Synopsis
Three versions of Jekyll & Hyde have been recorded in English. The central theme of the show remains intact, but many of the songs have been altered, cut and/or replaced between the different versions.
Act I
The audience is introduced to John Utterson and Sir Danvers Carew, both having been associated with Doctor Henry Jekyll. Utterson was Jekyll's lawyer and best friend while Sir Danvers was Jekyll's future father-in-law. The two gentlemen take the audience back some time to find Jekyll in an insane asylum singing over his comatose father ("Lost in the Darkness"). It is Jekyll's belief that the evil in his father's soul has caused his illness. Jekyll tells the audience about his passion to find out why man is both good and evil and his attempts to separate the good from the evil ("I Need to Know").
Some time later, the rich and poor of 19th century London describe how people act how they want others to see them, no matter who they really are inside ("Facade"). Afterward, Jekyll presents a research proposal to the Board of Governors of St. Jude's Hospital. Sir Danvers, the chairman of the board, is in attendance along with His Grace Rupert the 14th Bishop of Basingstoke, the Right Honorable Sir Archibald "Archie" Proops, Lord Theodore "Teddy" Savage, Lady Elizabeth "Bessie" Beaconsfield, General Lord Glossop and Simon Stride - the secretary. All, with the exception of Sir Danvers, are pompous, rich semi-hypocrites. When Jekyll proposes to test his theory and his formula on a human subject, they reject the proposal with cries of "sacrilege, lunacy, blasphemy, heresy", voting five to none with Sir Danvers' one abstention ("Jekyll's Plea"). Utterson tries to calm Jekyll down, knowing that he was obsessed over his father's conditions. Jekyll feels that he could "save" those who have fallen in the same darkness. Utterson urges his friend, if he feels he is right about his theory, that he should continue ("Pursue The Truth").
Later that night, the toast of society turns up at Sir Danvers' residence, where he is throwing an engagement party for his daughter Emma's engagement to Dr. Jekyll ("Facade - Reprise 1"). During the party, the guests - which include the Governors and Stride - mention how worried they are about Emma being engaged to a "madman", but both Sir Danvers and Emma back up Jekyll. Stride, who has feelings for Emma, speaks to Emma in private and tries to reason her out of her engagement, but she quickly turns him down, saying she feels she can be who she wants to be with Jekyll ("Emma's Reason").
Jekyll—late as usual—arrives just as everyone is leaving, and shares a moment with Emma. Though he is always busy with his work, Emma swears she will be beside him through it all ("Take Me as I Am"). Sir Danvers returns as Jekyll leaves, and expresses to Emma that he considers Jekyll like a son to him, but finds it difficult to tolerate his behavior at the cost of losing his daughter. Emma assures him that he will never lose her, and they should not be afraid to let go ("Letting Go").
Jekyll and Utterson later go to a dingy pub known as the Red Rat for Jekyll's bachelor party ("Facade - Reprise 2"). Prostitute Lucy Harris arrives late and is in for some trouble with the boss, known as "the Spider", but she dismisses it for now. Despite her position in life, she is seen to be kind-hearted and well liked by her co-workers, but has moments of contemplation about her life ("No One Knows Who I Am").
Nellie, the German manageress of the Red Rat, then breaks Lucy's reverie and then sends the former out onstage to do her number ("Bring on the Men" - replaced with "Good 'n' Evil" in the Broadway version), which captivates Jekyll. After the number, Lucy begins to circulate among the clientele. Spider approaches Lucy and strikes her hard across the face and demands to know why she was late. And even though Spider is in a good mood tonight, he threatens to kill her if it happens again. Jekyll approaches Lucy after witnessing the Spider's actions and intends to help her as Utterson is led away by another bar girl. Jekyll and Lucy are drawn to each other in a way that promises each of them a great friendship. Jekyll admits Lucy's song has helped him find the answer to his experiment. Utterson reemerges and Jekyll admits that he must be on his way. Before he goes, he gives Lucy his visiting card and asks her to see him should she ever need anything.
