Show guide
Jekyll & Hyde
"Jekyll & Hyde" reimagines the classic tale of a doctor whose experiment unleashes a violent, uncontrollable second self.
- Broadway premiere
- 1997
- Music by
- Frank Wildhorn
- Genre
- Sung-through
- Setting
- 1880s
Jekyll & Hyde: quick answers
What is Jekyll & Hyde about?
- Jekyll & Hyde follows Dr. Henry Jekyll, who tests a formula meant to separate good from evil on himself and unleashes the violent Edward Hyde, drawing his fiancee Emma Carew and Lucy Harris, the star attraction of the Red Rat, into danger.
When did Jekyll & Hyde open on Broadway?
- Jekyll & Hyde opened on Broadway on April 28, 1997, at the Plymouth Theatre and ran 1,543 performances until January 7, 2001. A 2013 revival with Constantine Maroulis lasted only 29 performances.
What kind of musical is Jekyll & Hyde?
- Jekyll & Hyde is a gothic thriller musical with an original score by Frank Wildhorn and a book by Leslie Bricusse, adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella. It premiered at Houston's Alley Theatre in 1990 and toured before reaching Broadway.
Where and when is Jekyll & Hyde set?
- Jekyll & Hyde is set in London in the 19th century.
Is there a Jekyll & Hyde movie?
- A performance of the Broadway production starring David Hasselhoff was filmed in 2000 and released in 2001. Stevenson's story has been filmed many times, notably in 1931 with Fredric March, who won an Academy Award.
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.
Jekyll & Hyde: frequently asked questions
When did Jekyll & Hyde open on Broadway?
Jekyll & Hyde opened on Broadway in 1997.
Who composed Jekyll & Hyde?
Frank Wildhorn wrote the score.
What genre is Jekyll & Hyde?
It is a largely sung-through musical with a sweeping, pop-influenced sound built around dramatic power ballads.
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