is a darkness that lives within all of us,” and this production makes that idea especially apparent. Jekyll is certainly living a double life, but so are many of the people surrounding him.
Having seen Jekyll & Hyde several times, one of the things that stood out more clearly in this production was just how many characters are living their own version of a Jekyll-and-Hyde existence. Jekyll is obviously the most literal example, but he is far from the only character wearing two faces. The priest presents the image of an upstanding, godly man while hiding a very different private life. Lucy initially appears to be a confident, streetwise woman who knows exactly how to navigate her world, yet beneath that exterior is someone frightened and desperately longing for safety and love.
That gives the musical’s recurring “Facade” theme considerably more meaning. Jekyll isn’t the only person hiding something. Nearly everyone in this world is presenting one version of themselves while concealing another.
Larsen’s production brings that theme into focus without making the story feel overly heavy-handed. The characters are not simply divided into good people and bad people. They are people struggling with desires, fears, choices, and consequences. That idea also connects beautifully with Larsen’s message about checking on the people who may be “locked away in their own laboratories”—isolated, overwhelmed, or struggling silently.
Kylee Larsen has assembled a talented cast and creative team that clearly understands what makes Jekyll & Hyde so enduring. Kimberly Teitter’s musical direction and Hannah Sanders-Smith’s choreography support a production filled with challenging vocal and physical demands, while the work of the broader creative team helps create the appropriately dark atmosphere. Danny Keetch, Joy Babcock Austin, Angela Warnock and Tyler Rasmussen provide a strong dramatic center, while the ensemble and Board of Governors bring impressive vocal and physical energy to the production.
Danny Keetch takes on the enormous challenge of playing both Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. As Jekyll, Keetch portrays an earnest scientist who genuinely believes the separation of good and evil can help people who are suffering. The character has a strong protagonist quality, making Hyde’s eventual emergence even more striking. Keetch’s physical transformation into Hyde is particularly effective, with a hunched posture, sinister laugh, and devilish eyes creating a genuinely unsettling alter ego. The acting makes both identities believable, while Keetch approaches the demanding vocal material with sincerity.
Joy Babcock Austin is mesmerizing as Lucy Harris. Lucy requires an actress to convincingly portray two very different sides of the same woman: the confident, streetwise woman who has learned how to survive, and the frightened, vulnerable woman underneath. Babcock Austin handles both beautifully. “Bring on the Men” comes with a sassy punch, while “Someone Like You” and “A New Life” reveal Lucy’s innocence, longing and vulnerability. Babcock Austin’s ability to move between those extremes gives Lucy tremendous depth.
Angela Warnock brings an angelic voice and impressive vocal control to Emma Carew. Warnock also gives Emma strength and emotional presence rather than allowing the character to become simply a conventional romantic heroine. The chemistry between Warnock and Babcock Austin makes “In His Eyes” especially effective and is a vocal highlight of the evening. The duet was powerful and moving, with both performers displaying beautiful vocal control and an emotional connection that made the moment land.
Tyler Rasmussen brings warmth and sincerity to John Utterson, Jekyll’s loyal friend. Utterson provides an important contrast to Jekyll’s increasing isolation, and Rasmussen’s performance makes the character’s loyalty feel genuine and important to the story.
One of the greatest pleasures of Jekyll & Hyde is the music, and the Empress cast gives the score plenty of opportunity to shine. The strong ensemble work immediately stands out, with expressive facial acting, synchronized movement, and impressive vocals filling the intimate theater. The Board of Governors also deserves recognition for handling the show’s intricate, tightly woven harmonies with confidence.
“Your Work—And Nothing More” was a particularly strong ensemble moment. The Act I quartet weaves together four different perspectives as Jekyll becomes increasingly consumed by his experiments, creating a complicated musical conversation among the characters.
The Empress Theatre’s two-level stage provides some interesting possibilities, and much of the production uses the space effectively. One staging choice, however, works against one of the show’s most powerful scenes. “Dangerous Game,” the intense duet between Lucy and Hyde, takes place entirely on the upper level while ensemble members occupy much of the main stage. The arrangement creates partial sightlines for some audience members and divides attention from what should be the central focus: Lucy and Hyde. The scene could have been even more powerful had Babcock Austin and Keetch been placed on the main stage with the audience’s attention focused entirely on the tension between the two characters. The vocals in the number were beautifully performed, but some of the sound seemed to disappear into the rafters when being sung from the upper balcony.
Sound was also the evening’s most noticeable technical challenge. Warnock’s microphone repeatedly cut in and out during the first act, although thankfully a replacement microphone solved the problem in Act II. The sound system also seemed unable to fully capture the dynamic range the cast was capable of producing.
Chris Peck’s lighting established an appropriately ominous atmosphere, particularly through the recurring red tones associated with Hyde. A few lighting cues, however, were missed, including a few murder transitions when the stage did not go dark as expected and a few instances when Hyde’s red lighting did not appear. These issues were noticeable, but they did not overwhelm the overall production.
There is something satisfying about seeing such an ambitious musical at the Empress Theatre. The historic Magna venue, operated through years of community dedication and volunteer effort, continues to prove that compelling theater doesn’t have to come from the valley’s largest stages. The microphone problems, missed lighting cues and staging choice during “Dangerous Game” could be refined, but the strengths of the production far outweigh those technical distractions. The Empress Theatre has found an ideal show for October. Jekyll & Hyde offers beautiful music, haunting melodies, strong performances and a story that becomes even more interesting when viewed through the many “faces” its characters hide.
For anyone looking for a theatrical experience with a little darkness this Halloween season, Jekyll & Hyde is worth the drive to Magna.
Editor’s Note: This reviewer attended a performance on Friday, October 2nd. This show is double cast with alternating actors on Mon, Wed, Fri & Tues, Thurs, Sat. This review covers the Mon, Wed, Fri cast.
MORE INFO: Jekyll & Hyde is currently playing at The Empress Theatre in Magna until October 17th. Performances are held Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PNM and Saturday matinees at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $20. For the most up-to-date performance schedule and official ticketing, visit their website at https://www.empresstheatre.com/.
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