‘Jekyll and Hyde’ plays pre-Broadway
BY JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Celebrity Attractions President
Larry Payton introduced “Jekyll and
Hyde” stars Constantine Maroulis
and Deborah Cox during Tuesday’s
press conference to announce the
company’s upcoming season.
“Jekyll and Hyde,” a revised staging
of the Frank Wildhorn musical of
Robert Louis Stevenson’s dark fable,
is currently on tour in preparation for
a Broadway opening in April at the
Marquis Theatre on Times Square.
Maroulis said the process of
touring before playing Broadway is
“a new business model,” one designed
to re-introduce audiences to
this show that last played Broadway
in the late 1990s (a touring production
came to Tulsa in 1999).
“It’s a totally reimagined production,”
Maroulis said. “Frank and Leslie
(Bricusse, the show’s book writer
and lyricist) were so willing for our
director to open the book and do
a lot of editing of the show. ... It’s
a much more grounded, edgier,
modern take on the story.”
Cox added that this production
has what she calls an “all-star cast,”
with performers from film and
television in addition to the musical
stage.
“The orchestrations have been
tailored to our voices, which gives
the music a different flair,” she
said. “And Constantine does such
a wonderful job in bringing a real
humanity to the character. You even
feel some empathy for Hyde, because
he has no control over what
he does. And he does all this with
no gimmicks, just talent.”
Associated Images:
"Jekyll and Hyde" stars Constantine Maroulis and Deborah Cox talk about the production at the PAC on Tuesday. CHRISTOPHER SMITH / Tulsa World
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