Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical

With the coming Extraordinary League of Gentlemen, how could i not be hypnotized by this musical? I came accidentally on it and thought: lets learn more about this dr. Jekyll. I thought at first it was not a musical but a play: the actors were good and the atmosphere was breathtaking.. And that doctor, so convincing! To be honest, i was sure it was David Hasselhoff only at the end when it was actually written!! Even with his imposant body, his sharp face, i couldn't say he was D.H. What a wonderfull surprise! So to answer to a previous post, you'll be impressed even if you're not a D.H. fan! He is really playing it with his guts as well as Jekyll's passion for science as Hyde's lust for destruction! Utterson is also played very skillfully and one of the most funny character in the play. This one conclusion i took from this experience is of course not be rely myself only on the facade of people: Hasselhoff on baywatch on one hand can be more than convincing as Jekyll and Hyde! Go see it for yourself!

I am not a fan of Bay Watch, but David Hasselhoff did an outstanding job. I believe theater is Hasselhoff's calling. If you can watch this musical with an open mind, and get over the fact that the star has done crappy TV you will realize that he has talent for theater. His performance left me shocked and wanting more. I have watched the musical many times and the performance still amazes me. I first saw the musical in a College English class, Horror Fiction and Film, at Chapman University. I thought the professor was crazy for making us watch this film, but I was wrong. Anyone who is a fan of musical theater will enjoy this. I only wish I heard about this when it was still live. I would have enjoyed seeing it. I hope that Hasselhoff does more theater in the future. There is room for him to improve, but I believe over time he could be an outstanding theater performer.

I was lucky enough to catch it on pay-per-view in February a few years ago. I saw the actual show only once (the actor who played the title role was a understudy, good but made some visible mistakes) I was rather surprised at Hasselhoff's performance, but i would rather have seen someone who is better in this role and a better actor in general. His costars are some of the best performers i have seen and heard (seen them in the show as well) Sexton i just found out is very young, she was 20 when I saw her in the show! She has some of the most powerful pipes I have ever heard. I would reccomend the video and DVD to anyone who really loves the show (makes and excellent gift for the hollidays)! So see the show and love it!

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.

When I first found this movie in the 2/$5 bin at my local Wal-Mart I thought it looked cheesy enough to pay 2.50 for... then I saw David Hasslehoff and had to buy it. I fully expected a terrible film that I would struggle through the first 30 minutes of and then shut it off, but at least I could say I tried. In truth I did find the first of it kind of hokey, but that's because the acting is performed in the style of the theatre. Everything is meant to be projected to the back rows. Even with this in mind Hasslehoff's facial expressions as Hyde were a bit cheese at some point, but his overall performance was good. Coleen Sexton's performance was amazing all around as she is not only stunning, but has an amazing voice. In general I found some of the song lyrics in the play came across as rather forced (on account of the writers, not the singers) but the entire experience remains quite enjoyable. I highly recommend the 2.50. :D (or maybe even a bit more)