As Utterson and Jekyll arrive at the latter's residence, Utterson notices that Jekyll is in a better mood. Jekyll informs him that he has found a subject for his experiments. Utterson recommends Jekyll to go straight to bed and leaves. Jekyll asks his butler, Poole, about his father, and Poole replies that he was a very good man. After reacting happily to the kind remark, Jekyll dismisses him for the night. Jekyll then ignores Utterson's advice and proceeds to his laboratory, excited that the moment has come to do his experiment ("This Is The Moment"). Keeping tabs on the experiment in his journal, Jekyll mixes his chemicals to create his formula, HJ7, and injects it into the subject: himself. After a minute of the potion's side effects, he writhes in pain, transforming into an evil form of himself ("Transformation"). He goes out and roams the streets, taking in the sights and sounds of London, including an encounter with Lucy. He gives himself a name: Edward Hyde ("Alive").
A week later, no one has heard anything from Jekyll. Emma, Sir Danvers and Utterson ask Poole where he is, but Emma decides to leave and believes Jekyll will come for her after his work is finished. After Emma and Sir Danvers leave, Poole tells Utterson that Jekyll has been locked in his lab all this time and that he has heard strange sounds from the lab. Jekyll, who seems distraught, emerges and sends Poole fetch some chemicals for him. Utterson confronts him asking him what he has been up to, but Jekyll does not fully answer. He instead gives Utterson three letters: one for Emma, another for her father, and one for Utterson himself should Jekyll become ill or disappear. Utterson tells Jekyll to not let his work take over. Meanwhile Emma and Sir Danvers argue about the prudence of Emma's marriage to a man who seems to be falling into an ever-deepening abyss. Emma again tells her father that she understands that Jekyll's work is important. ("His Work and Nothing More").
Visiting card in hand, Lucy arrives at Jekyll's residence with a nasty bruise on her back. As Jekyll treats it, she tells him a man named Hyde did it. Jekyll is stunned by this revelation but hides it. Obviously in love with him, Lucy kisses Jekyll ("Sympathy, Tenderness"). Disturbed by his own actions, Jekyll leaves Lucy, who wonders about her love for him ("Someone Like You").
Later, the Bishop of Basingstoke is seen with Nellie after having a meeting with one of her attendants, who is a minor. He pays Nellie and arranges to see the attendant next Wednesday. When Nellie and the attendant leave, Hyde appears holding a swordstick with a heavy pewter knob. After insulting the Bishop, Hyde proceeds to beat and stab the former to death with the swordstick before gleefully setting the body aflame ("Alive — Reprise").
Act II
Utterson and Sir Danvers speak to the audience once again of past events with Jekyll: Utterson begins to feel he was not able to help his poor client and friend, while Danvers senses that something is horribly wrong with his work, as he has not been seen or heard from for weeks.
The citizens of London gossip about the Bishop's murder. The Carews, the four remaining Governors, Stride and Utterson attend the Bishop's funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral, unaware that Hyde is also present. After the funeral, General Glossop and Lord Savage leave St. Paul's, mourning over their deceased colleague. Hyde corners Glossop and stabs him through the mouth with the swordstick while Teddy watches, petrified in horror. Stride quickly enters the scene, just in time to see Hyde escape. As Londoners discuss the second murder, Jekyll is seen accosting the apothecary, Bisset, for the chemicals that Poole ordered. All but two are present, leaving Jekyll to wait until tomorrow night. Later one night, Teddy is seen leaving the Mayfair Club with Sir Proops and Lady Beaconsfield. Hyde emerges from the shadows and after recognizing him, Teddy attempts to get Bessie back inside. When Hyde comments on "how you hypocrites hang together", Archie foolishly walks up to Hyde and demands that he leave. However, Hyde pulls out a dagger and stabs Archie in the side before snapping Bessie's neck with her own diamonds. Teddy, after being forced to watch, seizes the opportunity to escape. As the city reacts to the third and fourth murders, the Carews find a frantic Teddy at Victoria Station and learn that he is fleeing to Aberdeen. The Carews wish him a safe journey and return home. Hyde then appears, breaking Teddy's neck and kicking his corpse onto the train tracks. By now, all five Governors who rejected Jekyll's proposal are dead ("Murder, Murder").
