Central High School’s drama students will be presenting “Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical” this weekend. It’s a much different play than one would expect from high schoolers, but they do an amazing job performing this tragic story.
First of all−a caveat. The play depicts violence, strong language, and implied sexual acts, so it’s not suitable for children or anyone offended by these types of depictions. However, they are presented in such a way that they aren’t gratuitous. The overriding themes of the nature of good and evil, the boundaries of science being stretched, and the tragedy of a man whose good intentions lead to his downfall are more important than the other factors and should not cause one to avoid this drama.
Ms. Rachel Lawyer, with six years of teaching theatre, directs a large cast of experienced, as well as novice actors. Getting to direct “Jekyll and Hyde” was a dream come true for Ms. Lawyer.
Ms. Lawyer and her theatre classes discussed possible productions. Her students knew she loved the play, so they began doing research on “Jekyll and Hyde” and other musicals and they loved it also.
“I found that this musical fit everything I was looking for, including that it sparked student interest and had a powerful theme,” Ms. Lawyer remarked.
One aspect that’s an asset to the show and, at the same time, challenging is that the music is performed by an orchestra of high school students rather than using recorded music to accompany the singers. This adds to the feeling that you’re watching a show on Broadway.
The musical director, Stephen Schildbach, has been teaching music for twenty years and has worked with both adults and students as a musical director. His favorite shows were two completely different types of plays−“The Producers” and “Sweeney Todd.” His dream is to do the musical direction for either “Hamilton” or “Into the Woods.”
Ms. Lawyer commented, “The best part of directing this show is getting to explore all the character and theme possibilities with the students. I love being able to watch them think about the complex motivations of each character and discover different ways to show this on stage and bring those characters to life for an audience.”
For Schildbach, one of the rewarding aspects was “working with the multiple aspects
of the musical from the singers on stage to the musicians in the pit.”
On the other hand, the biggest challenge was balancing the volume of the pit ensemble with the actors on stage. “We worked this out by fine-tuning the microphones and rehearsing the balance and blend between the vocalists and instrumentalists.”
Ms. Lawyer is not one to stay in a comfortable rut when it comes to directing. “I always love the opportunity to try something new and to explore theater as an art form more. One show I would love to direct would be ‘Noises Off.’ It is a hilarious comedy. I would also love to direct ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, as it is one of my favorite plays.”
Senior Cody Blehm plays the lead, or should I say “leads,” since he plays the troubled Dr. Jekyll as well as his evil alter ego, Mr. Hyde. The transformation that takes place in the doctor’s laboratory is seamless. As the doctor, Cody wears his hair tied back neatly and walks erect. As Hyde, his long hair is loosened and he hunches over in an animal-like stance. Even his voice changes. As Jekyll, he sings in a clear tenor; as Hyde, he drops his voice an octave or two.
Cody has been acting since he was in third grade. Among the roles he played were Billy Flynn in “Chicago” at Central High School and Harry the Horse in “Guys and Dolls” at Stage West.
Of his current roles, Cody stated, “I enjoyed getting to depict both of the characters. I find the theme of their stories very thought-provoking.” He continued, “It’s a challenge to play two different yet similar characters, and it becomes very difficult when you have to sing a duet with yourself.”
Cody plans to pursue a career in theatre. With his dedication and versatility, it’s a safe bet that he’ll go far, maybe even onto the stage of the Tony Awards.
Ninth grader Brandon Guzman portrays Utterson, Dr. Jekyll’s friend. In expressing admiration for his character, Brandon remarked, “I loved how loyal Utterson is to Jekyll and how he trusts him” despite his suspicions of Jekyll.
Brandon isn’t quite sure whether he wants to make acting a career, however, he’s gained inspiration from being in “Jekyll and Hyde.” He spoke of “the amazing experience I’ve had and the wonderful cast, crew, stage managers and director.”
Junior Jay Sambaugh plays Dr. Jekyll’s fiancée, Emma, who stands by him to the bitter end. Emma is a complex character−innocent and naïve, yet fiercely independent in defending Jekyll even in the face of his strange behavior. Jay has been on stage “my whole life,” as she puts it. Her roles have ranged from the comedic (Amalia in “She Loves Me”) to the dramatic (Abigail in “The Crucible”). “I liked playing Emma because she gave me the opportunity to tap into a new part of my acting technique. She has helped me grow to become a more emotion-based actor, rather than strictly technical-based.”
Jay’s sweet soprano voice embodies the character of Emma. Yet, it was somewhat of a challenge to portray the nuances of Emma’s personality. “I overcame this by really letting go and stop overthinking who Emma is and just become her−doing deep character analysis and looking past surface level.”
This, in essence, is what a good method actor does. In fact, Jay intends to obtain her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. “Performing arts is something I fell in love with the second I was up on a stage. I love the feeling of all the hard work paying off on show nights and the memories that are shared are irreplaceable. Theatre has been with me my whole life and I intend to keep it that way.”
Katrina Zamora, a sophomore, portrays Lucy, a woman from the dregs of society, hardened and cynical, who sells her body to anyone willing to pay the price. Yet, she forms a bond with Jekyll and he feels sorry for her. In comparing Emma and Lucy, we see the duality of good and evil as we do in Jekyll and Hyde. “What I enjoy most about playing Lucy is how different she is from everyone else. Lucy wants what she can’t have and spends the show trying to get what she wants only to be let down in the end. Being able to portray that roller coaster of emotions is incredibly fun. It allows me to expand my acting range and take on more complex roles.”
Katrina has a voice between an alto and mezzo-soprano, which is perfect for the torch song, “Bring on the Men,” that she belts out. It says a lot about her talent and Ms. Lawyer’s directing that someone as young as Katrina, having acted in only three plays, did such a masterful job portraying this complex character.
“Jekyll and Hyde, The Musical” will stay with you long after the play is over. The music and lyrics are superb, but, most of all, it makes you think. Several of the songs, especially, one at the beginning entitled “Façade” explore the differences between our public and private faces and the masks we wear to hide our true selves.
The touching duet sung by Hyde and Emma entitled “Take Me As I Am” will bring tears to your eyes, especially when you know how the story ends.
“Jekyll and Hyde, The Musical” is definitely not a “safe” pick for a high school production, but the orchestra and the actors do justice to it. I’m sure that looking back, this play will become one of their favorites.
“It has taken many dedicated people to work our way through these challenges. The students had a very strenuous rehearsal schedule. Many also did research outside of that schedule to make this show a reality. I also had the help of Ms. Kim Morse who volunteered as our choreographer to enhance our large group numbers. I am very grateful and proud of all the work and effort everyone has put into making this show a reality.”
The play premiered this Thursday and there will be two additional shows on 11th at 7 p.m. and April 12th at 2 p.m. The theatre is located at 14075 Ken Austin Parkway, off Sunshine Grove Road. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at https://tinyurl.com/centralstage/CHS.
