Fullerton Civic Light Opera ends its 2007 season on a high note with the
return engagement of their 2001 award-winner Jekyll & Hyde.  Arguably the
most popular “musical thriller” in Broadway history (1523 performances), J&H
boasts a classic storyline (by Robert Lewis Stevenson), a highly hummable
score by Frank Wildhorn, two amazing roles for leading ladies (good girl/bad
girl), spectacle, murder, and above all one of the most challenging
acting/singing roles ever written for a musical theater leading man. FCLO’s
production has been directed with consummate professionalism by Ovation
winning Jan Duncan, with superb musical direction by 35-year FCLO vet Lee
Kreter, leading an orchestra that couldn’t be better.

Care has clearly gone into this production (and some big bucks too,
considering the intricate set design and lavish costumes), and it shows.
Dwight Richard Odle has created a multilevel set with a suitably precarious-
looking wrought iron bridge which looms over the stage, perfect for the Act
1 murder finale atop the streets of London, and a lower level which
transforms effortlessly into a physician’s laboratory, a prostitute’s bedroom,
an elegant London home, a Gothic church, a house of ill repute, and the
streets of London, among other locales.  Christina Munich’s lighting assists
immensely in completing Odle’s sets, with the bright scarlet of “The King’s
Rat,” the shadows of St. Jude’s hospital, the evil green which accompanies
Mr. Hyde’s appearances, and the morning sunlight through the stained glass
windows of St. Anne’s Church.  AJ Gonzalez’ sound design, while
earsplittingly strident in ensemble numbers such as the opening Façade, is
dramatically effective in the thunderous accompaniment to Jekyll’s
transformations into the evil Mr. Hyde.  Sharell Martin’s costumes are a
sumptuous recreation of 1888 London fashions, depicting a wide cross-
section of late 19th century British society. 

Both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are brought to vivid life by T. Eric Hart, the star of
FCLO’s 2001 production, who appeared on Broadway in The Scarlet
Pimpernel, another Wildhorn smash. Hart gives a powerful performance
(actually a pair of performances) and possesses a rich and dramatic singing
voice. His transformation into Hyde (Mr. Evil himself) is truly scary.  In fact, the
more evil Hyde becomes, the better Hart is.  When Hart licks the blood of the
knife with which Hyde has just murdered yet another victim, it is truly chilling. 
Hart does magnificent work in the show-stopping Confrontation, a duet
between Jekyll and Hyde performed with split-second transformations. It is a
tour de force moment. 

As excellent as Hart is, the breakout star of the evening in my book is the
dazzlingly beautiful Kelli Provart as Lucy, the proverbial you-know-what with
a heart of gold. Provart, who as Kelli Fournier was easily the best thing about
the national tour of Aida (which played the Ahmanson a few years back),
has a voice to match her movie star looks and legitimate acting chops.
Provart is exquisite singing Take Me As I Am and radiant with hope and joy
as she belts out Someone Like You. I can’t wait to see more of her work!

Emma, Lucy’s good girl counterpart, is played to perfection by the always
wonderful Victoria Strong, one of L.A. musical theater’s real treasures. That
the actress who brings the very upper crust Emma to life with her glorious
light opera soprano is the very same Victoria Strong who recently stepped in
last minute for laryngitis-afflicted Misty Cotton in Annie Get Your Gun and
belted out Can’t Get a Man With A Gun in her best Reba twang is nothing
short of amazing.  Strong’s rendition of Once Upon A Dream is deeply
affecting, and her A New Life duet with Provart brings about deserved
cheers.

The stellar trio are supported by a uniformly fine cast, among them Richard
Kinsey as Jekyll’s best friend, Jack Ritchel as Sir Danvers, John Racca as Simon
Stride, John Huntington as Bishop Basil, Richard Comeau as Archibald
Proops.  There’s nary a weak link in the huge cast, proving once again the
depth and breadth of musical theater talent in the Southland.

Duncan’s staging is always first rate, with highlights including the seductive
duet between Hyde and Lucy (A Dangerous Game), the extended murder
montage which begins Act 2, and the exciting and moving denouement.  I
especially liked the way Duncan staged Lucy and Emma’s In His Eyes, with
Emma perched high atop far stage right and Lucy seated at the foot of the
stairs far stage left. Very effective!  Though there’s not a lot of
“choreography” per se, Karen Nowicki has done of fine job of musically
moving the cast of 30 across and around the stage.

Quibbles are few and minor. The cast’s British accents are all over the place,
though Strong’s is arguably the best of the bunch, and Hart seems a
decade or so too old for Jekyll/Hyde.  Also, I can also understand why some
critics find Wildhorn’s music a bit too “generic pop.” For example, Jekyll’s This
is the Moment, which he sings before taking the potion which transforms him
into the malevolent Hyde, seems to have been written with a figure skating
performance or an Olympic gold medal ceremony in mind. Still, few can
argue that Wildhorn knows how to write a beautiful melody, and there are
many of them in J&H.

With CLOSBC’s current Kiss Me Kate, Downey’s Oklahoma, and Sacred Fool’s
Drood, soon to be joined by Musical Theatre West’s Pajama Game, Reprise’s
Damn Yankees, Pasadena Playhouse’s Ray Charles, Cabrillo’s Seven Brides for
Seven Brothers, and Performance Riverside’s Seussical, Angelinos with a yen
for musical theater are truly blessed with a wealth of treasures.  Wherever
you live, Fullerton is just a freeway ride away, and FCLO’s Jekyll & Hyde is well
worth the drive there.

Plummer Auditorium, 201 E. Chapman Ave, Fullerton; Oct 12-28 Thu, Fri and
Sats at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm. Also Sun, Oct 21, 7pm and Sat Oct 27, 2pm. 
Call Fullerton Civic Light Opera (714) 879-1732 or buy on-line at www.fclo.co

--Steven Stanley