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| Jeon Dong-seok, who plays both Jekyll and Hyde in the musical, "Jekyll & Hyde," performs in a recent show. Courtesy of OD Company |
By Dong Sun-hwa
The world-famous number, "This is the Moment," may be the first thing that pops up into the minds of most people when they think about the musical version of "Jekyll & Hyde." But the theatrical show, which started its current run last year at the Charlotte Theater in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, has much more to offer in terms of music and performance.
Based on Robert Lewis' 1886 novel, "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "Jekyll & Hyde" premiered on Broadway in 1997, with Frank Wildhorn composing the music and Leslie Bricusse writing the lyrics. Since its arrival in Korea in 2004, "Jekyll & Hyde" has been one of the most beloved theatrical shows among Koreans, with an accumulated audience of more than 1.5 million.
The musical follows Dr. Henry Jekyll, a physician who tries to cure his father's mental illness by separating the "good" and "evil" aspects of human nature. After experimenting with his own body, Jekyll succeeds in splitting the two, but this experiment gives birth to his evil half, Edward Hyde, who devastates the city of London with his brutality.
"Jekyll & Hyde" is a thriller featuring the conflict between Jekyll and his darker side, but at the same time, it is a tragic love story involving Jekyll, his fiancée, Emma Carew, and prostitute Lucy Harris.
The clash between Jekyll and Hyde is most visible in "The Confrontation" in Act 2. Actor Jeon Dong-seok, who alternates the roles of Jekyll and Hyde with Park Eun-tae and Kai, transforms back and forth from good to evil in the song, singing about Jekyll's willingness to get rid of Hyde, as well as Hyde's determination to eat Jekyll away. Jeon plays the two contrasting characters flawlessly by employing different voices, tones, facial expressions and hairstyles, captivating audiences with his vivid depictions of both characters.
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| Haena, who plays Lucy Harris in the musical, "Jekyll & Hyde," performs in a recent show. Courtesy of OD Company |
In addition to "The Confrontation" and "This is the Moment," he boasts his vocal prowess and stage presence in the powerful number, "The Transformation," and the sentimental, "In His Eyes," demonstrating why he is one of the most-sought-after musical actors in Korea.
Another attention-grabbing performer is Haena, a member of now-defunct K-pop girl group Matilda, who takes the role of Lucy Harris. Making her first appearance with the number, "Bring on the Men," the actress excels in singing about love and pain. She creates a unique harmony with Jeon for the song, "Dangerous Game," and also with Choi Soo-jin -- who performs Emma Carew -- for "Someone Like You," crooning about her love for Jekyll.
Although the last scenes of the musical, featuring the death of Jekyll, go by too quickly and leave theatergoers wondering how he suddenly succeeded in suppressing Hyde, "Jekyll & Hyde" still fascinates people until the end and asks thought-provoking questions such as: can good and evil ever be separated? Is evil more powerful than good in most people?
"Jekyll & Hyde" is scheduled to run until May 8 at the Charlotte Theater.
