Jekyll & Hyde 1995 Tour vs. Broadway Production

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:42am

I have been watching and listening to a lot of material from the various productions of Jekyll & Hyde lately. Out of the three major U.S. productions (1995 tour, original Broadway production, 2013 revival), the production that looks and sounds the most impressive to me is the first national tour in 1995. The score definitely sounds the best here, the book is the most coherent, and the physical design with the massive scaffolding and smoke and mirrors looks the best. 

Did anyone here see the 1995 tour, and if so, can you comment on the production. Also, why were so many massive changes made between the first tour and the original Broadway production?

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 8:26am

I saw the '95 tour at the massive Fox Theatre in Atlanta. I don't remember a lot of details other than that Linda Eder filled that cavernous house with her voice. I was very familiar with the concept album at the time and I remember thinking that the opening number -- "Lost in the Darkness" -- for the stage production was effective. In the scene, Jekyll was visiting his father in an insane asylum. I don't believe the song was included in any form on the early concept album and it did a decent job of setting up Jekyll's obsession.

I've never understood why "Bring on the Men" was replaced on Broadway. It got great reaction on the tour. Most of the other songs were pretty interchangable anyway, so I don't think it mattered when they replaced one obvious ballad with another.

Updated On: 5/28/20 at 08:26 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 3:20pm

I actually think the Broadway book was the most coherent. It's a bummer regional theaters are not able to license the Broadway version of the show. "Bring on the Men" is better though, I agree with that.

[nealb1]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:18pm

I saw the 1995/96 J&H tour three times.  I found it to be much better than the Broadway version.  

In addition to "Bring On The Men," "I Need To Know" was cut, and that was a big mistake as well.  Linda Eder has said many times that she should have pulled a "diva moment," and insist that BOTM remain in the show.  When the show got to NYC, it had a new director, and she assumed he knew what was best.  It's a fantastic show stopping song.  The first time I saw Linda Eder was in J&H, August 1995 at The Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California.  When she sang, it was mesmerizing.  She stopped the show cold with her big solos.  From that moment on, I became an even bigger fan, and have seen her in concert almost 50 times.  Fantastic!

The book scenes were toned down as well as a lot of the big soaring ballads when it came to NY.  Especially, "Take Me As I Am" and "In His Eyes."  Still beautifully performed, just toned down, which I didn't care for as I was so used to hearing the double cd version.  I just felt it wasn't necessary.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  

 

[usher2]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 6:44pm

I saw a version at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood many years ago.  I have seen many many musicals and this was probably the worst experience, especially given the lavishness of the production contrasting with the poorly writtena material. The audience was laughing at the wrong spots; who can forget the hair waving switching of personalities. Time to move on to discuss more worthwhile projects. 

[Rypm25]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:40pm

I remember going to see this tour on Valentine’s Day with some friends. Having seen both the tour version and the broadway version, I personally preferred the tour version, though there are problems with both.

It’s all basically the same, although the set design was different, I seem to recall a staircase or maybe even two that would slide in and out for scenes. Obviously songs were there that were cut for broadway, most notably “Bring on the Men,” but my favorite that was cut was “Girls of the Night” that the prostitutes sang in the second act...it was a really pretty but sad song.

I also seem to recall the scene towards the end when Hyde comes to see Linda Eder, and he stabs her, that they used quite a bit of stage blood which got on the white blanket of her bed, it was quite striking and then the blood was all but gone in that scene when it was on broadway.

And the last I remember was the confrontation scene which was performed with the actor playing Jekyll in front of a pre-recorded screen of the actor playing Hyde and the screen image must of been a real pain in the ass because it didn’t sync up with the pre-recorded vocal and I seem to recall that happened often.. which is why I’m sure it became the hair tossing back and forth version we got on broadway.

Those are the things that stood out to me as differences.

I still enjoy the score and loved Linda Eder, I still have the window card she personally signed to me after meeting her. I’ll have to dig out the concept album and listen to some of that cut stuff now! 😊

Updated On: 5/28/20 at 07:40 PM

[greensgreens]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 8:14pm

Yeah, this show was the most anticipated of my annual NYC trip one year and it was the biggest letdown of my showgoing life.

How you could take that brilliant concept album and then let it evolve into what was at the Plymouth was shocking.

And getting rid of BOTM and the Women of the Night song (that Brenda Russell TORE up on the concept album) were some VERY large mistakes.

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 8:32am

carolinaguy said: "I've never understood why "Bring on the Men" was replaced on Broadway. It got great reaction on the tour."

I've never actually been in the audience for any production of this show, but "Bring on the Men" is the only song from the score that stands out for me.

 

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 2:54pm

usher2 said: "The audience was laughing at the wrong spots; who can forgetthe hair waving switching of personalities. Time to move on to discuss more worthwhile projects."