Later one night, Emma lets herself into Jekyll's laboratory. She finds his journal open and reads one of his entries. Jekyll enters and immediately closes the journal, preventing her from learning what he has become. Emma can see he is distraught. She professes her love for him and begs him to confide in her ("Once Upon a Dream"). He tells her nothing of his work, but says he still loves her. After Emma leaves, Jekyll writes in his journal that Hyde has taken a heavy toll on him and those around him, and that the transformations are occurring without his taking the potion. His entry is interrupted when Utterson arrives at the lab, seeking to find out who Jekyll's sole heir is, Edward Hyde, as referred to in Jekyll's letter. Jekyll only tells him that Hyde is a "colleague" involved in the experiment. Utterson can see that his friend and client is desperately ill and agrees to obtain the rest of the chemicals Jekyll requires. Jekyll, once again alone, begins to face the fact that Hyde is a part of him ("Obsession"). At the same time, both Lucy and Emma wonder about their love for the same man ("In His Eyes").
At the Red Rat, Nellie and Lucy sing about their profession and why they keep doing it ("Girls of the Night"). Lucy is then visited by Hyde, who tells her that he is going away for a while. He then warns her to never leave him -- "ever". Lucy is terrified, but seems to be held under a sexual, animalistic control by Hyde ("Dangerous Game"). As they leave together, the Spider addresses the Red Ratattendants, warning them to always be aware of what dangers lie ahead ("Facade - Reprise 3").
Utterson comes to Jekyll's lab with the rest of the chemicals and discovers Hyde, who informs him that the doctor is "not available" tonight. Utterson refuses to leave the package with anyone but his friend and demands to know where he is. Hyde replies that even if he told him, Utterson would not believe him. When Utterson threatens him with his swordstick, Hyde injects the formula into himself, roaring with laughter as he transforms back into Jekyll in front of an appalled Utterson. Jekyll tells Utterson that Hyde must be destroyed, whatever the cost. He then begs Utterson to deliver money for Lucy so she can escape to safety. As Utterson leaves, Jekyll mixes in chemicals and injects the new formula, praying that he can restore his former life ("The Way Back").
Utterson visits Lucy at the Red Rat with the money, along with a letter from Jekyll that entreats her to leave town and start a new life elsewhere. After Utterson leaves, Lucy wonders of the possibilities ahead ("A New Life"). Just then, Hyde returns. Seeing the letter from Jekyll, he tells Lucy that he and the doctor are "very close." As he holds Lucy softly so that she does not suspect it, he slowly and savagely kills her ("Sympathy, Tenderness" - Reprise). The vile murderer runs off laughing, just as the Red Rat attendants find Lucy's stabbed form and carry her out on a stretcher. Covered in blood from stabbing Lucy, Jekyll returns to his laboratory and faces off with Hyde in a final battle for control ("Confrontation").
Later, Utterson tells the audience that Jekyll has given up his task of "finding the truth," condemning his father to the darkness. Yet, as Sir Danvers would put it, the doctor had returned at the sound of wedding bells ("Facade - Reprise 4").
Several weeks later, Jekyll seems to have won as he and Emma stand before the priest at their wedding in St. Anne's Church ("The Wedding" aka "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind"). As the Minister begins the ceremony, Jekyll doubles over in pain and transforms into Hyde. Hyde then kills Stride, a guest at the wedding, before taking Emma hostage. At the sound of Emma's pleading voice, Jekyll is able to regain momentary control. He begs Utterson to kill him, but Utterson cannot bring himself to harm his friend. Desperate, Jekyll impales himself on Utterson's swordstick. Emma weeps softly as Jekyll dies ("Finale").
|
- Synopsis