Jekyll & Hyde opens June 7. From left, Jennifer Arbogast, John Thomas Cecil and Marianna Allen.
Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga will open Jekyll and Hyde, the 1997 musical by Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse, and Steve Cuden, on Friday, June 7. The production will run through Sunday, June 23, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. There will also be two Thursday performances, taking place on June 13 and June 20 at 7:30 p.m.
All performances will be held at the theatre's space inside Eastgate Town Center at 5600 Brainerd Road.
Review for Jekyll and Hyde:
Wildhorn's Jekyll and Hyde is a loose adaptation of the 19th Century novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. In the musical version, Dr. Henry Jekyll's struggle to separate man's good and evil sides is paralleled in his relationships with his upper-class fiancée Emma Carew and a poor bar singer named Lucy Harris.
ETC's production features a cast of 18, making it the theatre's largest production to date. John Thomas Cecil plays both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Emma Carew is portrayed by Marianna Allen, and Lucy Harris is played by Jennifer Arbogast.
"For me, Jekyll and Hyde is summed up perfectly by the first act song 'Facade,' says director Garry Lee Posey. "Man is constantly struggling with how he sees himself and how the world around him views him, and there are many levels to both of those ideals. The plot of the show is simple: man seeks to do good, but the search is fraught with difficulty from both the outer world and himself. That is universal. When I direct a show, it simultaneously comes from my own personal struggles and encompasses a message I feel important for an audience to understand. My approach goes deeper than simply entertaining. I have met resistance from all sorts over what might be both an elitist and potentially gratuitous approach, a struggle that mirrors that of Henry Jekyll's initial intent."
Actor John Thomas Cecil adds, "We have two sides to each of us. They are constantly at war, to do good or evil. Sometimes it's apparent and sometimes not, but it is always there. I love that I have the chance to play a role that completely blurs the line between the two sides when they are often considered so far apart. And the acting challenge of playing two very distinct characters, several times within the same scene, is incredible. I hope I can live up to the challenge."
Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students with a valid student ID. They can be purchased online at http://www.ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com, by phone at 987-5141, or at the door beginning one hour before each performance. Discounted tickets are available for groups of 10 or more. Doors open 30 minutes before show time. Free parking is available at Eastgate Town Center.