Jekyll & Hyde

The story of Jekyll & Hyde

Set in London in the 1880s, the musical follows Dr. Henry Jekyll, a scientist convinced that human nature can be split into its good and evil components. When his experiments on himself go wrong, he begins transforming into the brutal Edward Hyde, a persona that grows harder to control and more dangerous with each transformation.

As Jekyll's condition worsens, the story follows the toll it takes on the people around him, including two women caught in the fallout of his double life. The tension between the doctor's noble intentions and his creation's violence drives the show toward its tragic conclusion.

The music and the makers

Frank Wildhorn composed the score, working in a sweeping, pop-influenced theatrical style that leans into big power ballads and dramatic, sung-through storytelling. The music favors soaring melodic lines and emotional intensity, giving the central performer material to showcase both the composed Jekyll and the menacing Hyde.

As a largely sung-through musical, the show relies on its score to carry much of the narrative and psychological weight, with contrasting musical textures helping distinguish the doctor's two identities.

Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway

The show opened in 1997 after a lengthy pre-Broadway development process and built a passionate, dedicated fan following known for returning to see it multiple times. Its gothic atmosphere and powerhouse vocal numbers gave it a distinct identity among the musicals of its era.

While critical reception was mixed, its cult popularity and its dramatic central transformation have kept it in the conversation among fans of darker, pop-inflected musical theater, and it continues to be produced by regional and touring companies.

Frequently asked