Character guide
Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde
from Jekyll & Hyde
Dr. Henry Jekyll and his monstrous alter ego Edward Hyde are the dual heart of Jekyll & Hyde, Frank Wildhorn's 1997 musical adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of a man split between his best and worst impulses.
- Show
- Jekyll & Hyde
- Broadway premiere
- 1997
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Frank Wildhorn
Who is Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde?
Jekyll is a driven, idealistic London physician convinced that human nature can be separated into pure good and pure evil, and that isolating the two might free people from their darker instincts. His experiment on himself unleashes Edward Hyde, a violent and unrestrained persona who acts on every impulse Jekyll suppresses.
Over the course of the story, the line between the two identities blurs, and the character becomes a study in obsession, ambition, and the cost of tampering with one's own nature. It is one role played by a single performer who must convincingly become two very different people, often within the same scene.
Playing Jekyll and Hyde on stage
This is a lead role and one of the most demanding in the musical theatre repertoire, requiring a powerful, versatile voice capable of both Jekyll's yearning, controlled tenor lines and Hyde's raw, aggressive belt. The transformation between the two characters is largely vocal and physical rather than achieved through costume changes, so the actor carries the entire emotional arc.
Because the part swings between vulnerability and menace, often within a single song, it has become a favorite audition and showcase piece for performers who want to demonstrate dramatic and vocal range in one sitting.
Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1931 film of Stevenson's novella
Fredric March won the Academy Award for Best Actor for playing Jekyll and Hyde in Rouben Mamoulian's 1931 film, sharing the award with Wallace Beery. Robert Cuccioli originated the role in the Broadway musical in 1997, with the anthem This Is the Moment, and David Hasselhoff played it in a filmed performance of the Broadway production released in 2001.
The endings differ. In the 1931 film, Hyde murders Ivy Pierson and kills the father of Jekyll's fiancee, and he dies when police shoot him, turning back into Jekyll as he dies. In the musical, Jekyll transforms at his own wedding and dies by impaling himself on Utterson's swordstick.
Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde: frequently asked questions
What show is Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde from?
The character appears in Jekyll & Hyde, a musical with music by Frank Wildhorn that opened on Broadway in 1997.
Is Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde a lead or supporting role?
It is the lead role of the show, carried by a single performer who plays both the doctor and his alter ego.
Who wrote the music for Jekyll & Hyde?
Frank Wildhorn composed the music for the 1997 Broadway musical.
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