A musical based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel of a similar
name, JEKYLL AND HYDE tells the story of an aspiring scientist
as he creates a potion to split a person's personality. Not
being able to find anybody to back or test his invention, he
tests it on himself with terrifying results.
The show started life in the late 1980's, and a concept album
was released in 1990, but the show didn't make it onto
Broadway until 1997. Despite a run of over three years, and
a large fan base, the show eventually lost 1.5 million dollars
and failed to earn spectacular reviews.
The show's composer Frank Wildhorn, who was married to the
show's original star, has gained quite a following and his
concept albums are in high demand. As well as
Jekyll, Wildhorn is also responsible for the musicals
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Dracula and The Civil War.
The show toured in the UK, and the character of
Emma was named Lisa, as she is in the original
book. The name was changed originally to
avoid confusion with the character of Lucy.
In 2006, Wildhorn released a new recording
of the show, entitled Jekyll And Hyde -
Resurrection and featured Rob Evan, who
played the title roles during the Broadway
run.