The Broadway production indeed was hilarious! It was a full on telenovela. For those who didn't know if they should've cried or laughed, watching it as a parody was really entertaining.

[zainmax]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 3:47pm

I thought that the 2013 tour was good!!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 4:39pm

I thought the 2013 tour was a little over the top. And the revised version of “Murder, Murder” was weird. I didn’t have a problem with the original song just the umbrella choreography.

[zainmax]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 11:20pm

CATSNYrevival said: "I thought the 2013 tour was a little over the top. And the revised version of “Murder, Murder” was weird. I didn’t have a problem with the original song just the umbrella choreography."

So, I didn’t see the original, and only clips of the Hasselhoff recording. The umbrella choreography was weird... but, I like the repeat of murder in the chorus of the song.

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 12:20am

BOTM was cut because Eder was never comfortable singing it.  She's said it several times in concert and while she still sings it now and then, it's never full-out and always a done a little sheepishly.  

Linda was the best thing about the show and no matter how many times I've seen it, there's no one who can play 'Lucy' like her.  It was a role specifically written for her vocal talents.

Updated On: 5/30/20 at 12:20 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 2:33pm

BenjaminNicholas2 said: "BOTM was cut because Eder was never comfortable singing it. She's said it several times in concert and while she still sings it now and then, it's never full-out and always a done a little sheepishly.

Linda was the best thing about the show and no matter how many times I've seen it, there's no one who can play 'Lucy' like her. It was a role specifically written for her vocal talents."

I think Linda Eder may have told two different versions of the story. I've definitely heard both but not from her, just recounted by others. One that she was uncomfortable with the song and the other that the producers wanted the "Good and Evil" song, and as mentioned above, Linda said in an interview she should have pulled the diva card and insisted "Bring on the Men" stay in.

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 2:51pm

I've yet to see a version of the musical that makes Dr. Jekyll interesting. The show just marks time till Lucy and Hyde arrive. If Hyde represents all that Jekyll's repressing than he needs to be a meeker figure who's afraid of sex. But the Jekyll's I see always play him like a strapping, virile leading man. He's a gentleman with Emma and Lucy but not afraid of them.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 2:56pm

Updated On: 5/30/20 at 02:56 PM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/31/20 at 2:12pm

CATSNYrevival said: "BenjaminNicholas2 said: "BOTM was cut because Eder was never comfortable singing it. She's said it several times in concert and while she still sings it now and then, it's never full-out and always a done a little sheepishly.

Linda was the best thing about the show and no matter how many times I've seen it, there's no one who can play 'Lucy' like her. It was a role specifically written for her vocal talents."

I think Linda Edermay have told two different versions of the story. I've definitely heard both but not from her, just recounted by others. One that she was uncomfortable with the song and the other that the producers wanted the "Good and Evil" song, and as mentioned above, Linda said in an interview she should have pulled the diva card and insisted "Bring on the Men" stay in."

They're not necessarily contradictory; maybe she was uncomfortable with the song, and the producers wanted the other one, but after hearing the new tune, she wished she'd stumped for the old one.

[nealb1]

Posted: 5/31/20 at 2:44pm

BenjaminNicholas2, I've seen Linda in concert over 50 times.  She sings it pretty much each time she performs - unless she's doing her Judy Garland concert salute, or a Christmas concert.  She's never once sang BOTM sheepishly or anything like that.  She has kidded that they way it's written, there's no time to breathe.  Ha, ha.  And, she has always, always sung it full out.  It was not cut because she didn't like it/want it.  It was cut when the show got a new director for the Broadway production.   He didn't like it, not her. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 5/31/20 at 3:20pm

Saw the pre-Broadway tour in Denver. Preferred that production over the Broadway production. It felt less slick and darker. It also included more of the music from the double cd, from what I remember. The two biggest changes that I was not crazy about were the staging of The Board of Governors scene (Loved it on the tour) and, of course, the mirror in the transformation scene. The applause after that scene was thunderous. Such a shame the fallout happened over  the transformation scene.

A few asides... When I saw it in Denver Cuccioli was out. He did not follow the instructions  for performers  in the high altitude. He was out for a large chunk of the run there.

Eder came back and did a free concert at the Auditorium Theater (Now the Ellie Caulkins), next door to the Buell where the show played, I attended the concert and it was the first time, I think, she did Don Qixote live. Already enjoyed her in the show but she blew the place away when she sang it.  She did the concert because the show got its highest response there on the tour and it was a thank you concert. Wildhorn was there. She tried to get him to come out onstage but he didn't want to take away from her spotlight.

When the tour went out, Bring on the Men was back in. Part of me wanted to see how the new song played onstage but I was glad Bring on the Men was back.

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/2/20 at 11:25am

Can someone that saw the tour go into detail on the set differences?

 

Also from the little I saw, the German/Austrian set design looked somewhat interesting also.